Am I a steel snob?

I think being a steel enthusiast is a great thing. I just think you should really go the extra mile and find out and be aware of exactly what those different super steels are good at and also exactly how much better they actually are compared to more traditional steels and in what ways.

If you are actually using those knives you collect, having a super steel is great, but you want to have the right super steel for the right job.

If you’re not (seriously) using your knives, but collecting for the sake of collecting and trading, that’s cool too, but same goes. You should be aware of exactly what kind of product you’re trading.

My point is, you should go beyond the “what’s the coolest steel right now?” mentality.
 
As a ROE I am quite happy with a Kershaw Atmos in 8cr13mov

That’s a cheap steel for sure but considering that:
- the action of this knife is increasingly,
- it is a light knife that will see only some very light use
- the construction and ergonomics are fine
Well for the price I got it it is a good deal and the knife will not see any tasks where the steel will be an issue
By comparison it is a better deal than my 940-1, at least for what I use my Osborne for :(
 
By the way the only steel I really don’t like in general is 440C.
I always had bad experience with this steel
 
I’m a fan of the latest and greatest steels like many others. I also like budget steels but am cautious of them. Often budget steels receive a budget heat treat. For example, I won’t turn my nose up at 420 Hc, providing that Bos (from Buck) has done the heat treat.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
You are a steel snob, but you can get better. ;)

Things to remember
A. This is a hobby and if it's not hurting you or others there's no wrong way to do it. So if chasing CTS-S90204PV and then only using it to cut receipt paper is what you enjoy, go for it! Not being sarcastic on this, do what you like!

B. We're all enthusiasts here, and overbuying our needs is very common in almost any enthusiast field. I promise you 99% of Submariner watches are probably never even worn in a pool, much less taken diving. Again, nothing wrong with that.

C. Don't totally write off 'lesser' steels if you like the mechanism or the design. I've been through a ton of super steels and I've actually settled on 14c28n as one of my favorites. It's a very nice all around steel and it handles 99% of the cutting I do just fine.
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Please take point C to heart! That is what differentiates a steel enthusiast from a snob. IMO a snob is not able to evaluate design and materials separately I love getting fancy steels. but if steel is your litmus strip, you are going to miss out on some really great pieces, and that is something you have to be able to accept or not.
 
Therom said:
As a ROE I am quite happy with a Kershaw Atmos in 8cr13mov

That’s a cheap steel for sure but considering that:
- the action of this knife is increasingly,
- it is a light knife that will see only some very light use
- the construction and ergonomics are fine
Well for the price I got it it is a good deal and the knife will not see any tasks where the steel will be an issue
By comparison it is a better deal than my 940-1, at least for what I use my Osborne for :(
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Serious question, what is an ROE? I tried Google, but it didn't help.
https://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/ROE
 
I think snobbery is a bit of a harsh term. I would say...refined palette.

Look, I can appreciate a $50 aged beef medallion with gourmet ala cart sides that run $12 a pop prepared by a skilled chef. I don't eat it every day. I can't afford to. However, I know it's not the "same thing" as a $17 porterhouse and baked potato from a place with peanut shells on the floor. The high dollar steak is better. There is no getting around it. It's fine dining that is as much the experience as something to fill the hole.

That said, I can appreciate the $17 meal as well. When I leave, I'll be more than full. I won't look down on it. For many, many years as a kid growing up as my dad grew our business, a night out to Ponderosa was living high on the hog.

Anyway, back to knife steel. For me, I can appreciate a good knife as a whole package. I generally get along just fine with 440 hc, but I tend appreciate the fit and finish of a pocket knife sporting a super steel. The whole package just feels like money spent better. I really dont care about how well it holds an edge. I have never worn down a butter soft mystery steel on the jobsite to the point where it no longer cut. I certainly dont need something that holds an edge 200x longer. But I do like nicely contoured handles, centered blades, smooth actions, bank vault lock up. If I get all those things, a "super steel" is just gravy.

