Characteristics of steel 65h13: properties, hardness. Reviews of the knives of steel 65h13

In modern metallurgy, a large number of steels are used. Their characteristics, as well as the variety of nomenclature, are truly immense. However, in different industries there are still the most common and running grades of this material, which are used for rather specific needs.

For example, the characteristics of steel 65x13 suggest its use as a material for the production of excellent knives. Why are we so categorical? To find out, you can read this article.

Steel. Stainless Steel Features

If very simple, then steel is called an alloy of iron and carbon. A lot of carbon is cast iron, a little - tin. The "median" state can be called steel. Its various types are determined not only and not so much by the proportions of iron and carbon, as by doping with various additives and impurities, which give different properties to steel.

The properties of alloys depend both on the chemical components that make up their composition and on the technological conditions of production. Sometimes steel is made composite, when it consists of several layers of different brands, or Damascus, when the material has several hundred layers (one brand). The material may contain the following additional components:

• If the total amount of the additive does not exceed 1.5%, then it is a question of modifiers that contribute to improving the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of this material category. More than 1.5% - alloying additives, giving the steel resistance to corrosion.

• Carbon. This element, as we said, is present in all varieties of alloys, giving them stiffness and strength. The excess of it turns steel into cast iron.

Brief characteristics of knife steels

In general, in addition to iron, they always contain carbon and chromium. Note that the carbon in steel for knives can not be less than 0.5%. Experts believe that the optimal content is 1%. Steel, which already contains 1.25% of carbon, is very hard, but extremely fragile. If there is a need to create such a material, then its composition includes vanadium and molybdenum.

However, there are also bulat steels in which 1.5-2% of carbon is generally contained (up to 4% in some cases). Their strength and flexibility is determined by the special technology of forging and hardening.

Basic alloying components

Chromium. This additive is necessary to make the material resistant to wear, and also for the possibility of its hardening. Of course, it is chrome that makes the steel really stainless. But only that kind of material that contains at least 13% of this additive belongs to this category. For the sake of justice, it should be noted that virtually any steel is affected by corrosion: it all depends only on the operating conditions and the presence / absence of care of the product.

Manganese . Gives the material grain and a special texture, which contributes to a sharp increase in the strength characteristics of the blade, as well as its rigidity. There is the concept of "deoxidized steel", which applies to those alloys that have been improved by adding manganese. Note that the characteristics of steel 65x13 (rigidity, relative hardness) are due to the presence of this type of additives.

Molybdenum. An extremely important element, as it prevents fragility and brittleness of the blade, in the material for manufacturing which contains too much carbon. It is important to note that steels that are "quenched in air" have at least 1% molybdenum in their composition, due to which this type of quenching is generally possible. Some believe that it is this additive that gives the alloy viscosity and hardness.

Nickel . First, it serves to impart a viscosity to the alloy. Secondly, it is also an alloying additive that protects steel from corrosion. In general, the totality of these qualities is very similar to molybdenum.

Silicon . Strangely enough, but it is used to make the knife elastic. In some respects its properties are similar to those of manganese.

Tungsten . Extremely popular with manufacturers of elite knives, as it is used to dramatically increase the resistance of the product to wear. It also gives the steel a special hardness and resistance to the action of even extremely high temperatures. If tungsten is combined with molybdenum or chromium, the material becomes "high-speed". A small digression: tungsten, nickel and molybdenum are key additives not only in the manufacture of knife steel, but also in the production of tank armor. Without these elements it is impossible to get a really high quality of it.

Vanadium . Like many of the above additives, gives the steel hardness and strength. It is extremely important in the manufacture of fine-grained alloys. It is used not only for the manufacture of knife steels, but also for the production of the same tank armor.

Some believe that nitrogen should be attributed to additives, but this point of view is incorrect: the fact is that it gets into the alloy from the air, and does not exert any influence on its characteristics in the slightest.

Ballast

Nitrogen, like some other elements, is always present in the composition of steel. Such elements are called ballast. However, occasionally they are still purposefully added to the composition of the alloy, as some of them are able to improve its performance. Some (sulfur and phosphorus, for example) should not be present at all in the alloy: their content is limited to numerous standards.

Why did we paint all this? The point is that you must clearly understand the general characteristics of knife steels, since many of them are very specific, not much like, for example, alloys used for the production of boilers or something like that. So, in some cases, the steel grade 65x13, the properties of which will be described in detail below, because of the high content of phosphorus and sulfur becomes completely unsuitable for the production of knives.

Which steel is the most optimal for the production of knives?

So which brand is best for making knives? The question is very provocative, since there are thousands of answers to it and there is no one opinion (and it can not be). Much depends on the method of hardening and debugging. Even excellent steel can be turned into a piece of slag, improperly hardening it. Specialists believe that the most suitable for most conditions are knives made with a composite scheme: carbide-tipped "cheeks" and a core of mild steel.

However, this is all the lyrics, since we are interested in the brand of the material. Today we will consider steel 65x13, as it is used by domestic knife manufacturers in 97% of cases.

