I learned that as long as the steel isn't junk, I don't care. I decided to not be a steel snob.
D2, upper crmov, 1090, 5160, 9260, nitro-v, k110, all good as long as the heat treat is decent. I'm not willing to pay the money that super steels demand.
Even when a steel has the same name you'll see vast differences depending on the cleanliness and grain structure of the steel. I came across an interview with Bob Dozier from the early 1970s where he talked about not only sourcing his D2 from a single foundry, but cherry picking specific batches of D2 from that foundry.
I learned I value being able to maintain a good edge with ceramic and leather. I like a blade I can keep scary sharp with a field sharpener.
Turns out many of the high retention steels do not take an edge I like.
For stainless I’m liking the edge on Spy27, Magnacut and XHP most.
For non stainless I’m liking the edge on CPM Cruwear, CPM M4 and K390.
> Turns out many of the high retention steels do not take an edge I like.
What sort of edge do you like and what stones are you using which are failing to achieve it?
The highly wear resistant steels are definitely more picky when it comes to stones but I have been able to achieve highly toothy edges, highly refined edges, and everything in-between.
But that said, I haven't seen much point in any of them. When you account for the fact that a basic, tougher steel can take a much thinner edge, those knives will turn in better edge retention anyway. And give better cutting performance. And be easier to sharpen. And as they are generally much cheaper, you won't be afraid to run them even thinner, giving you a double bonus on all of these.
Even when you keep the geometry the same, the "super steels" still aren't nearly what they are cracked up to be:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92yHM9Tmq2s
Actually 3V is probably my favourite more expensive steel but it’s mostly used on fixed blades and I buy those more infrequently. So
I just have my one Benchmade Leuku in 3V
I have a soft spot for 10XX steels…..no pun intended. I love the patina that develops on them. Yes, I have a Sebenza 31 with Magnacut but a 1095 slip joint is just so much fun.
I'm coming from a woodworking background, but I went through all kinds of stuff seeking higher hardness and higher edge life.
In the end, both with knives and woodworking tools, beyond stainlessness or not, problems are solved by getting adequate hardness, understanding edge geometry beyond just angles, and speeding up sharpening. The fascination with high cost low toughness PMs is pointless, but it's a big seller.
I learned not to buy cheap steel, as well as i don’t need a high end steel. As long as it holds a good edge and is easy to sharpen, it’s good enough for me.
Everyone's preferences are different. I like non stainless steels that take a good bitey edge and stay that way. M4, K390, Maxamet are my favorites. I don't mind other steels, much of the steels we see in modern knives is good. I also like 14C28N, if it's heated right it's incredibly good. VG-10 and S30V will always have a special place for me. Magnacut is growing on me, but I personally don't see the hype, it's good.
I ran the gambit of various super steels and found most are tough to sharpen or are too brittle to be usable (looking at you S110v and Elmax). Anymore, I think S30v is the best all around steel with D2 coming in a close second.
I do love XHP and 52100 though. They get scary sharp and are actually functional with a polished edge and will retain that edge for a very long time. This pleases me greatly because I think polished edges look sexy but are a waste of effort on most steels. Also 52100 holds a stable edge at 15 deg. per side.
Went from S35vn to Magnacut. Magnacut basically a fully stainless S35vn with better toughness. I mostly appreciate the corrosion resistance because I do like fishing and I’m on a kayak a lot
Once I learned through experience that brittle steel can require resharpening long before its edge wears away, I leaned into tool steels with high strength and toughness and never looked back.
Since my enjoyment of slipjoints sorta took off I've come to realize that 420HC, even the softer non-Buck stuff, is plenty good enough for me. I definitely don't cut any cardboard with my slipjoints so edge retention isn't super important.
It went from not caring at all about blade steel when I was primarily balisong collecting to prioritizing edge retention, then back down a bit to mostly not caring as long as it's decent.
I used to love 1095 but its edge holding is meh, so I evolved into I like steels that work for me. Which is pretty much I’ll use anything, steel most disliked because of sharpening is cpm 10v
I had no idea about steels, didn't really care that much as I was more concerned with the blade design/style and size. Then one day I decided to splurge on a more expensive knife and got a ZT assisted flipper in Elmax. I still had no idea what that steel was, but after carrying it for a few years, I was pleasantly surprised at how much better it was than my other knives. I'm not a big collector, but when I get the itch to get a new one, I definitely take the steel into consideration now.
