History of SM-100 Material: Here is the quick (caveman version) rundown: Naval Ordinance Labs discovered the advantages of nickel titanium alloy in the 60's. However, it was extremely difficult and expensive to produce. It kind of languished for the better part of 30 years with various attempts at production, but none could overcome the extreme technical and financial challenges to produce a viable commercial product. Around 2008, Crucible Research with the assistance of Duane Dwyer came up with NiTiNOL 60 - Nickel Titanium Naval Ordinance Laboratory with the 60 indicating that it is 60% nickel 40% titanium by weight. Crucible underwent some re-structuring and Eric Bono then Crucible's director of engineering, went on to form Summit Materials. With their state of the art production capabilities and Duane Dwyer as a SME (subject matter expert), they have 'cracked the code' of getting nickel titanium production suitable for the cutlery industry. This is no small feat as the titanium is extremely reactive and the ratio of the two metals has to be exact.
Benefits of SM-100 Material: OK, history is great, but what makes this stuff so awesome?
Corrosion proof - SM-100 is completely non-ferrous (meaning zero iron). It cannot rust. It does not know how. This does not mean rust resistant, it means corrosion proof as defined by NASA.
Non magnetic - While this does not mean much to most folks, those in the ordinance world sure appreciate it.
Edge Retention - SM-100 can be hardened to >62 Rockwell. In addition, this hardness goes all the way through the material (you can mill off 10 thou and test each layer). In the past, you could get titanium sharp, but it would lose its edge quickly. Now, with SM-100 you essentially get a hardinable titanium.
Lightweight: SM-100 is almost 20% lighter than most steels per given size.
Toughness: Due to its high Modell number (measure of wear resistance) and its elasticity, SM-100 is extremely resistant to shock damage. So, while being rust proof, longer lasting, and lighter, SM-100 also is ready for true hard use.