Rob Simonich used to do nail cutting to promote his knives/steels (Paul Bos HT). Whenever anyone did anything like that I was always curious as to what it meant/said about the knife/steel. I would just duplicate it and see what happened. With the nail cutting after doing about a thousand cuts, I determined it was so sensitive to technique I would never be able to infer anything from watching/or knowing someone else did it. I could barely know anything myself. At the end I could take knives which were 0.010"/15 dps in D2 at 62 HRC and cut through 4" nails with them with careful technique. It was mainly about keeping the knife extremely close to perpendicular, making sure the nail wasn't moving around, and just tapping it through. I figure I could (maybe) put some kind of metric on it by restricting the number of hits, but the influence of technique was still so demanding. I could easily damage an AUS-8 blade at 58/59 HRC over the D2 if I was just a bit sloppy. In general toughness tests are demanding for the user because they are so sensitive to conditions which can easy vary enough to make a change far bigger than the steel. About the simplest setup I can think which would be decent would be if you just swung a knife (through a pendulum) under a given energy (weight/height) and impacted it against hard targets. That's fairly easy to set up and quantify, and it similar to a charpy test of sorts.

You remind me a lot of Cliffstamp in his extensive knowledge of knife steels and geometry. I wish he watched and commented on your videos.

Just an outstanding video I’ve watched it maybe 10 times throughout the years and every time I watch it I learn something new you’re genius

One of the best channels on YT! Very informative, great content, no BS or dramatics. Definitely need to get one of your knives at some point!

The ideals you're striving to perfect are right in line with the serious end user. I love taking, game/ fish and then rendering them down to the best of my ability. Superior tools greatly improve the end result. Love what you do, thanks for showing us and educating your fanbase.

Just subscribed because I think you know a whole lot of useful information about knives and knives’ steels. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

Thanks for the video Sean. You’re somebody who I actually consider supporting on patreon. In due time.

amazing stuff mate! these vids are important because as you said people have it all wrong when they think what they need vs what they really need in a knife!

On a marathon of your content. I Love it. I’m sorta new to knives.my friend got me hooked. I’m like 2 months in.

Nice, you did a good job with this blade. Very few are willing to harden it to 66 HRC unfortunately.

Very impressive! I have seen knives with bigger chips that were A2, around 58 HRC with 25 thou behind the edge, with a convex. And i was just hitting wood, not nails lol. There is a lot you can learn on this channel. Thanks man!

Such great testing and care in your knives💪

I thank your Patreon supporters too since they let me watch and learn this cool stuff. What you just did is what Buck Knives used to advertised to sell knives. It was sort of big deal when I bought my first Buck knife. I never tried it, we had chisels on the farm for that. I understand they came to regret this advertisement choice for the obvious reasons :)

Very interesting testing here... Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work...

Man that is impressive, nice work!

You are such a badass 👊 🤛 your living my dream with the knowledge you have and skills and your dedication to follow your passion, I need to move so I can try to build a work shop

Good stuff man. Keep pushing the envelope!

Awesome video bro!! 🫡🦅

great video and great points made

Yeah... Subscribed.... Like a boss 🤘🤘🤘

This is why I'm a fan of steels like 52100, Nitrobe 77, Aeb-l, Nitro-v and all Sandvick steels. With a good heat treat( at least 60hrc, but higher is better) and a nice grind they perform amazing. Got a small fixed blade with Aeb-l at 63hrc and around 0.010 for most of it except the tip. I haven't chopped through nails but I did shave on one and the edge acted like it was nothing. I'd love to get a river blade from you, just wouldn't know which steel to choose. VanCron 40?!?!

Good vid brother man!!!

Thanks for the video 😎👍

Man I love you

Do you carry and use your own knives regularly? If so, what sort of cutting is it? Love the knives and channel. It’s kept real and educational. You don’t waste our time, so thanks!

Nice job thanks for the y😎👍

Haha that is ridiculously hard, nice job

Very informative Shaun! I love how you put the engineering back into cutlery and not just follow the "well, so and so does things this way, so I'll do things this way" method of knife making - other makers are concerned with making things pretty, you're pushing the edges (pun kinda intended) of edge performance! Also, nice little reality check playing with 52100, while everyone is advocating for higher and higher carbide steels. Wish there was someone who explains things like you out there offering sharpening courses

I've been working so much I missed this video, that was my problem!

