What a knifemaker told me about the steel

[Eskimo]

Hardness without toughness just gives you a brittle edge and toughness without hardness means it'll roll instead of hold...the balance is where the craft is. After that conversation I started reading steel specs the way I read ballistic data. It is a different hobby with the same attention to detail.

 

[Alan]

That’s when you know you’re hooked, comparing edge retention like muzzle velocity and arguing alloys over coffee.

 

[d2wing]

I just bought a couple knives in Magnacut for that reason. A Custom Buck 119, and a Kershaw Link with engraving. I think I ordered engraving on the Buck too I got the Link but I have to wait on the special order Buck.

 

[d2wing]

With modern steel and processing you can have both. But it costs money.

 

[Mini me]

After I bought a custom knife, I started diving into steel specs, Rockwell hardness, how long the edge holds, toughness. It felt like going through ballistics all over again and it was a deeeeep rabbit hole, for sure.