Quality of Steel in Switchblades

[johns7076]

I am sure this has been discussed before, so forgive me.
Talking to another collector about quality of Pakistani made knives, Afaaq, Ahmad and Zaib.
We both agreed they build good knives, sometimes over decorated, but overall good knives using lesser quality steel.
My question is how is lesser quality steel detrimental. No one is going to sharpen or carry these things, they won't be used for anything but to sit in a display, take out and let someone push the button occasionally.
I know absolutely nothing about metallurgy so I am just curious.

[whippersnapper]

If my blade bends cutting my peanut butter and jelly samwhich, I'm heart broke.

[sammy the blade]

If my blade bends cutting my peanut butter and jelly samwhich, I'm heart broke.

Use a butter knife, I've never broke one of them and if it can be broken I'm the man for the job.

[button_man]

.
I've observed quite a few of the members here talking about (and posting photos of) their motorcycles.
Many bike owners take great pride in owning machines made with top-quality components, capable of extremely high performance.

Now, how many of these guys routinely race? Or drive like maniacs on public streets, pushing the abilities of their bikes to the absolute limit? Sure, some do.... but probably most of them simply enjoy having a really great ride.... even if they never come close to maxxing out.

Similar comparisons could be made with almost any consumer product. I seem to recall Nancy Pelosi bragging about her $40,000 refrigerator.

People just like to have nice things.
.

[Bill DeShivs]

What is "lesser quality steel?

Knife steel needs to be hard, yet flexible and tough. It should take and hold a good edge. Any steel with around .01% carbon is adequate. There are exotic steels that claim to do everything better.

Once you have your steel chosen, the grinding of the bevels is very important. Properly ground blades thin a lot from the spine to the edge. Blades like bayonet grind blades have the bevels ground too steep to ever be really useful for cutting.

So now that you have a steel chosen and ground, it has to be properly heat treated. Simple carbon steel is relatively easy to heat treat. Some of the exotics require very sophisticated heat treatment equipment. I would describe "lesser quality steel" as a steel that can not be properly hardened and tempered.

You can take the very best steel, do a bad grind and/or heat treatment and the blade will not be adequate.
You can take a simple high carbon steel, grind it properly, and do excellent heat treatment-and you will have a fine knife blade.

[boots]

I am sure this has been discussed before, so forgive me.
Talking to another collector about quality of Pakistani made knives, Afaaq, Ahmad and Zaib.
We both agreed they build good knives, sometimes over decorated, but overall good knives using lesser quality steel.
My question is how is lesser quality steel detrimental. No one is going to sharpen or carry these things, they won't be used for anything but to sit in a display, take out and let someone push the button occasionally.
I know absolutely nothing about metallurgy so I am just curious.

What grade of steel are they using? You do know you answered your own question.

[johns7076]

I am sure this has been discussed before, so forgive me.
Talking to another collector about quality of Pakistani made knives, Afaaq, Ahmad and Zaib.
We both agreed they build good knives, sometimes over decorated, but overall good knives using lesser quality steel.
My question is how is lesser quality steel detrimental. No one is going to sharpen or carry these things, they won't be used for anything but to sit in a display, take out and let someone push the button occasionally.
I know absolutely nothing about metallurgy so I am just curious.

What grade of steel are they using? You do know you answered your own question.

Yes they use a lesser grade of steel. My question is does it matter what grade f steel..

[johns7076]

I am sure this has been discussed before, so forgive me.
Talking to another collector about quality of Pakistani made knives, Afaaq, Ahmad and Zaib.
We both agreed they build good knives, sometimes over decorated, but overall good knives using lesser quality steel.
My question is how is lesser quality steel detrimental. No one is going to sharpen or carry these things, they won't be used for anything but to sit in a display, take out and let someone push the button occasionally.
I know absolutely nothing about metallurgy so I am just curious.

What grade of steel are they using? You do know you answered your own question.

Yes they use a lesser grade of steel. My question is does it matter what grade f steel..

And you are right, I did, it doesn’t matter what grade of steel is used for a display item.

[ChadEntwistle]

Not sure if you really need to be all that concerned about high quality steel if you have a blade design that’s made to well…. Stab. I mean shanks come in all kinds of materials other than Magnacut or any other super steel and still get the job done just fine.

If you are looking at an automatic that has a a more utilitarian use then blade steel would definitely be more of a consideration to me. Even at that, the majority of the knife users wouldn’t ever actually notice the benefit of high quality super steel vs an average decent blade steel.
A butcher, hunting guide, chef etc.. would definitely see the benefits super steel, the average guy likely would never see the benefits. Me personally, I’d rather a mild steel knife that will sharpen easily to a razor sharpened edge that retains a decent edge long enough to get most jobs done is a better steel to me than one that takes 1/2 an hour to get a decent edge on it. lol sorry a bit long winded today.

[boots]

If this is a collector's piece don't sweat the grade of the steel. If you plan on a knife fight, I would go for at least 440 stainless steel.

[button_man]

.
One aspect which has barely been addressed is blade geometry. Bill nodded in that direction when he said "Blades like bayonet grind blades have the bevels ground too steep to ever be really useful for cutting."

And of course the stiletto switchblade was never intended for cutting. It is nothing more than a folding dagger, engineered for a straight thrust.

When chain-mail became fashionable, knives and arrows were far less effective. In response, the bodkin design became widespread. The military arrowhead changed
from a flat, thin blade into a heavy, narrow spike that
(when striking with sufficient force) could spread apart
and snap a chain link as it penetrated.... continuing onward into the body.

While people still carried knives for cutting, daggers evolved to overcome chain-mail and leather garments.
Go to the "Swords & Daggers" section and observe a bodkin-style dagger 🗡 in the 'Havoc knives' thread.

Much of the primitive steel used in the Middle Ages
and The Renaissance would be scorned by modern bladesmiths; yet, with the proper geometry, daggers and arrowheads made from that steel could penetrate even chain-mail. Pretty impressive.

This is why steel type is relatively unimportant for a
stiletto type knife. That triangular spike design is much more significant.

Now, for the classic American spring-knife during the
first half of the 1900s, good steel was more crucial.
These knives were workhorses, meant for constant
cutting chores in shops, factories, and farms.
Fortunately, the ability to kill an opponent in chain-mail armor was substantially less important by then.
.

[Fishtail Picklock]

I like a good "user" blade that can be carried and will efficiently cut as well as stab. A nice, useable, automatic as a lot of appeal.