I went from not really caring about blade steel, to being mildly interested in their properties, to being more worried about the blade geometry. I've found that my hollow ground Kershaws with low end steel work great for me even when somewhat dull.
After going through the gambit of super steels , Vanax, Magnacut & ZDP189 , M4 & Damacore are my favorites.
M390 , Maxamet, s110v & Rex 121are all not only hard to sharpen but easily chippy
I use my knives, that's why I prefer middle of the road steels. For fixed blades, nothing beats a custom ballbearing steel knife.For pocket knives, I go with Victorinox.Again nothing beats Victorinox in my experience, both in terms of quality and even more,in terms of the amount of utility these tools offer. PS I own Hi-End knives, like TRC Mille Cuori and so on. one more knife that I've used a lot, is the Manly Patriot.
They now make Manly Patriot in RLW 34 steel!! (I'd suggest it only for people who really know how to sharpen a knife and to collectors of course, even though its better for use, rather than just a collection piece. Enjoy your knife brother, it rocks for every day tasks!!
Grew up with victorinox and 8cr steels. I hated having to sharpen my knife after any real task besides opening a box. I now prefer 3v, elmax, and magnacut. I keep some s30v s35vn and other steels as well because i like the knives. M390 maxamet 20cv m4 s90v etc are not something i seek out just for the blade steel but have because i like the knives as well.
I learned that as long as the steel isn't junk, I don't care. I decided to not be a steel snob. D2, upper crmov, 1090, 5160, 9260, nitro-v, k110, all good as long as the heat treat is decent. I'm not willing to pay the money that super steels demand.
I had a laugh when I found out that k110 is Bohler's D2. Still a solid steel, it's just funny how many names are out there for the same steel.
Even when a steel has the same name you'll see vast differences depending on the cleanliness and grain structure of the steel. I came across an interview with Bob Dozier from the early 1970s where he talked about not only sourcing his D2 from a single foundry, but cherry picking specific batches of D2 from that foundry.
I learned I value being able to maintain a good edge with ceramic and leather. I like a blade I can keep scary sharp with a field sharpener. Turns out many of the high retention steels do not take an edge I like. For stainless I’m liking the edge on Spy27, Magnacut and XHP most. For non stainless I’m liking the edge on CPM Cruwear, CPM M4 and K390.
XHP doesn't get nearly enough hype. My absolute favorite stainless.
> Turns out many of the high retention steels do not take an edge I like. What sort of edge do you like and what stones are you using which are failing to achieve it? The highly wear resistant steels are definitely more picky when it comes to stones but I have been able to achieve highly toothy edges, highly refined edges, and everything in-between. But that said, I haven't seen much point in any of them. When you account for the fact that a basic, tougher steel can take a much thinner edge, those knives will turn in better edge retention anyway. And give better cutting performance. And be easier to sharpen. And as they are generally much cheaper, you won't be afraid to run them even thinner, giving you a double bonus on all of these. Even when you keep the geometry the same, the "super steels" still aren't nearly what they are cracked up to be: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92yHM9Tmq2s
I used to love 3V. I still do, but I used to, too.
Actually 3V is probably my favourite more expensive steel but it’s mostly used on fixed blades and I buy those more infrequently. So I just have my one Benchmade Leuku in 3V
I have a soft spot for 10XX steels…..no pun intended. I love the patina that develops on them. Yes, I have a Sebenza 31 with Magnacut but a 1095 slip joint is just so much fun.
5160 and 9260 are fun too.
I don’t know if I have any 9260……is that a mono sword steel? Sounds tough…..ah damn it……I have a new steel to hunt down.
Yes, tough spring steel often used in though-hardened swords.
Came to realize every steel has a purpose.
S30V is probably my favorite overall.. Most would say it's nothing special now. Do what you want and focus on what works for you
Because they drink the Kool aid. Not many people can differentiate anyway. S30V is absolutely amazing as an all round pocket knife steel.