You're one of few people who put intelligent knife content on youtube - or least intelligent-seeming, as we keep going down the rabbit hole, eg re: Cliff's (RIP) excellent comments below. Regardless, I appreciate that you try to meaningfully address issues on a foundational level and from a clear perspective, and your content is unique - I see a little bit of Cliff in that.

Would so damn much to love test that

Amazing :)

Big Brown BOSS!!!

Very cool man

That blade profile would make a fine skinner. 👍

I love this video

Proper triple b video. Love it

I work in the woods a lot, and I need toughness --doesn't roll or chip--in my knives far more than edge retention. All too often I grab my knife from sheath, slash a vine near the ground surface, and ping--I just hit a rock beneath the sandy soil. I have not found any steel that does not chip, but there is certainly a matter of degree. Ok, I sharpened my loppers, and I am using them mostly. I am tried of fixing chips. I have not had an issue with wood causing chips, but I generally use a knife with a tougher steel or my machete. Good video about the different factors that determine toughness.

Nice honest video

Damn, thats some knowledge right there

Well said. Knives are not indestructible but are cutting tools first and foremost.

How did you get so good at sharpening knives? I am envious at how simple you make it look in your videos.

I want toughness in my choppers, edge stability in my smaller knives and folders and relative stainlessness if it will get wet a lot.

52100 in 66hrc sounds like a good sujihiki or yanagiba made in that steel with same heat treat and hardness.👌🏾👍

Good lord I need this recipe 🤯🤩 Do you post heat treat recipes anywhere?

Designing knives to cut 👍👍👍👍. Not sure why people think knives should cut nails. Thats what cold chisels are designed for. However cold chisel edge geometry makes a poor knife. Thats why we have different tools for different jobs. 😊😊

Wow!

That's crazy

Somehow missed this video I would not call this a fail I thought the results were pretty amazing I was waiting for the chips to fly or just a snap

🔥👊

And if we are throwing around options now I carry a police 4 k390 for knife stuff and a smallish fixed blade for things I shouldn’t do with a knife but know I Will around the farm The k390 with the p4 geometry is my absolute favorite for a long while now

When scientists talking 💪

The Picasso of steel...

Great vid. Knaf folk tend to chase what they want vs what they need for day to day cutting. Aslo, understanding how forgiving that geometry is to sloppy use vs professional use. Many look at your vids and think that you made a magical blade as they watch you cut through nails, not realizing that your a pro user.

🤯

How thin a regrind would a maxamet manix 2 handle do you think? Love your work man!

Your grinds and thin edge profiles are really well done. It nice to see someone actually take something down to such a fine edge and see what it’s capable of handling. Do you do regrinds on production knives? I have a Delica ffg in VG-10 that I have always wondered how much more I would like it if it had a thinner blade.

I'm a starting out knife maker. What's your heat treat process. How do I contact you. Or can i

Yikes, I gotta say, I always cringe when you break out the anvil and a knife together BBB! Very informative though sir! Thanks for posting!

I'm sorry but I'm late in the game could PLEASE explain your heat treat and temper process

Did you include something like bluntcut's marquench in your HT or are you following the more conventional methods?

What's the heat treatment???

Maybe a dumb question here,, it took me about four years just to confidently get to the point of making a good knife. Now I want to start pushing simple steels i use to the limit, trying to get the most from them. Is there any different kind of bevel or honing/buffing you can put on a super thin hard knife edge like that with that same geometry, That can help it handle that nail chop. But still not lose much cutting performance?

👍🏻

i would love one of these. you taking orders?

There are a couple makers of custom timber framing chisels in 52100 also taking the blades up to65-66 HRC. What’s the corrosion resistance like.

Hallelujah! To many whiney noses complain about their knives and do not actually know the functionality, purpose, or even why they bought the knife in the first place! 92% of the time is, "I liked the way it looked, and that has a kick-ass design...". Know what you are getting, use it within reasonable limits, perform maintenance, and the fuckin' knife will do what it's supposed to do and last forever! Fine, fine job on this demo once again, brother!

