kitchen knives

[Holland Bramlitt]

I am brand new to the forum and have been making skinning knives and pocket knives out of 52100 carbon steel. I would like to know a really good stainless steel for them. And would also like to know what to use for kitchen knives that I am planning to make for my wife. Thanks for any posts.

 

[Carey Quinn]

Welcome to KD. You might get a little more mileage on your question in the Kitchen Knives forum or even the Shop Talk forum.

Good luck,
Carey

 

[Bill Coye]

Welcome to Knife Dogs!

BC

 

[LR Harner]

my kitchen stuff is made with cpm154 when a stainless steel is asked for RC 62 is good for the hard thin blades and if you are makig the thicker softer blade styles even 59-60 would be ok

 

[Dan Pierson]

I'm using AEB-L for the larger knives I'm working on right now. The smaller stainless ones
are CPM S35VN because I couldn't get 1/16" AEB-L.

 

[James Terrio]

CPM-154 and Carpenter CTS-XHP are both excellent stainless steels. Both take a really nice thin edge, hold it very well without being "chippy" and will polish up just as pretty as you please if that's what you want. I've only had my CPM-154 and XHP blades tempered to 59-60 Rc because they're larger heavier combat/hunting knives, but like LR says you could certainly go higher for a thin kitchen blade.

440C is pretty darn good too and a bit less expensive, unfortunately I had bad luck with the last couple bars I got and they didn't polish up very well. They're still good performers, though.

 

[bubba-san]

Cowry Y stainless is some very good stuff, it gets super hard but not too brittle . cowry x is even better for kitchen blades (hocho) . You know I still use 52100 for japanese laminated blades for a core . I think it is still one of the finest blade steels , in my opinion . I like to laminate it with 403 stainless . makes killer chefs knives , I also use damascus . Link for cowry Y. one problem its expensive !! But, you usually get what you pay for !!
http://www.knifemaking.com/product_p/yc1115.htm