Furthermore, if I am carrying a tool (not a knife) I know is designed to be pressed into hard service, i dont really require high end steel. My multitool can be soft stainless. I need it to turn screws or pry open cans or clamp a hose shut. The blade just needs to be able to open bags of quick-crete and trim duct tape around pieces of pipe I am blocking off. If I need more dedicated finesse I usually have a ZT or some such in my pocket anyway.

Now when you are talking about hard use fixed blades? Gimme simple. A khukuri made from an old truck leaf spring, a spring steel machete I can touch up with a file, good ol' O1 for a tough knife that I can bring back to razor sharp on a pocket Arkansas stone. I dont require or value refinement in those situations.
 
A couple years ago, I refused to buy a knife that didn’t have a premium steel blade and didn’t cost around 200 dollars. It was a fun, educational, and expensive journey. Nowadays, I’m not near as picky, I carry a Tim Wegner BladeTech Ultimate Hunter with an S30V blade.
 
But being a steel snob can also be like being a wine snob where yo laugh when you finds a $15 bottle that you feel tastes as good as a $50 one. Such might be the case with say something like a really well heat treated piece of AEB-L or 52100.
 
If someone tells you to buy only buy the latest greatest super steel. He's a steel snob.
If someone tells you to buy only the old traditional simple carbon or low carbide stainless. He's a steel snob.
A true steel, knife enthusiast will buy a new steel if he can find it in a knife he likes.

“To many times, as of late, I see a knife that I am instantly attracted to and feel as though life will end if I don't possess said knife. Then, as I research the knife, I find that it is 440c or 14n28 for example, and I immediately get turned off.”

I'm the same way with the older stainless steels, 420HC, 440A etc. No mater how nice the knife is, I've been there done that with those low carbon stainless steels and won't do it again.

“So why has my preference become somewhat grandiose?”
I don't know........ But why not?

I'm retired but when I was working I would have loved to have these new super steels. I've never met a box cutter I wanted to carry daily and more than one traditional got sharpened down and given away.

For me it comes down to edge retention aka performance. The fact that these days I don't need that edge retention daily, has nothing to do with anything. I enjoy edge performance, I enjoy sharpening the super steels. I even enjoyed learning how to sharpen the new super steels.

There are a lot of steels I'll never have because the blade geometry is wrong. What you get with super steels is edge retention and if a super steel blade isn't ground to take advantage of that edge retention. I leave it for someone else.

The only advise I have is, learn your needs and wants and don't listen to anyone's advise. It's okay to try new steels but NEVER buy a knife for the steel. If there's a steel you don't like, never buy it.
With a knife if the blade geometry, steel, handle length, weight, etc. etc., work for you, great you found a new knife.
If the knife doesn't check all the right boxes, walk away and keep looking. You may not have as many knives but you'll get more enjoyment from the ones you have.
 
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Buy whatever you like and no need to justify it (unless you are married, then check with the boss :p).

I highly suggest not going into debt to do it tho.
 
Steel snob? Who knows. I view it as part of the growing in the hobby and expanding your experience. It can change over time. I have a tendency to select knives in the powdered steels. But you know what I use day in day out if I don't have another knife on me? Yep, a Vic SAK and it handles 95% of all the cutting I ever do and I don't mind sharpening it. All I say is Enjoy!
 
TheEdge01 said:
A couple years ago, I refused to buy a knife that didn’t... cost around 200 dollars.
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I try to avoid folders at this price point. But I will still occasionally buy. The cost ceiling has shifted up a bit over time, but I am also using more knives now with lesser steels and quite comfortable with this evolution.
 
22-rimfire said:
I try to avoid folders at this price point. But I will still occasionally buy. The cost ceiling has shifted up a bit over time, but I am also using more knives now with lesser steels and quite comfortable with this evolution.
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I occasionally splurge when knife shopping myself. As of lately though, I find myself staying in the budget category. I recently purchased an Ontario Rat 1 with the AUS8 blade and I’m tickled pink with it.
 
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