As an aside, that knife showed brittle failure, that just means when it fails, it does so with little (to no) plastic deformation. A knife can have an extreme high UTS point, and still be brittle, it is in the nature of the failure, not the level of resistance to it. It does look like it has high apex stability as it retained a high sharpness while doing work which is likely to roll or cause carbide related fractures at the apex, but I would want to see a comparison in something like ATS-34 at 63/65 HRC, or 10V at 65/67 HRC to be confident, as if they don't fail either, the test itself might not be generating enough stress.

So how do you feel about spydies treatment of the 52100??? I have no idea how hard they get it or if they even do it properly but i do own the carbon fiber para3 in 52100 (safe queen)

Thanks for taking your time to shoot and upload this video. I'm not sure I understood you well, cause around 1m mark you noted that 52100 doesn't have the most agressive edge, nor does it set any records in terms of edge retention. Then you talk and demonstrate so called 'edge stability'. The differences between edge retention and edge stability are pretty elusive to me. Knife's edge looses cutting ability when it receives too many micro ships or edge rolling (lets just call it edge damage). The ability to withstanding micro edge damage is what I think 'edge retention' is. And thus in my eyes 'edge stability' is pretty much the same thing. Is it the place where I mistake? If I'm not mistaken, then it's unclear why would you bring steel to such a hardness if it doesn't bring better edge retention (you said about edge retention around 1m mark) Please pardon my English, I'm not a native speaker.

Please tell me you didn't remove the horn of your anvil testing knife edges 😂🤣

Do you havd a Rockwell tester? Just wondering where you got your numbers from.......

How does 52100 compare to LC200N and AEB-L in terms of edge stability?

I only have ceramics water stones how much of a mess would this be to sharpen on a chosara 800?

Damnit this might mean 52100, which is my favorite simple steel could rival Rex-45, my favorite complex steel at a similar hardness!!

Purpose built, you can take a Lamborghini to the muddy trails, but that doesn't make it a good fukn idea! Lol, great job!

Are you making knife just for batoning nails? Wow 😳😳😳

And by the way what’s up with you anvil? Pay attention to your anvil while you’re chopping them it seems like it’s morphing metal or something weird

#laserlife

rad

I’ve always said it, people don’t give this “spring” steels enough “knife” cred. There’s a reason Collins uses it on their high end axes. Toughness makes any impact tool better, full stop. I wish we saw more “hard use” knives use it so they could maintain better cutting geometry while still remaining hard use. Especially considering how cheap the stuff is.

Jeeze thought I was a steel nerd. Its like the difference between goku super saiyan and goku ultra instinct...

I would not let even a fine grained knife go above 63 HRC.

i wonder what 52100 would do against a 5160. 52100 at 55-57 hrc would have comparable toughness but greater edge retention ( i have a 52100 sword in mind when i make this comment)

⚛️

I think the verdict is , It's a knife not a chisel.

How does somebody get a knife from you

Can I buy that knife?

When you get something that thin that can pass that test without damage let me know I’m sure it can be done i don’t care if it’s below 60 hrc though

Heat treat...process please ...

That is why I like civivi and Steel will. They actually make thin TBTE (thickness behind the edge) knives. The steel is not even NEARLY as good as yours, but what can you expect for under a hundred bucks? I like spyderco designs but the TBTE is never as thin as I would like it. When I can, you bet your ASS i am gonna get a knife from you.

Two things thin knives can't cut is time and cost. It rewards skilled users, and holds ppl accountable. Reckless users, who refuse to see not only what they cut, or what's behind what they cut wont enjoy the experience very long. Ceramic tile, concerete walls, various metals etc are going to be the enemy. I carry production knives as convenience. I cut frequently over a tile floor so mishaps aren't noticeable given my skill set. When I'm cutting drywall I'm using a utility knife. Just makes common sense to use replaceable blades when I'm cutting stuff like that. And since I own a lazer of yours, I prefer it in the kitchen over a cutting board. Cut about 10 apples a week with it. BD1N is never going to be a hot Rod steel but as a user I'm controlling the environment so edge damage is avoided. This vids about 52100 tho. Custom heat treated 52100 to be accurate. Just a solid, high enjoyable steel that gets overlooked.

I love how you go from scientific and proper to; "... but unfortunately reality is that you need thicker geometry if your gonna chop through fucking nails..." Like if you have dealt with people before.

not to cut nails...