Tungsten Carbide Mule

[KnifeKnuts]

Sandrin Knives offers a resharpening service for their own Polyhedral Tungsten Carbide knives or a sharpening system to do it yourself: https://usa.sandrinknives.com/sharpenin ... lacements/

[KnifeKnuts]

I can't help but think that if another company can successfully build and market a viable tungsten carbide knife, that Spyderco could surely do it ...even better.

[KnifeKnuts]

I just came up with an idea related to my proposal for a tungsten carbide knife blade. Maybe the way to get around the high costs and brittleness of this incredible material is to produce a San-Mai (3-layer) blade using a tungsten carbide core sandwiched between two layers of a tougher steel, similar to what the Japanese blade makers have been doing for hundreds of years. The other suggestion would be to attach an edge made of tungsten carbide to a tougher and more durable blade material by silver soldering/brazing a tungsten edge to the blade to form a super hard and durable cutting edge protected and strengthened by a supporting stainless-steel alloy. The core could even be made of tungsten carbide with binders, similar to polyhedral tungsten carbide, for added edge strength, durability and flexibility. This composite blade could possibly result in the finest knife blade ever made.

[sal]

Hi Knifeknuts,

A number of knife companies have put Tungsten Carbide on the edge of their knives. They did not cut well in the Real World. I don't know of anyone that's done San Mai with a Tungsten Carbide core. I've thought of it for a while, but I still have questions on it's success.

Materials like Ceramic and Tungsten Carbide have been around for a long time. I question whether or not they will ever replace steel?

We'll watch the thread.

sal

[KnifeKnuts]

Greetings Sal,

Thanks for posting a reply!

I own several knives from other production knife makers with composite blades using ZPD-189 as the edge material and other composites using D2 or some other hard material on the edge that appears to be silver soldered/brazed together. I also own a few San Mai blades.

Many years ago, when I was working as a developmental engineering technician in a research & development laboratory running metal lathes and milling machines to create laboratory prototypes, some of the cutters were made of tungsten carbide attached to a steel mandrel. The carbide and steel seemed to be co-dependent on each other to perform any given task in the machine shop.

Unless Larrin Thomas develops some new highly exotic steel that makes tungsten carbide obsolete, I don't see anything replacing steel knife blades, either. I too, have never seen a tungsten carbide core San Mai. I don't doubt what you're saying, but as hard as I try, I can't remember seeing a knife blade with a composite edge made of tungsten carbide. If you can give me a hint as to where I might buy one, I will quickly get one ordered. Is the difficulty in cutting due to the abrupt angle of the apex of the blade or something else?

I think we have something in common, in that we both tend to think outside of the box. I think this has served us both quite well over the years and we should continue.

I better sign off now so that I can get up early to place an order for my 72nd & 73rd Mule Team blades. I hope it goes smoothly this time.

Chris

[N. Brian Huegel]

https://knifesteelnerds.com/2019/12/02/ ... explained/

nb

[KnifeKnuts]

Thanks for the link, Brian! It appears that there are metallurgists that are light years ahead of me, and my knife steel ignorance is front and center. Maybe I should just take a back seat while they stir the pot, and patiently wait to see what floats, so to speak. I trust that if there is a perfect knife steel to be developed, that other more capable knife steel nerds are in hot pursuit and that success is just around the corner. Until then, I've got my brand-x polyhedral tungsten carbide folder in my pocket.

[sal]

Hi KnifeKnuts,

As long as there are Knife aficionado, steel junky's and edge junky's, the search will go one. That's why I say "The edge is a ghost". Materials and techniques are flourishing at this period in time. I'm glad there is a production company making such a useable knife. We all get to learn.

Use it and keep us posted on your experience with the solid Carbide blade.

sal
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Continual improvement is our evolutionary obligation to humankind".

[PM2Josh]

Sandrin makes nice knives. I'm just not a fan of Sandrin's USA-based retailer and representative, who are based in Pennsylvania. They ruined my Torino on a re-sharpening job.

Ground off the tip and one side was ground way too steep, leaving my knife with a large dimple in the blade and a horrible edge. One side looked 12 degrees, the other 30 degrees.

I like Sandrin knives, but I refuse to buy another until they get a better USA-based representative who knows how to properly sharpen polyhedral tungsten carbide.

And charging $44 on top of it to ruin a knife that ran me over $220 is an insult and slap to my face.

I may try another one someday if I ever get skilled enough and can afford the equipment to sharpen it myself.

[sal]

Hey KnifeKnuts, Josh,

Starting a knife company comes with a boatload of challenges, The ability to overcome adversity takes perseverance and patience. That's if you are building. Then marketing, sales, etc. is an additional PITA. I give them credit for the jump, and it is a jump. We have one of their knives and we spoke with them at the IWA show. Doing anything with them would end up being more expensive that we think you would want to try. I'm still working on it.

You are one of the ones that is on the path to the future with the other's that are "Always Seeking". As one of those, I'm also playing with the concept.

sal

[Jimandchris2]

Hey KnifeKnuts, Josh,

Starting a knife company comes with a boatload of challenges, The ability to overcome adversity takes perseverance and patience. That's if you are building. Then marketing, sales, etc. is an additional PITA. I give them credit for the jump, and it is a jump. We have one of their knives and we spoke with them at the IWA show. Doing anything with them would end up being more expensive that we think you would want to try. I'm still working on it.

You are one of the ones that is on the path to the future with the other's that are "Always Seeking". As one of those, I'm also playing with the concept.

sal

Mr. Glesser, I've learned so very much from this thread. Thank you. P.S. Do you think Mrs. Gail Glesser would sell me her SAGE 6 S90V on the secondary sale sir? Respectfully.

[sal]

Hi Jimandchris2,

Sorry, but probably not.

sal