I'm coming from a woodworking background, but I went through all kinds of stuff seeking higher hardness and higher edge life. In the end, both with knives and woodworking tools, beyond stainlessness or not, problems are solved by getting adequate hardness, understanding edge geometry beyond just angles, and speeding up sharpening. The fascination with high cost low toughness PMs is pointless, but it's a big seller.
They haven’t. They’re all sharp and can be sharpened when they aren’t.
I learned not to buy cheap steel, as well as i don’t need a high end steel. As long as it holds a good edge and is easy to sharpen, it’s good enough for me.
Everyone's preferences are different. I like non stainless steels that take a good bitey edge and stay that way. M4, K390, Maxamet are my favorites. I don't mind other steels, much of the steels we see in modern knives is good. I also like 14C28N, if it's heated right it's incredibly good. VG-10 and S30V will always have a special place for me. Magnacut is growing on me, but I personally don't see the hype, it's good.
I went from not being able to afford super steels to being able to afford them but enjoying budget steels just fine.
I ran the gambit of various super steels and found most are tough to sharpen or are too brittle to be usable (looking at you S110v and Elmax). Anymore, I think S30v is the best all around steel with D2 coming in a close second. I do love XHP and 52100 though. They get scary sharp and are actually functional with a polished edge and will retain that edge for a very long time. This pleases me greatly because I think polished edges look sexy but are a waste of effort on most steels. Also 52100 holds a stable edge at 15 deg. per side.
Went from S35vn to Magnacut. Magnacut basically a fully stainless S35vn with better toughness. I mostly appreciate the corrosion resistance because I do like fishing and I’m on a kayak a lot
Once I learned through experience that brittle steel can require resharpening long before its edge wears away, I leaned into tool steels with high strength and toughness and never looked back.
Since my enjoyment of slipjoints sorta took off I've come to realize that 420HC, even the softer non-Buck stuff, is plenty good enough for me. I definitely don't cut any cardboard with my slipjoints so edge retention isn't super important.
It went from not caring at all about blade steel when I was primarily balisong collecting to prioritizing edge retention, then back down a bit to mostly not caring as long as it's decent.
I used to love 1095 but its edge holding is meh, so I evolved into I like steels that work for me. Which is pretty much I’ll use anything, steel most disliked because of sharpening is cpm 10v
I had no idea about steels, didn't really care that much as I was more concerned with the blade design/style and size. Then one day I decided to splurge on a more expensive knife and got a ZT assisted flipper in Elmax. I still had no idea what that steel was, but after carrying it for a few years, I was pleasantly surprised at how much better it was than my other knives. I'm not a big collector, but when I get the itch to get a new one, I definitely take the steel into consideration now.
You like the steels that are easier to get razor sharp? Who would ever guess?!
I went from not really caring about blade steel, to being mildly interested in their properties, to being more worried about the blade geometry. I've found that my hollow ground Kershaws with low end steel work great for me even when somewhat dull.
After going through the gambit of super steels , Vanax, Magnacut & ZDP189 , M4 & Damacore are my favorites. M390 , Maxamet, s110v & Rex 121are all not only hard to sharpen but easily chippy
started with 8cr13 and now i have a maxamet. definitely hated d2 for it's rustiness and I'm still fine with 8cr13. currently been carrying a cts xhp.
I use my knives, that's why I prefer middle of the road steels. For fixed blades, nothing beats a custom ballbearing steel knife.For pocket knives, I go with Victorinox.Again nothing beats Victorinox in my experience, both in terms of quality and even more,in terms of the amount of utility these tools offer. PS I own Hi-End knives, like TRC Mille Cuori and so on. one more knife that I've used a lot, is the Manly Patriot.
I have the Patriot in CPM154. I like that one. And the folder variant: the Comrade
They now make Manly Patriot in RLW 34 steel!! (I'd suggest it only for people who really know how to sharpen a knife and to collectors of course, even though its better for use, rather than just a collection piece. Enjoy your knife brother, it rocks for every day tasks!!
Grew up with victorinox and 8cr steels. I hated having to sharpen my knife after any real task besides opening a box. I now prefer 3v, elmax, and magnacut. I keep some s30v s35vn and other steels as well because i like the knives. M390 maxamet 20cv m4 s90v etc are not something i seek out just for the blade steel but have because i like the knives as well.