Are There Any Good "Alphabet Soup" Steels [numbers]Cr[numbers]MoV

strategy9 said:
... 9cr18mov from Schrade/(Taylor Cutlery), I've had sharpen up nicely and hold that edge with much respect to other higher end knives, I've also had it roll and chip with little effort, plus their warranty dept. can be a bit frustrating... and not a knock on Schrade either, it is what it is, and they're selling sub $20 knives by the ship load, and they are what they are. Just the nature of the business...
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I've had bad luck with 9Cr18Mov from Schrade. I've had at least one other cheap knife in 9Cr18Mov that wasn't great. So I had basically written it off. Then I got a Civivi. I was blown away by just how different this steel can be when done correctly. The difference is night and day.
 
I want my blades to come with so called Super Steel.

I like CPM S90V, M390, K390, Maxamet, CPM M-4, CPM Rex 121, etc.

I've never regretted paying a bit extra for quality. I have very often regretted failing to do so.

Old Italian proverb: Cheapa U buy, cheapa U get!"
 
afishhunter said:
Not if that is all your budget will accommodate.
As my Great Grandfather told me more than once:
"You don't have to pay a lot; to get a lot."

Most of the cost for the "high end" knives is for the name stamped or engraved on the tang.
Why pay a premium for a name?
Will a Cadillac or Lincoln sedan (for example) transport you "better" than a base Chevrolet or Ford sedan?
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Ehhhhh

I'm sorry but you just don't pay for a "name" on the blade, high end steel, titanium, precision machine work, milled pocket clips, etc etc.....all of that cost a lot of money to produce.

For example, a Kizer, Reate or WE cost well in the range of $250-$500......I wouldn't call those "premium or big names" but they still put out premium knives that for the most part are worth the money they are asking, despite being Chinese made (which unfortunately for American products, isn't a negative anymore) besides, I would say 95% of the knives in the upper range are priced accordingly.

If your budget is low, keep saving and buy something a bit better, high end products pay off in the long run and cheap shit doesn't.

I wont get into the car example you said because people who say a car is just a car drive me absolutely fucking nuts and couldn't be anymore wrong, I'll stay out of that one.

My Grandfather had a saying also....

"Cheap is cheap"
 
Ben Dover said:
I want my blades to come with so called Super Steel.

I like CPM S90V, M390, K390, Maxamet, CPM M-4, CPM Rex 121, etc.

I've never regretted paying a bit extra for quality. I have very often regretted failing to do so.

Old Italian proverb: Cheapa U buy, cheapa U get!"
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Amen :thumbsup:
 
UDIVER said:
... high end steel, titanium, precision machine work, milled pocket clips ... all of that cost a lot of money to produce. ... If your budget is low, keep saving and buy something a bit better, high end products pay off in the long run and cheap shit doesn't. ...
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This is generally true and the brands you mention seem competitive for what they offer. However, there are "budget gems" out there. These are knives that are nice and work well for a bargain price. It's sweet spot on the curve between cost and quality. There's been an explosion of them in the last few years, notably from brands like Tangram and Civivi. Bestech's value line around $50 has some really nice knives. Some of the Ruikes have been pretty good. I'm sure there are more out there.

If you're on a budget and you want something nice-ish that'll take care of your EDC needs, chances are that one of those will work for you. Even if your budget is larger, there can be value in limiting your investment in something that could get beat up or even lost. I don't remember who it was but someone here told a story wherein somebody asked to borrow their pocket knife. They complied only to turn around and see it being used to scrape poop off a boot. :eek:
 
I want to add, one of the best places I have personally found CroMov steel very handy, is on trying out a new designer...

Say you're curious about a ken onion, rj martin, tighe, or whoever's design, you can often find a sub $50 production version or 2 of said designer, which can help you decide down the road which works best in your hand, before investing $100's+ into a style/design on a more mid-tech or custom version of a similar design.
 
Interesting thread on the CrM steels. The panel seems divided on this issue with heat treatment a major point. I think there will always be a market for inexpensive but adequate knives, while many of us knuts want just a little/lot more.
 
Both knives I have are made of non stainless steel, and they perform well for not so high price.

But I don't see myself buying "alphabet soup" steels or even 440 steels for that matter. That's just me though.
 
strategy9 said:
I want to add, one of the best places I have personally found CroMov steel very handy, is on trying out a new designer........
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Good point. And one that has cost me a bit of money. My ZT 0350 was a no brainer after carrying a Scallion for several years. But I didn't expect my $15 Kershaw Injection to inspire the purchase of a ZT 0801 AND an 0808. The ZT's cost way more than $15.
 
The ZT 0350 is next on my list, just got to make it through Xmas shopping for all the kids. I guess I made these cheaper steels work for years until I discovered BF and an emptier wallet
 
Brad, the 0350 is a fun knife. I bought mine because it was (almost) what Gibbs carried on NCIS. It takes up too much pocket space. The recurve is tougher to sharpen (ceramic rods work great). It's as loud as my .380 going into battery. The broad blade really doesn't open an envelope as well as anything else. But it cuts. It was my first ZT, and is the one I'd keep if I could have only one. Get the tiger stripe.
 
dirc said:
Just a fair fyi, I used to think the same thing until I found that they DO sell junk 3cr13
Do not buy 3cr13 - models like 'starter', 'manifold', 'decoy', 'filter'

Sadly, even spyderco and kabar use this junk in the budget lines.
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I keep telling people they're factory models among the $10 Ballistic Series by M-Tech just relabeled for Kershaw to mark up under their name... but no one believes me.
 
The label "alphabet soup steels" seems to target chinese produced steels. There are two things to consider here :
1) The Chinese steel standards are "more or less" equivalent to the Western standards.
2) The Chinese generally apply looser tolerances to their own standards.
If you expect a true 440C, you may be in for a true disappointment...
A.G.Russell used a lot of 8Cr13Mov and those knives (made in China) are great. But he managed to build a true partnership with his Chinese purveyors. Maybe this is where the answer lies eventually.
Now another thing to consider is that EN (Europe), DIN (Germany) and Afnor (France) standards also use alphabet soup to identify their steels...
 
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