Ats 34 Knife Steel For Sale

Every steel has an optimal for range hardness, toughness, and wear resistance. Pushing one too much while neglecting the others can have severe consequences. Most knife manufacturers trust the ATS-34’s wear resistance. In the limited high hardness ranges, ATS-34 has proven its wear resistance to be adequate. Knife manufacturers rarely coat the ATS-34 blades, especially compared to other steels with lower wear resistance.

These aren’t to say that ATS-34 has underperforming corrosion resistance. It’s stainless steel, after all, and it won’t be susceptible to oxidizing immediately. One aspect in corrosion resistance where ATS-34 steel performs better than many of its stainless steel counterparts is saltwater. It isn’t prone to catching rust in saltwater, making it ideal for knives for fishers and divers.

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Chromium has a far better impact on steel’s corrosion resistance than molybdenum. One aspect the hardness has a direct relation to is edge retention. We would expect softer steel to have inferior edge retention than a harder one, but this isn’t that simple. ATS-34 steel doesn’t have hard carbides that make it challenging to sharpen.

Tungsten increases hardness, toughness, and resistance to heat and corrosion. These make CPM154 have better edge retention and sharper edge than ATS-34/154CM. However, they also make sharpening more challenging as vanadium carbides are more rigid than aluminum oxide, the main component in whetstones.

Edge retention

So recently I was watching some knives videos on Youtube, and I stumbled on a video aboutBenchmade AFCK in ATS-34 tool steel, I noticed the steel ATS 34. Therefore I decided to search more about it, and yes, I did make an ATS 34 Steel Analysis. Return unused within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked . For kitchen knives, ATS-34 can please home cooks and professionals. ATS-34 kitchen knives will cut for long periods without the need for sharpening. However, the edge will lose its fineness and become more toothy over time.

The carbide volume helps with this despite not contributing much to hardness. Compared to steel similar to ATS-34, like 440C, it has better wear resistance, keeping a smooth surface under continuous work. All and all, ATS-34 has a good balance between wear resistance and toughness but doesn’t favor the latter as much. The addition of manganese and silicon improves ATS-34 steel’s toughness.

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It’s expected to notice scratches and other marks here and there in an ATS-34 steel knife. These scars will be more apparent with more use, but polishing the blade will remove them. As a general rule, the harder the steel, the better wear resistance we expect. The ATS-34 steel will have better wear resistance when hardened to its highest 61 HRc hardness. ATS-34 has adequate wear resistance for knives that satisfy most users.

ATS-34 is Japanese steel with a similar composition to the 154CM. ATS-34 is manufactured by Hitachi, a Japanese company specializing in various categories of steel. The name stands for Aichi Tool Steel, though ATS-34 is mainly used for knife blades.

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While the high carbon and chromium overshadow toughness, molybdenum increases tensile strength. This carbide volume isn’t too high but not too low either. Still, it’s at an optimal point to contribute to edge retention. As this progresses, the edge becomes toothy, resulting in a blade that still cuts normally – just not as sharp and efficiently.

Both have the same chemical composition except for the small amounts of manganese, sulfur, and phosphorus found in ATS-34. Since these have minor effects on the steel’s performance, they are almost identical. What you expect from an ATS-34 steel knife, anticipate the same from a 154CM equivalent.

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With carbon, the high amounts of molybdenum and chromium contribute to the hardness. ATS-34 has a high tempering temperature requirement at around 1,000 F . Tempering ATS-34 at these temperatures has a secondary hardening effect due to high amounts of molybdenum.

It’s superior in certain aspects, like any other steel with a fine grain structure. This allows the steel to sustain a sharper edge that lasts for pleasing periods. The composition is the same, aside from the added 0.4% vanadium and tungsten.

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When the wear resistance gets better, the toughness tends to fall. This rule certainly applies to ATS-34, but it has a good balance between wear resistance and toughness. When understanding whether a knife blade material is adequate, there are many things to cover. Here is a total breakdown of what to expect from ATS-34 as a knife blade material. The tiny amounts of manganese and silicon contributing to ATS-34’s toughness are debated among metallurgists. We’ll cover this, along with many other critical aspects of ATS-34 in this article, question how it performs as a knife blade material, and compare it with similar alternatives.

It’s relatively easy to give a razor-sharp cutting edge to an ATS-34 steel knife with standard sharpening equipment. The bottom line is that ATS-34 has adequate corrosion resistance with considerable amounts of carbon in solution when heat treated right. It’s vital to purchase ATS-34 steel knives from reputable manufacturers. If you think ATS-34 is a good choice for the knives you anticipate selling, contact us to request a quote. We ensure top-notch quality with almost three decades of experience in knifemaking. Given the hardness of ATS-34, it can keep a sharp cutting edge for a good amount of time.

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ATS-34 is rather old steel that’s interchangeable with the 154 CM. Both steels have a similar chemical composition, containing 1.05% carbon, 14% chromium, and 4% molybdenum. In addition to these, ATS-34 has small amounts of manganese and silicon and traces of phosphorus and sulfur.

What is ATS 34 Steel?

However, molybdenum has more to do with steel’s hot hardness at high operating temperatures. It doesn’t significantly impact its hardness as a kitchen knife blade material. The excess hardness results in more brittleness, reducing toughness and durability. Vanadium helps with the edge retention and makes the steel overall sturdier.