Japanese steel Seki Sprints?

[GarageBoy]

Are are they interesting steels in Japan that would be feasible in a Sprint? I know they're doing non Japanese steels now, but is there something out there that'd steel nerds would like to try?

[Sumdumguy]

I want more SE Wharnie Dragonflies in any steel(especially LC200N).

[Cambertree]

Yes, there’s a whole group of Japanese ‘matrix high speed’ steels, which might be interesting. Like HAP5R, I guess they’d be somewhat similar to Cruwear.

http://imsteel.com/matrix_high-speed_st ... _index.htm

Other particle metallurgy versions like HAP5R might also be out there, but I’m not aware of the grade designations.

My guess would be that the challenge is obtaining Japanese steels in sheets suitable for knifemaking.

[p_atrick]

Laminated CoS! DBH has a good video explaining why laminated CoS is an interesting steel.
https://youtu.be/eREr9WSdi74
Laminated steels seem to be falling out of favor with the afis here, but I'm all for it. I think it is a cool part of the Japanese cutlery tradition. Yes, I'd even want the cladding on a stainless steel. That said, laminated CoS has a good reputation by being an improved VG10. Well, SPY-27 makes use of cobalt like VG10 and CoS but is powdered. I wouldn't mind seeing the Seki lineup use SPY-27 one of these days.

[JonLeBlanc]

It’s not new, and I rather doubt it would ever happen, but if unclad Shirogami (White) #1 were ever used in the standard Seki lineup, I’d probably pee myself. And yes, I’d feel much the same if it were clad.

[Sharp Guy]

OP not sure if you're aware but they've already done sprints for the Endura family in Super Blue, HAP40, & V-TOKU 2. They've also done a few exclusives with HAP40 and Super Gold.

As far as laminate steels are concerned I have no issue with it. Yeah the softer outer steels get scratched easily but it adds character and makes it your own. I think a lot of people get caught up in resale value and their worried they'll lose money due to scratches.

[kennethsime]

I don't know all the latest and greatest Japanese steels to recommend, but I will say that I appreciate the tradition of using Japanese steels in Japanese-made Spydercos, and American steels in American-made Spydercos.

Then again, I do like the Austrian steel in my American-made Spydercos as well, so no need to be too strict about these things.

[Wartstein]

You mean NEW steels?
As far as "older" ones are concerned: HAP 40 would be my first choice, actually it is my favorite steel so far (haven´t tried too many tbh).
I am totally with p_atrick, I love the cladding with SUS 410,concerning looks (also the used, unique look due to SUS 410 getting scratched almost inevitable), function and historical background

As said, there has already been a sprint of the whole (?) Endura family, and at least Endura, Stretch 1 (!), and Delica wharncliff could still be found for reasonable prices the last time I checked.

[GarageBoy]

I mean steels that haven't been sprinted yet

Between takefu and Hitachi - there's decent choices

Are Hitachi white and blue that corrosion prone? Any worse than 1095?

[steelcity16]

There is a very recent thread where Sal proposed Nachi-Fujikoshi SRS13 as the next Seki Sprint Run. I was all in until he said that the SRS13 would be cladded. I just don't like the looks of cladded blades, so it is a total deal breaker for me unfortunately. If these would be uncladded I would buy AT LEAST one of each model and 2+ of the Endura, Delica, and Dragonfly as SRS13/SRS15 has been described as being similar to a stainless Cruwear and it is a steel I have wanted to see as the next sprint series for a few years now, just uncladded.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SAL go with uncladded if at all possible. It seems most people don't like the looks of the uneven clad lines and the inevitable scratches on the soft cladding. If unclad SRS13 is not possible then I vote for unclad Cruwear as the next sprint series for Seki knives. I would buy so many of those it wouldn't be funny!

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[Albatross]

Seki insists on laminating many steels, but not all. It's possible to see a sprint blade without lamination come out of Seki, but it's not likely. Also, to me at least, the history and tradition of laminated blades is pretty cool. Maybe if I were a collector it would bother me, but as a user, it's practical for non-stainless steels or low-toughness steels, and it's just plain interesting.

[Cambertree]

Are Hitachi white and blue that corrosion prone? Any worse than 1095?

They don’t really have any corrosion resistance, like 1095.

The Blue Paper (Aogami) series have marginal amounts of chromium in them but not enough to really have any influence on corrosion resistance.

It’s not new, and I rather doubt it would ever happen, but if unclad Shirogami (White) #1 were ever used in the standard Seki lineup, I’d probably pee myself. And yes, I’d feel much the same if it were clad.

Jon, there’s actually a German analogue to Shirogami 1 called 125SC.

It’s made by Lohmann and is reputedly even cleaner than Shirogami 1, in terms of being free of impurities.

I was quite surprised when talking with a well known kamisori (straight razor) maker in Sanjo, Japan, when he said that he actually favoured a European carbon steel rather than Shirogami 1. I think he would have been talking about 125SC.

Regarding lamination, I don’t have any issues with it, as long as the cladding lines aren’t grossly out of kilter.

I prefer to have the stainless steel cladding in those pivot areas that can get rusty over time if the blade was monometal carbon steel.

[steelcity16]

Seki insists on laminating many steels, but not all. It's possible to see a sprint blade without lamination come out of Seki, but it's not likely. Also, to me at least, the history and tradition of laminated blades is pretty cool. Maybe if I were a collector it would bother me, but as a user, it's practical for non-stainless steels or low-toughness steels, and it's just plain interesting.

