How can steel type be "variable" when buying an expensive blade?

[Garet Jax]

I am looking at a Microtech OTF that is mid $300s and the description is:

BLADE STEEL Variable... *Blade Steel can be Carpenter CTS 204 P / Carpenter XHP / Bohler M390 / Bohler ELMAX® , Message us to check steel type!​

While I understand the steel types are comparable, the steel type is quite important.

 

[Biggfoot44]

I'm guessing that they mean they offer options of multiple steel types for that knife , and they used poor word choice in their ad copy .

 

[shootin the breeze]

They change their steel periodically, presumably due to what can be obtained at quantities needed.

 

[MaxVO2]

I'm guessing that they mean they offer options of multiple steel types for that knife , and they used poor word choice in their ad copy .

*****Yes. I think this as well. The blade is offered in different steels and you have the option to pick which suits your needs best.

 

[llkoolkeg]

Perhaps they do manufacturing runs of blades for that model based on "super" steel available or most economical at that point in time. I have seen sword makers, for example, use DNH7 and 1075 almost interchangeably and the same model can be made with either high carbon steel, as available.

 

[shootin the breeze]

*****Yes. I think this as well. The blade is offered in different steels and you have the option to pick which suits your needs best.

I’ve got a shitpile of these and Heretics. You don’t get to pick. They use various steels in each run. The steel uses seems most likely based on what they can get in quantities needed at the time.

 

[MaxVO2]

I’ve got a shitpile of these and Heretics. You don’t get to pick. They use various steels in each run. The steel uses seems most likely based on what they can get in quantities needed at the time.

*****That's a bummer. Prior to Covid and supply chain issues, etc.. I got to pick what steels I wished to be used for a set of sushi knives I had made for a chef friend of mine. I had a Deba, an Usuba, and a Nakiri made for her. I think one was made with ATS-34, another with 1095 with an 11 degree single edge, and final one was I think CPM154. They were not cheap. I was instructed by the knife smith in Japan that steels with big chromium carbides would not work well for a proper sushi knife for whatever reason.

The knives came out beautifully and I liked them so much I had a slightly cheaper set made with only one type of steel for myself and I picked the A2 steel due to it being tough and wear resistant - they hold a *very* fine edge. It took some time to have everything made and shipped out. They came in a beautiful special roll up case so a chef can get to what they need as well as insure the set is complete once they have finished cleaning them after use.

I eat a lot of sushi, and am friends with a couple of chefs in that business who know a lot about sushi as well as the steels used in sushi knives. My personal kitchen has regular Wusthof Ikon blades for everyday knife duty preparing meals, etc.. They are very nice German knives at a decent price point.

 

[woodline]

Microtech seems to be in the Goldilocks zone, where they don’t make so many to be able to lock down a steady supply of any particular steel, but make enough that they can’t wait around for a specifc steel.

I only have one Microtech OTF, it’s in M390 and does the opening of the boxes great. Overall it’s a great EDC for light use applications where the steel doesn’t really matter that much. And Unlike my protech, has yet to open up randomly after a few bumps . . . Which my finger did not appreciate finding out.