# Where to buy 52100 / 1.3505 / 100cr6 in Europe?



## Matus (Mar 31, 2016)

Hi,

I am trying to locate 52100 (aka 1.3505 aka 100cr6) in Europe (or better yet Germany) to be used for stock removal. While I did manage to find some, it is all in thickness 4mm or more - not really suitable for kitchen knives. 

I am explicitly not looking for the 1.2067 steel which is much more common and often offered as equivalent, but has slightly different composition and much less fine/homogenous structure.

thanks


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## RDalman (Apr 1, 2016)

Hey Matus, I'm trying to source a bunch of 3 mm plates, I can hook you up when I get it (if, but I think so, they're just slow..) Get in touch..


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## Matus (Apr 1, 2016)

Thanks Robin, PM sent


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## Dan P. (Apr 3, 2016)

Matus, is the difference between 52100 and 1.2067 enough to make a practical difference? I think they are essentially the same steel.
I also understand that some or all of the flat stock 52100 sold in the US is smelted/rolled in Germany anyway (probably as 1.2067!)
I only feel free to comment because obsessing over steel specs is something I do a lot myself. A lot.


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## Matus (Apr 3, 2016)

Dan, I can not talk from my own experience (maybe in 2-3 years), but apart from the obvious difference in composition (1.2067 does not contain Nickel), the 1.2067 has different production process the results steel that is far less fine grained and less homogeneous. I have hear this from different places and also from Achim Wirtz - a professional in steel and HT (he does HT on all my carbon steel blades) who said that "1.3505 is considerably more homogenous and gives better cutting edge". And I am ready to take his word for it.

Should my 'quest' for 1.3505 fail, then I would probably either stay with O1 (1.2501) or 1.2442 which bears similarities to blue #1.


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## Dan P. (Apr 3, 2016)

Matus, I only meant that these steel specifications are a bit of a rabbit hole- I don't believe nickel is even part of the requirement for 52100, just carbon and chromium of a specified % range. It's possible that I am completely wrong, of course, but definitely "caveat emptor"!


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## Matus (Apr 3, 2016)

I do not know how well is 52100 defined as a standard. But the composition of 1.2067 and 1.3505 is well defined. The 1.3505 is supposed to resemble 52100 in composition and properties. The 1.2067 is not much different in composition, is however made in a simpler process and thus does not have the same qualities for knifemaking. That pretty much exhausts what I found on this topic so far 

I have actually not used either steel yet either, but to start my own testing would take so incredibly long (it takes so much time to make a knife blade in the evenings with just files) so I am just going with whatever information is available to me.


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