SRS3/SRS15 has been referred to as basically stainless Cruwear by BBB. So tough and stainless, and really no point to cladding unless they can't get stock thick enough for an unclad blade. Super Blue has been done in both clad and unclad, but I think the unclad were all out of Moki so maybe the factory in Seki only likes to do clad in the Japanese steels.

My thoughts are the opposite of yours regarding collector vs user. To me, the cladding looks nice for a collector piece if you are into that sort of thing (i'm not), but once you use it it gets scratched to heck and looks awful. And then if the unclad steel is something that patinas, it looks even worse you have a that patina'd portion and then a scratched stainless portion. Just my opinion though and I know some people like it.

[JonLeBlanc]

Are Hitachi white and blue that corrosion prone? Any worse than 1095?

They don’t really have any corrosion resistance, like 1095.

The Blue Paper (Aogami) series have marginal amounts of chromium in them but not enough to really have any influence on corrosion resistance.

It’s not new, and I rather doubt it would ever happen, but if unclad Shirogami (White) #1 were ever used in the standard Seki lineup, I’d probably pee myself. And yes, I’d feel much the same if it were clad.

Jon, there’s actually a German analogue to Shirogami 1 called 125SC.

It’s made by Lohmann and is reputedly even cleaner than Shirogami 1, in terms of being free of impurities.

I was quite surprised when talking with a well known kamisori (straight razor) maker in Sanjo, Japan, when he said that he actually favoured a European carbon steel rather than Shirogami 1. I think he would have been talking about 125SC.

Regarding lamination, I don’t have any issues with it, as long as the cladding lines aren’t grossly out of kilter.

I prefer to have the stainless steel cladding in those pivot areas that can get rusty over time if the blade was monometal carbon steel.

Oh really? That’s interesting, I’ll have to look it up.

[Wartstein]

.......

Jon, there’s actually a German analogue to Shirogami 1 called 125SC.
....

Regarding lamination, I don’t have any issues with it, as long as the cladding lines aren’t grossly out of kilter.

I prefer to have the stainless steel cladding in those pivot areas that can get rusty over time if the blade was monometal carbon steel.

I really like cladded (carbon) steel anyway, but your point of possible corrosion of the pivot area in an uncladded blade is another plus for cladding I never even thought of...

Anyway, since I also really like a fully "patinaed" blade, I would take uncladded whatever-new-japanese-carbon-steel too without complaining...

[Cambertree]

Oh really? That’s interesting, I’ll have to look it up.

There’s a local knifemaker just up the mountain from me here who uses it in his chef knives.





Anyway, the reason I mentioned it is it gives another option for custom knives. I’m not sure how well suited Shirogami 1 would be for knives being heat treated on an industrial scale.

I really like cladded (carbon) steel anyway, but your point of possible corrosion of the pivot area in an uncladded blade is another plus for cladding I never even thought of...

Anyway, since I also really like a fully "patinaed" blade, I would take uncladded whatever-new-japanese-carbon-steel too without complaining...

Sure. I like a fully patina’d blade as well. In fact probably half of my knife collection or more are in carbon steels.

I find when I’m using a carbon steel knife regularly, it’s no trouble to keep it rust free, it’s when they’re stored for a while, or in irregular usage that you can get nasty surprises.

Stainless lamination over a carbon steel core just adds some durability to knives IMHO. It seemed to be pretty common to see carbon steel cored, stainless clad knives in home and professional kitchens in Japan.

[sal]

Now that Eric has one of our main makers in Seki is working with non Japanese steels, we can expand quite a bit. LC Salts, K390, etc.

sal

[steelcity16]

Now that Eric has one of our main makers in Seki is working with non Japanese steels, we can expand quite a bit. LC Salts, K390, etc.

sal

THIS right here is the dream. That and a full run of Seki Cruwear sprints (or better yet as production models). :eek:

[Enactive]

I Generally like clad steel blades.

I am used to them from wood carving knives and tools, and find it extra cool in a folding knife. There are quite a few functional benefits of laminated blade steel, especially in certain use cases. For example: especially with a Scandinavian grind blade, a clad blade is much easier to sharpen with no apparent downside other than cost/ complication of manufacturing ( but then the clad blade is cheaper/ easier/ faster to grind for the manufacturer).

Like Cambertree, i enjoy how the cladding adds corrosion resistance to the pivot, lock and tang. I like the aesthetic and also the tradition. I dig my VToku and Hap40 Stretches!

Now that Eric has one of our main makers in Seki is working with non Japanese steels, we can expand quite a bit. LC Salts, K390, etc.

sal

Seki LC Salts in FFG and especially SE will be very cool and we've hotly anticipated it here for the past year or two. More K390 is also exciting. I am most looking forward to a K390 Stretch, possibly an Endela or Rock Jumper, and maybe something else.

Now that Eric has one of our main makers in Seki is working with non Japanese steels, we can expand quite a bit. LC Salts, K390, etc.

sal

THIS right here is the dream. That and a full run of Seki Cruwear sprints (or better yet as production models). :eek:

I think SRS13 or SRS15 would be cool in the Seki models, but if we'll see more Cruwear in Seki models-- The Stretch, Rock Jumper and Dragonfly are my main motivators.

Of course we can also agree that a Jester in Cruwear is a must have. :D :cool: :spyder:

[TomAiello]

I'd buy SRS15, clad or not.

Wharnie Dragonfly in K390 and SRS15 would be great for me.