I would not call him a metallurgist but this guy has tested a bunch of steels using an unscientific rope cut test and documented them in a spreadsheet. He was the first one that convinced me to spend over $100 for a cpm-s30v knife and it was way better then anything I had before in edge retention.<p>His data cant be that bad though because I built a model to predict the number of cuts for a blade using edge angle and metal compounds (no real way to take into account heat treat though). It was relatively accurate for the less exotic steels. I should really share that with the world.<p><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1b_rNfdJnL9oyn-JoL9yUHhUmDLAP1hJ1dN_0q5G4tug/edit#gid=1607644856" rel="nofollow">https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1b_rNfdJnL9oyn-JoL9yU...</a><p>He also records videos of himself and posts them to his youtube channel along with other knife reviews.<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdICfnpxD9uzHLaSr3DN55g" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdICfnpxD9uzHLaSr3DN55g</a>
Great article.<p>A long time ago I started collecting exemplars of edged weapons (swords, knives, axes) for no reason other than I found the aesthetic interesting. But in collecting these things you may find, as I did, that just looking at them gets to be boring so you start reading about them. When was this kind of sword invented? Who used it? For what? What replaced it? What came before it? Etc.<p>Before too long you may find that you are looking at two parallel universes that are interlocked by expressions of intent. In one universe are people figuring out what makes metal have the properties it does and how can I change them? And the other universe is people looking at what metal can do "now" and applying it to their creative process in weaponry.<p>It is an amazing tapestry of complexity behind the simple appreciation of "that's a cool sword/knife"
Several years ago there used to be a site called KnifeTests where a heavyset man dressed like a serial killer put a variety of cheap and very expensive knives through horrific levels of abuse. Using the tip to dig through a 2x4, hammering it through a steel pipe, putting in a vice and standing on it, bending the blade back and forth, slicing a variety of materials including concrete.<p>The one thing that really stood out was INFI steel. That stuff may as well be magic. It's honestly hard to even get anything made with it these days but if I had to trust my survival to one metal INFI would be it.
Not steel, but I was impressed to learn about the physics of obsidian knives produced during the Mayan civilization:<p>> When skillfully worked, the edges of prismatic blade made from obsidian can reach the molecular level, i.e., the material has a cutting edge that is only one molecule thick.<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsidian_use_in_Mesoamerica#cite_note-5" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsidian_use_in_Mesoamerica#ci...</a>
I'm a huge knife steel nerd, so it's cool to see this article get some love on HN. Currently, I own knives in S35VN, M390, Cruwear, and 52100, all Spyderco. If you've never carried an EDC knife before I suggest you pick up a Spyderco Manix or PM2/PM3 and try it out. There's a lot of engineering and craftsmanship that goes into making a quality knife which I think HN readers could appreciate. Also, they're just handy to have around.
The greatest knife steel metallurgist of all time would surely be the one that doesn't even bother with steel or metallurgy anymore.<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg3qsVzHeUt5_cPpcRtoaJQ" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg3qsVzHeUt5_cPpcRtoaJQ</a>
Question for the steel and knife enthusiasts.<p>With modern metallurgy and machining techniques, could you design a sword that if transported back in time, would be looked at as a magical weapon (perhaps due to its strength, weight, cutting ability, etc?). What would you design?
I have never interacted with "knife nerds" before, but I sense their presence here. I want to get a good knife to take camping, anyone have a recommendation?
I was expecting more exotic names frankly. That's my ignorance speaking perhaps, but to me top metallurgist would be Damascus steel and maybe Japanese swords?
Wow, the author went pretty deep on this. I was expecting something like, “Bohler wins because M390 is best hurr dee hurr.” That’s the typical fare on knife forums at least (but substitute whichever super steel is your current favorite). But this piece really earns the “knife steel nerd” name and has a pretty solid history and covers a lot of technological developments over the years.
I'm not an EDC knife kind of guy, but I have spent a lot of time and money on kitchen knives. SG-2 (aka R2) is pretty much the best that I have tried in terms of edge retention, ease of sharpening, and convenience (i.e. rust-resistant).