I have some questions about the difference in the SR101 and SR77 steel.
Is one harder than the other, more flexible, have a greater spicific gravity.
What's the difference?
All I have is SR101 so I can't compare them.
Dan if we could get some technical info that would be great. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

From what I understand, SR-101 has super lateral strength and SR-77 has super and then some lateral strength.
SR-77 holds a good edge but SR-101 holds a great edge.

All in all I would consider SR-101 a superior steel, since the great edge holding of the SR-101 is more important than having a little less lateral strength.
Technical differences...? I dunno.

That's what I have heard from the forums.
So sr77 is for choppers and sr101 is for cutting?

I would think SR-101 is just as good for choppers. In a destruction test SR-77 would likely last longer, but as a normal user chopper SR-101 is plenty strong.
I can't imagine any task where SR-101 wouldn't be strong enough.

I wouldn't think the SG of the materials would differ substantively...nor would it really tell us much. That said, I would love to know the Youngs Modulus and relative stress/strain curves for each. Throw in a phase diagram too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I would suspect that the YM for SR101 would be slightly higher than SR77....yielding a harder, yet less ductile material. Let us also not forget that there is a price difference between the two, and that to say SR77 is a better chopper is hard to substantiate. Anyone had a Battle Rat fail at chopping?

Never heard of a Battle Rat fail at chopping, but it amazes me how some people feel that the ones that are through hardened are not suited for chopping. I haven't seen one of those fail yet either.

If I were forced to pick between SR77 and SR101, I would pick SR101.

SR77 is what they use for jack Hammer bits, it's an impact steel so is perfect for large choppers and axe type tools. During impact with hard objects such as an unseen nail in some wood the SR77 would usually roll/deform whereas SR101 ( Ball bearing steel) could possibly chip.....I only said possibly because with the Busse-Kin heat treat SR101 is amazing stuff !

SR101 is definitely the better at edge holding out of the two steels, although once again due to the Busse-Kin heat treat I was quite suprised at the SR77's edge holding.

To some up in my view anything under a 8" blade would be better made of SR101. Anything over 8" and I'd sooner take SR77.

I hear ya, Pit. I've had INFI also chip out when I hit a soft spot, went through, and hit some rocks. Most of it did roll, but some of it chipped as well. My fault..but that stuff happens. Theoretically, I think you're right. The problem is that the heat treats are key to all of this..and without access to any phase diagrams and resulting data on the independent steels...we'll never really know how they actually compare 1-1.

I'd reckon we're picking at nits.

Also, I do find it intriguing that the entire 11 series from SYKCO has come out in SR101 thus far. Dan seems to have taken a liking to it...and has also found some MAGICAL way of making it affordable!!!

Maybe I can convince Dan to send me some heat treated test coupons of his magic SR101 and SR77 (and INFI?) so I can run some analytics on them <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> for the public good, of course <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

If we had the numbers, I'd wager there would still be debates. But then..that's why we have a forum <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

Here is a chart showing S7 ( SR77 ) compared with some other well known knife steels~

Thanks for the info guys. Does anyone no which stock steel cost more?

S7 is the more complicated steel but I'm not sure if this would make it more expensive.....good question and one I'd be interested to know....Dan ?

I am not sure about everywhere, but I found a site selling both D2 and S7. Here are their prices for an 18"x1"x1/8" of both.
D2 = $20.86
S7 = $16.83