General information

This is the most common and running domestic steel, suitable for the production of knives. The letter "X" in the middle of the name indicates that the material contains chromium, which makes it unaffected by corrosion. Most often, this steel is used in the manufacture of medical instruments and equipment for the food industry. Knives from it also turn out to be of quite decent quality, although some claim that they are dull enough.

What is special about the brand of steel 65h13? It is believed that the knives from it do not really rust at all (if you do not take into account the aggressive chemical environment). It is not surprising that almost all the range of domestic knives is made from this material. It should be noted that the characteristics of steel 65x13 are very close to the American brand 425mod. With good quenching, both materials show excellent results.

Hardness

Ironically, even domestic knife lovers sometimes diametrically disagree about the hardness of this steel. Someone considers it "soft", while others claim its "high hardness" or "average" characteristics. So how are things in reality? First let's talk about common concepts.

Throughout the world, Rockwell units are used to interpret hardness, for which there is a generally accepted designation HRc. It should be noted that the most optimal for knives is the index of 40 to 60 units, and for the working tool, steel with a hardness of 52 to 58 units is best suited. If the manufacturer claims 60 or more Hrc, you should be on your guard: this is either an extra-class product, or a banal divorce of a potential buyer.

So what are the characteristics of 65x13? Specialists say that with proper hardening, its hardness is 56-59 HRC. Softness here and does not smell. So where did the stories come from, that this steel is soft and quickly wears off? It's simple.

The point here is in the banal culture of production. It often happens that unscrupulous manufacturers do not pay much attention to hardening and annealing at all. In addition, it also happens that steel 65x13 is not used at all, but instead it is 20x13. Its hardening hardness is only 45-48 units. That's how the stories about the "softness" of steel appear, the real characteristic of which is 56-59 HRC units of Rockwell!

In a word, we will close the topic. Once and for all - steel 65x13 (reviews about knives from which we will consider below) is quite cheap and common, but at the same time firm (though not too high-quality). Important! It should be noted that it is not worth pouring this material to hardness of more than 57 Roxwell units at home, since such a blade can still begin to dye under loads.

Other benefits

The working edge of such blades is not prone to staining, even under heavy use, and the knife will well hold both strong bends and bumps. Due to the absence of high-quality alloying additives in the steel, the blade will quickly become blunt, but it can be quickly grounded. Of course, due to the same lack of additives, the tribological properties of this brand have not become very good, but they are much better than similar indicators of really soft varieties.

But experienced tourists and just knife lovers say another advantage of this alloy and knives from it. Since there are practically no alloying additives in the composition of this material, which would provide increased strength (about this below), the geometric configuration of the knife can be absolutely anything. This 65x13 (reviews say the same) favorably differs from the "professional" steel brands, with which such an approach will not work.

Chemical composition of steel

Do you remember what we said at the very beginning of the article? We discussed various additives that may be present in the knife material. What does steel have 65h13? The testimonies indicate that this material does not belong to the elite category, and there is a simple explanation for this. To make it easier to understand, just read the table below.

Carbon	Chromium	Manganese	Molybdenum	Nickel	Silicon	Sulfur	Phosphorus	Selenium
0.65	13	1	0.75		1	0.03	0.04	0.75

This is what distinguishes steel 65x13. Characteristics (feedback depends directly on them) indicate that of all alloying additives in this case, only chromium is available in sufficient quantity. This provides excellent corrosion resistance. Relatively strong abrasion and the need for frequent sharpening is explained by the absence of specialized additives.

Important! It can be seen from the table that in the 65x13 mark (reviews we are considering) there is little sulfur and phosphorus. But! On the shelves of shops are full of Chinese crafts that are made (as if) from this steel, which already contains more than 0.06% of sulfur and phosphorus. This is very bad, since the hardness of 65x13 further strengthens the negative manifestations from these garbage impurities.

Firstly, the Chinese already often re-cut the knife. Accordingly, this leads to the dying of the blade. Secondly, such a high content of these harmful impurities leads to a sharp increase in the risk of cold knife breakage even with moderate intensity loads. By the way, from this nuance the emergence of the overwhelming majority of negative reviews depends.

In short, we once again explain some of the attacks against steel 65x13 (characteristics). The Chinese alloy, even if it is etched on it, should not be taken seriously! Unfortunately, many inexperienced tourists, fishermen and hunters completely forget about the manufacturer, preferring to blame the broken blade for the steel grade itself , although it has nothing to do with it.

Reviews of the knives

As you can already see, there are enough opinions about the knives from this alloy. And a lot of both positive and especially negative reviews. The reasons for both of these are discussed in detail in more detail, and therefore we will not dwell on general points. Let's talk about individual knives from this steel, which are especially common among domestic fishermen, mushroom pickers and hunters.

"Bear"

General characteristics are as follows:

• The total length is 23.5 centimeters.

• The length of the blade itself is 11.5 centimeters.

• The width of the blade is 28 mm.

• The thickness of the blade is 2.8 mm.

The knife is equipped with a relatively thick handle (3.3 cm), which comfortably lies in the hand and does not slip, even if the person sweats. Other characteristics vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. So, in some cases on the blade there is etching in the form of a bear, while other manufacturers do not practice this.

