Steel X12 MF is alloyed tool steel, the composition of which determines its excellent technical characteristics. This brand has proved itself well both in the manufacture of household tools and stamped parts in machine building and other industries. On the pros and cons of steel X12 MF for knives will be told in this article.
Characteristics of knives from steel Х12МФ
Any steel is an alloy of iron with carbon, but their percentage ratio, as well as the presence of other components, determine the properties of the finished product. This variety is produced by repeated welding, and this alloy includes vanadium, copper, silicon, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, nickel and sulfur. They determine the strength of all-metal knives made of steel X12MF and other products, resistance to corrosion, durability and cutting ability. The production of alloyed stamped steel is carried out in strict accordance with GOST and TU. Tempered at 950 ° C, which provides a hardness of up to 64 units of HRC.
Forging it is incredibly difficult, and heat treatment, including setting the exact temperature, aging, tempering and other parameters, is incredibly complex. Nevertheless, there are master blacksmiths who make knives from this steel.
Steel of this grade is the starting material in the manufacture:
- volokov;
- drawing boards;
- bending and forming dies;
- Eyelets for the calibration of bar-shaped metal for thread rolling;
- complex elements of body stamps.
In electrical machines and electromagnetic systems of electrical apparatus, parts from this steel are also found, but recently it has been increasingly used to make knives, usually hunting (less often tourist ).
The pluses are:
- The first requirement that is presented to the knives is sharpness sharpening, but the sharper the tool, the faster it is blunt, but this does not apply to knives made of steel Х12МФ. The concentration of carbon in this alloy is 14.5-16.5%, which provides increased wear resistance and safety of the cutting part of the knife, but this reduces the resistance to corrosion, so this knife can not be called stainless, but also rust at the "sight" of water, like Damascus , it is not covered. That such steel does not darken, it needs to be properly taken care of.
- The huge advantage of steel X12MF for knives is that even with hardness of 50 units it remains sharp after cutting down not one thousand items.
- Molybdenum in its composition provides the alloy with uniformity and uniformity, which is very important for the cutting tool. Vanadium improves the hardness and strength of steel, increases its durability, and silicon provides a special strength. During numerous tests it was found that even after numerous bones cutting, opening of dozens of metal cans and hundreds of oak bar cuts, the blade of the knife remains sharp, without serifs and even able to cut the newspaper under its own weight.
Minuses:
- But all these advantages are opposed to one single drawback - fragility. Therefore, such knives should not be thrown, thrown, tested for bending, etc.
- More often knives from such an alloy have small blades and a cutting direction. They are popular with hunters of Siberia and the Far North, because in such extreme climatic conditions it is simply vital to have a good knife with you. At competent processing and sharpening its quality surpasses quality of the cutting tool from other kinds of steel. Therefore, the demand for them in recent years, as well as the level of sales, has grown significantly.