Can superblue steel be made stain-resistant?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

can Super Blue Steel be made stain resistant through the addition of greater amounts of alloying elements such as more chromium and nickel, or would that change the very nature of Super Blue Steel to where it becomes something else altogether? Ie, can you have both a Stainless and a Non Stainless version?

[3rdGenRigger]

The lack of alloying elements contribute to the purity of the grain structure of SuperBlue and therefore its' qualities, and the addition of them would greatly change its' properties and it would no longer be SuperBlue.

Edit: The best bet for making SuperBlue stain resistant would be a coating like DLC, but it would still be stain prone where the edge is sharpened.

[mainaman]

It is high carbon steel, it can't be made stainless or it will become different steel all together.

[Blerv]

Or wipe it down with corrosion inhibiting oils/chemicals.

[me2]

So basically the question was can you add alloying elements (enough to make a steel stainless that wasn't before) and have it be the same steel? Um, no. That's not how it works. Even the trace elements in steel has an effect on how it behaves, becoming more pronounced as more and more steel comes from recycled material.

[Bugout Bill]

So basically the question was can you add alloying elements (enough to make a steel stainless that wasn't before) and have it be the same steel? Um, no. That's not how it works. Even the trace elements in steel has an effect on how it behaves, becoming more pronounced as more and more steel comes from recycled material.

This. Now there are stainless steels that have similar properties to Super Blue, but simply tweaking the chemical makeup will result in something completely different.

I have never personally had any problems with corrosion on my Super Blue Endura, nor have I noticed that the steel reacts with food all that much. If stainlessness is really that needed, food grade mineral oil works well, while a coating like PVD or cerakote would also prevent corrosion and reactivity. Even hard chrome (like Gerber used to do) would work quite well.

[bearfacedkiller]

Use a tuff cloth and don't do any food prep. Other than that the question is just bizarre. If you add more of an allow how could it be the same steel. Maybe a better way to phrase it would be, Is there a stainless steel that behaves like super blue?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Use a tuff cloth and don't do any food prep. Other than that the question is just bizarre. If you add more of an allow how could it be the same steel. Maybe a better way to phrase it would be, Is there a stainless steel that behaves like super blue?

Yes, that was more of what I was getting at, thank you. Is there a stainless steel that behaves like super blue, with similiar edge-holding properties, but, which is more resistant to rust and corrosion, sortof like a compromise between the two? Would VG10 be that steel, or not?

[bearfacedkiller]

VG10 is not high carbide by todays standards but compared to super blue it definitely is very high carbide. You need to find a steel with much lower carbide content that is stainless. 14c28n may be an option as well as its predecessor 13c26. There are many low carbide stainless steels. Compromise is the key word here because none of them will behave quite like super blue. It is my understanding that super blue is kind of a unique beast. I am sure somebody with more knowledgeable than me will chime in with a more in depth answer. For steels that spyderco uses maybe cts-bd1.

I do find vg10 very easy to sharpen and that it takes a screaming edge so to me it is a good option for a stainless substitute but it really depends on your uses and what qualities of super blue you are trying to retain as you make your compromise.

[Cliff Stamp]

can Super Blue Steel be made stain resistant through the addition of greater amounts of alloying elements such as more chromium and nickel, or would that change the very nature of Super Blue Steel to where it becomes something else altogether?

It is sometimes possible to find a stainless steel which is similar to a non-stainless steel in many respects. AEB-L for example has a similar working hardness to SuperBlue and will also have a very similar micro-structure when properly hardened. This is often why AEB-L and similar stainless steels are recommended to people who like/use White/Blue steels as they sharpen very similar, grind very similar, take a very high sharpness similar, etc. .

[SpyderEdgeForever]

VG10 is not high carbide by todays standards but compared to super blue it definitely is very high carbide. You need to find a steel with much lower carbide content that is stainless. 14c28n may be an option as well as its predecessor 13c26. There are many low carbide stainless steels. Compromise is the key word here because none of them will behave quite like super blue. It is my understanding that super blue is kind of a unique beast. I am sure somebody with more knowledgeable than me will chime in with a more in depth answer. For steels that spyderco uses maybe cts-bd1.

I do find vg10 very easy to sharpen and that it takes a screaming edge so to me it is a good option for a stainless substitute but it really depends on your uses and what qualities of super blue you are trying to retain as you make your compromise.

Bear, that is a good point, and what I find interesting, and this has been discussed here before, is how some kitchen/cooking knife-makers, mostly from Japan, use laminated VG10, laminated with other steels. Some have said VG10 is good alone, without lamination. But a sushi-chef told me nearly all professional sushi-makers use laminated carbon and stainless steels, preferably from Japan, but, there are exceptions, such as very good quality steels from other foundries.

I was reading the differences between "Blue Steel" and "White Steel", such as on this table:

http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/Infor ... teels.html" target="_blank

When I was in my teens I visited a rendesvous, where people dressed up and traded and sold Fur Trade era goods. A knife and axe maker there said "Son, these new fangled stainless knives are for the lazy and inexperienced. I go with carbon steel all the way, preferably hand-forged. If you don't want to oil, polish, and maintain your knife-edge, don't use knives." Now, I understand his point, and I respect his view on this, but, I also lean towards stainless steels, and I'm with SurfGringo 100 percent, regarding the new LC and H1 steels. One of my favorite facts about Spyderco is that Sal and crew have made sure there is a wide-range and variety for individuals to choose between, in both steel types, blade grinds, and handle materials.