As a rule, there are no guards on the blade, but many manufacturers additionally stipulate the possibility of its installation (even of precious metals). In all cases, the handle is made from walnut, but the way it is fastened is different (a common riveting is common).

However, this is not what interests us. What is interesting about the knife 65x13 "Bear" to customers, how do people who have already made a purchase react to it? First, they like the price: from 1350 rubles in the "basic configuration", without frills and precious metals in the finish. For this amount, judging by the reviews, you get a wonderful knife for outdoor activities, which in the field conditions can be sharpened almost "about pebbles."

Since the length of the blade fits into the police standards, "Medved" is not a cold weapon. Many people like the simple, without sharp and twisting lines, the geometry of the cutting part. It's easy to take care of a knife. It is important when buying to pay attention to whether the particular manufacturer is not stinted by the normal varnish for the handle. Judging by the reviews, this is often saved. In addition, we strongly recommend choosing a model with a guard: for some manufacturers, the handle is not very well shaped, and therefore a hand smeared in blood or fat can slip onto the cutting edge.

For the same reason, we recommend buying the "Bear" with a birch bark handle, since it practically does not slip on it.

"Tiger"

Another member of the knife "zoo". Unlike the previous version, it is officially cutting. As in the past case, the blade can be patterned. Much more possible names of wood for the handle: from the same nut to the wenge and other exquisite breeds. The knife "Tiger" 65x13 has the following characteristics:

• The total length is 27 centimeters.

• Blade - 14.5 centimeters.

• Attention is drawn to the width of the blade, which is 42 mm.

• Included are leather sheath.

As you can see, the dimensions of this knife are much larger than those of the "Bear". That is why he enjoys special popularity among fishermen and hunters who prefer long trips to the forest: judging by the reviews, people are impressed by the long blade, which is convenient to cut the booty. Like all other knives made of steel, 65x13, comparatively quickly dulls with intensive exploitation, but it's just as sharp. In this case, as in the previous quality, it is often possible to do with the simplest devices.

In some cases, manufacturers for the sake of attracting "aesthetes" are making with this knife quite exotic things. For example, you can meet the "Tiger" with a coating of titanium and tungsten sputtering, and almost all manufacturers offer gold-plated blades. That's just the practical value of such knives is close to zero.

Experienced users say that the sputtering (under the condition of real operation) will in any case be rubbed and cracks. As a result, the knife will look like a panda: the alternation of whole and torn sections of the blade does not look very aesthetic. In addition, the price of such knives is appropriate: if the usual "Tiger" costs within 1800 rubles, then "exquisite" options, it is, are sold already for 10 thousand, and even more expensive.

By the way, about the manufacturers. Who particularly "failed" steel 65h13? "Kizlyar" - this is an especially well-proven manufacturer. So to say, "number of times" according to the buyers' version. Experienced knife lovers say that it is the Kizlyarovskie "Tigers" and "Bears" that differ in the most optimal ratio of price and quality.

What else are knives made of steel 65x13? What models are the most impressive?

"Hunter"

This model, as you can understand from the title, is geared toward hunters. The knife is distinguished by straight, somewhat coarse forms. Great for removing skins and cutting medium sized game. The main characteristics are as follows:

• The total length is 25.8 centimeters.

• The length of the blade is 13.6 centimeters.

• The width of the knife varies, depending on the manufacturer, from 4.2 to 4.6 centimeters.

• The thickness of the blade is 3.0 mm.

Like other varieties, it can be produced in decorated versions, when precious metal and precious wood are used for decoration. However, the usual knife "Hunter" 65x13 does not differ from the "elite" version (except for the price, of course). And the usual variety costs about one and a half thousand rubles.

What attracts potential buyers in this knife? First, the reviews indicate an attractive appearance. Secondly, buyers are impressed by the geometry of the blade, which is ideally suited for hunting purposes. Is there any other knife 65x13, worthy of professional attention? There are, of course.

"Knight"

The most representative of all considered knives. Here are its main features:

• The total length is 31.5 centimeters.

• The length of the blade is 19.5 centimeters.

• The width of the blade is 32 mm.

• The thickness of the knife is 4.5 mm.

Material, as in all other cases - steel 65x13. Characteristics: Knife "Knight", as we have already noted, is distinguished by an elegant, refined appearance. On the long, narrowed to the base of the blade, gold etched the logo of a specific manufacturer. In general, in appearance , the knife is very much like a dagger or even a Roman gladius.

Buyers say that it should not be used in the field, since a beautiful appearance may well suffer from harsh conditions of the external environment. In addition, the cost of about 10 thousand rubles somehow does not promote the use of the "Knight" for cutting fish or meat, not to mention the "quiet hunt" for mushrooms. But this is a perfect gift for connoisseurs.

This is what distinguishes knife steel 65x13. As you can see, at a relatively low price, it has very worthy characteristics, which makes it possible to make of this material fine working blades that do not rust, do not dye, can be sharpened with almost any bar. This ensures their wide prevalence among domestic fishermen and hunters.