Age old question, best all around blade steel?

[Cobalt]

Unless you need to “spend bucks” on oil to keep it from rusting.

I use olive oil with pepper.

 

[Cobalt]

Best all around steel is Chrome Plated O1 because mad dog says so

 

[MarkN86]

I still remember when both 440A and the analogous 7Cr17Mov were popular in "survival" and outdoor activity knives. I still have a few blades in the latter. It has good resistance to corrosion. Edge retention isn't very good but it's not the worst. Versus 8Cr13Mov or AUS-8, I'd sometimes choose 7Cr for camping and such. Nowadays, it feels totally obsolete.

I know what you mean, I'm giving a chinese Buck in 7cr17 a shot right now, and while the geometry gets the work done, the steel screams mediocrity. I'd say it's probably about on par with 420HC, or thereabout. It's definitely not BAD, just really not interesting.

Corrosion resistance has been fantastic, it's keeping a very high shine. It also takes a terrifying edge fairly easily, but it feels a little harder on the stone than Kershaw/Spyderco's 8Cr13MoV.

Onto the subject at hand, I find myself enjoying tougher, finer grained stainless steels more than anything, due to how easy they are to get scary sharp. I like higher end stuff too, but I kind of drift back to the easy sharpening stuff. The knife I can't seem to get away from is my Para3 LW in BD1N. I have better/more expensive knives, but I just keep circling back, love that steel. It's not the best for everything, but as done by Spyderco it's overall pretty great.

 

[Boattale]

Spyderco's have fantastic grinds and blade shapes for slicing but have very thin edges. Pretty much any steel with decent hardness and carbide content is going to chip with such thin geometry if you make contact with a staple etc... Additionally factory edges are usually more brittle, the steel should hold up better after sharpening by hand.

With that said, I do believe there is an actual answer to this question and its 3V. It can shine in anything from a filet knife to a katana and everything in between. I don't think any other steel can quite match its versatility. It performs well everywhere and is stain resistant enough to not worry about it.

I've made kitchen knives, bushcrafters, mega choppers, swords, and even ultra thin machetes from 3V. Always happy with its performance.

I was wondering when 3V would come up. It's good. Best I can't say as my sample size is too small.

 

[Chronovore]

I know what you mean, I'm giving a chinese Buck in 7cr17 a shot right now, and while the geometry gets the work done, the steel screams mediocrity. I'd say it's probably about on par with 420HC, or thereabout. It's definitely not BAD, just really not interesting.

Corrosion resistance has been fantastic, it's keeping a very high shine. It also takes a terrifying edge fairly easily, but it feels a little harder on the stone than Kershaw/Spyderco's 8Cr13MoV.

Onto the subject at hand, I find myself enjoying tougher, finer grained stainless steels more than anything, due to how easy they are to get scary sharp. I like higher end stuff too, but I kind of drift back to the easy sharpening stuff. The knife I can't seem to get away from is my Para3 LW in BD1N. I have better/more expensive knives, but I just keep circling back, love that steel. It's not the best for everything, but as done by Spyderco it's overall pretty great.

I suppose "best all around" is relative to budget. For instance, I'd love to explore more Vanax but cost and availability are a factor.

On the low end, my biggest problem with 7Cr17Mov (and the fact that Buck is still using it) is that 9Cr18Mov is a thing. It's also very stainless but is capable of much better edge retention. The Civivi, Sencut, and Ferrum Forge knives with 9Cr are made by WE and get an industry-leading heat treatment. (It's a bit like how Buck's 420HC with the Bos heat treatment stood out but from a better starting point on edge retention.) I had a couple of my 9Cr knives from WE tested and they were all close to 60HRC.

Coincidentally, that's also part of my issue with companies like Spyderco still running 8Cr13Mov in $50ish knives.

In the next tier up, I like BD1N. I feel like it doesn't get the love it deserves and I wish more companies would use it at the right price level.

 

[Cobalt]

I was wondering when 3V would come up. It's good. Best I can't say as my sample size is too small.

It was actually mentioned in post #3 of this thread. As expected

 

[mveach]

I think hitting staples or wire could chip or dent just about any steel depending on angle etc…

Magnacut is supposed to be all around well balanced. S30v Elmax Xhp cruwear - I enjoy many different steels and many perform well.

I really like Elmax. But I gave the only knife I owned in it away because it didn't fit my hands.

 

[Skar]

I really like Elmax. But I gave the only knife I owned in it away because it didn't fit my hands.

I have one in elmax, I love it but..I like it so much I don’t want to use or carry it, I’m afraid to ruin it.

 

[Chronovore]

I have one in elmax, I love it but..I like it so much I don’t want to use or carry it, I’m afraid to ruin it.

That happens to me sometimes. It's part of why I love a good budget knife is decent steel.