Carbon 1.35%
Chrome 3.75%
Molybdenum 10.5%
Tungsten 6.25%
Vanadium 2.0%
Ok we can all read the datasheet saying its a bearing steel, can be hardened to ~65HRC, homogeneous composition, non-stainless etc. There seems to be a lot of talk about this steel, but with the exception of strider pyr-bars nobody has put it on a knife. Would people be interested in seeing this steel on a Mule or sprint? I personally would absolutely adore a Para2 in this steel to try it out, but the mule is probably a much more logical place to start.
Thoughts?
vim cru 20
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hunterseeker5
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Spider bite
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The Mentaculous
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Here is Crucible's data sheet on it http://www.sisa1.com.mx/pdf/CPM%20REX%2 ... nglish.pdf
The chart there shows it has slightly better wear resistance than M4 (which is pretty nice) at about half the toughness.
The chart there shows it has slightly better wear resistance than M4 (which is pretty nice) at about half the toughness.
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DeathBySnooSnoo
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hunterseeker5
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Sal recognized me. *faints* :D
The thing which really caught my eye, and most people's eye I suspect, is the unusually large amount of molybdenum. Its an alloy usually added to metal cutting steels and adds improved properties at higher temperatures if my understanding is correct. S90v has 1% of it, and M4 has 5.25% of it. After enough time staring at datasheets and scratching my head I've decided that heat treat is more important than steel and that there can be a lot more to a steel than its datasheet alone would suggest ergo someone like spyderco who can actually consistently put a good heat treat on an unusual new steel is really the only production company worth trying steels from (anyone remember the kershaw CPM s110v fiasco?) and that trying to analyze chemistry ultimately won't get you very far when you're at the high end of steels. We'll just have to try it and see.
The thing which really caught my eye, and most people's eye I suspect, is the unusually large amount of molybdenum. Its an alloy usually added to metal cutting steels and adds improved properties at higher temperatures if my understanding is correct. S90v has 1% of it, and M4 has 5.25% of it. After enough time staring at datasheets and scratching my head I've decided that heat treat is more important than steel and that there can be a lot more to a steel than its datasheet alone would suggest ergo someone like spyderco who can actually consistently put a good heat treat on an unusual new steel is really the only production company worth trying steels from (anyone remember the kershaw CPM s110v fiasco?) and that trying to analyze chemistry ultimately won't get you very far when you're at the high end of steels. We'll just have to try it and see.
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The Mastiff
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This would be a really expensive mule. I had to get rid of my strider due to money concerns. It's a sort of super M2. They made it for situations where red hardness was needed but cobalt couldn't be used.
Not real tough stuff, and really rusty. As in a fingerprint in a short amount of time. Super blue is stainless compared to Rex 20.
Joe
Not real tough stuff, and really rusty. As in a fingerprint in a short amount of time. Super blue is stainless compared to Rex 20.
Joe
"A Mastiff is to a dog what a Lion is to a housecat. He stands alone and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race" Cynographia Britannic 1800
"Unless you're the lead dog the view is pretty much gonna stay the same!"
"Unless you're the lead dog the view is pretty much gonna stay the same!"
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hunterseeker5
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Ok Mr. Mastiff, if it isn't really all its cracked up to be why do you think Strider ended up using it for a few different custom pieces? Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not a strider fan, I'm just in earnest asking why you think it made an appearance. Clearly it had to do something someone was impressed by, and somehow I don't think it was because strider wanted their knives to work glowing hot in the fires of whatever.....
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Steeldreams
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The Mastiff
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I think it was all they had. Someone probably gave or sold them a small amount. At the time the knives came out it wasn't in stock anywhere I'm aware of. It still might be out of stock.Ok Mr. Mastiff, if it isn't really all its cracked up to be why do you think Strider ended up using it for a few different custom pieces? Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not a strider fan, I'm just in earnest asking why you think it made an appearance. Clearly it had to do something someone was impressed by, and somehow I don't think it was because strider wanted their knives to work glowing hot in the fires of whatever.....
From what I hear Dwayne Dwyer is a steel Junky. It was his custom, not a strider piece though for all intents and purposes it was just a SNG with a upgraded steel and nice finish.
For some reason the high speed steels seem to make good knives just like the bearing steels do. M2, and CPM M4 are evidence of this. The M4 Spydercos are in my all time top 5 list for performance.
I'd love a mule or two in this steel if Sal could pull it off. It's very wear resistant but not all that tough.
To be honest I think there are some versions of M3, or it's beefed up brother Duratech 30 I'd like to try in a blade too. There is much unexplored territory in that class of steels. Pick just about any of them out and it will have some decent performance characteristics. Likely some reasons to not use them as well like price, heat treat, etc.
joe
"A Mastiff is to a dog what a Lion is to a housecat. He stands alone and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race" Cynographia Britannic 1800
"Unless you're the lead dog the view is pretty much gonna stay the same!"
"Unless you're the lead dog the view is pretty much gonna stay the same!"
How about a Manix C95 in that steel ? :D
Spyderco's owned: Worker, Police (9 different versions), Captain, ATR (2x), Endura, Tenacious, Gayle Bradley, Delica, Terzuola, Terzuola Jr., Ti Military, Lum Chinese (in Ti and black), Lum Tanto Ti, Lum Tanto sprint, ParaMedic PE, Manix I, Manix I sprint, Civilian, Spyderfly, Szabofly, Starmate, Navaja
Incoming : Manix I
Want: CF Police
Grail : Civilian PE
Incoming : Manix I
Want: CF Police
Grail : Civilian PE