Best blade for maintaining edge Benchmade, Spyderco...

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clemsondds

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Oct 17, 2021
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Hey, looking to add another knife to my collection of edc knives. I currently use a benchmade bugout and I actually love it. But I do feel I need to sharpen it quite often. I was looking to add maybe a m4 bailout or a spyderco PM3 maxamet. But just got overwelmed with the blade options. Can anyone share their thoughts on which is the best blade to maintain a good edge, while at the same time maintaining its toughness? I'm not too worried about maintenance but will take it into account. Thank you again...and it doesn't have to be one of these two brands. Just giving an idea of the style I like. I wear scrubs alot so I like something pretty lightweight but still functional. So to summarize, what's the best blade for maintaining a sharp edge longterm? Thanks again
 
There a lot of premium steels that excel at edge retention but lack in toughness (durability/freedom from fracture/breaking).

However, M4 and Elmax both get high marks for edge retention and toughness w/the nod going to Elmax for ease of sharpening and corrosion resistance.
I don't believe that you can go wrong w/either of these steels but M4 will require a bit more care/attention than Elmax will.

Both are pretty widely available among many brands and types of knives (especially those offered by Spyderco in M4 and ZT in Elmax) and cost less than other premium steels that lack a balance in the 4 main qualities mentioned.

See: BHQ's Best Knife Steel Guide for further information.
 
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Maxamet isn't tough at all. it will hold edge very well but isn't tough at all. rather fragile compared to many other choices. sounds like youre asking for a balance between toughness and edge holding...but there is tradeoffs on things and also corrosion resistance. if that's important to ya? cruwear is tough and holds edge well, but not great corrosion resistance. m4 same thing. rex45 same thing. for a folder toughness isn't so important per say unless one is doing very dumb things with it.

if any kinda stainless ability is wanted, id lean towards something more like cpm154. there are other good choices....you just have to figure out what you actually want and need.
 
Maxamet gets talked down so much is crazy.

I love my Maxamet knives and they perform as well or better than any others I have used.
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Should you pry open a paint can with it? No. But if you are wanting something that cuts it will do so all day and strop back easily. Also it really doesn't require much maintenance for me and I live in the Carolinas.

You should also check out K390 and M4 is good also.
 
The Benchmade 940-1 is a great knife with s90v steel if you like the styling. I don't carry it as much as I would like because it is a bit intimidating for carrying in the city.

I would also look at S35vn as a good, less expensive alternative to some of the steels mentioned here. Spyderco has some knives out now with that steel. Including an affordable tenacious lightweight. S35vn seems to hold an edge for me much better than s30v
 
When I look at one of my used Maxamet, Rex 45, etc., "unsharp" edges, they usually have tiny edge damage, call it micro-chips, whatever ... Then again, I use them in real life, cutting boxes, zip ties, in the kitchen on a board, etc., etc.

The steel that holds best in this scenario - for me - is Spyderco's CPM Cruwear. S90V is pretty good as well, better than M390 in my use (and again - this is for Spyderco's, other companies M390 is tougher).

10V (K2) & M4 (GB2) do pretty well in my use, too.
 
clemsondds said:
Hey, looking to add another knife to my collection of edc knives. I currently use a benchmade bugout and I actually love it. But I do feel I need to sharpen it quite often. I was looking to add maybe a m4 bailout or a spyderco PM3 maxamet. But just got overwelmed with the blade options. Can anyone share their thoughts on which is the best blade to maintain a good edge, while at the same time maintaining its toughness? I'm not too worried about maintenance but will take it into account. Thank you again...and it doesn't have to be one of these two brands. Just giving an idea of the style I like. I wear scrubs alot so I like something pretty lightweight but still functional. So to summarize, what's the best blade for maintaining a sharp edge longterm? Thanks again
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If sharpening isn't a concern, k390 is the best performing steel you can buy on the production market today. It's not going to hold an edge as long as maxamet, but it'll hold it longer than M4 while being almost as strong. As a bonus, Spyderco's heat treat for it is around the 65-66 hrc mark so it'll be very resistant to rolling and chipping damage. If you want something easier to sharpen, rex 45 is great and Spyderco offers a couple of folders in that steel. Again, people have tested spydercos rex 45 to Rockwell around 65-66 hrc so you can't go wrong with it.
 
jbmonkey said:
Maxamet isn't tough at all. it will hold edge very well but isn't tough at all. rather fragile compared to many other choices. sounds like youre asking for a balance between toughness and edge holding...but there is tradeoffs on things and also corrosion resistance. if that's important to ya? cruwear is tough and holds edge well, but not great corrosion resistance. m4 same thing. rex45 same thing. for a folder toughness isn't so important per say unless one is doing very dumb things with it.
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I've actually never been able to get cruwear to rust on me. I don't take amazing care of my knives but I'll wipe them dry and that for me has been enough to keep cruwear patina free. Rex 45 and k390 though... not a chance because both patina like crazy. I swear rex 45 will patina while cutting citrus foods before I can even get the blade wiped off...
 
ferider said:
For whatever reason k390 rusts in my use just by looking at it, other similar Spyderco steels (M4, 10V, for instance), do not in identical use.
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I've had a very similar experience with my k390 delica and rex 45 native chief. I wish Larrin would give the k390 class steels the magnacut treatment. He's already developed magnacut as a stainless alternative to the 4v/cruwear/rex45/m4 class steels.
 
nattynarwhal said:
I've actually never been able to get cruwear to rust on me. I don't take amazing care of my knives but I'll wipe them dry and that for me has been enough to keep cruwear patina free. Rex 45 and k390 though... not a chance because both patina like crazy. I swear rex 45 will patina while cutting citrus foods before I can even get the blade wiped off...
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all true..didnt mean so much as direct equal. more they all have lower corrosion resistance than a stainless steel. some folks sweat will pit and eat at those steels. im that way I have to take extra care of them. you're not that way appears and thats a good thing.
 
ktataragasi said:
Maxamet gets talked down so much is crazy.

I love my Maxamet knives and they perform as well or better than any others I have used.
G707nSQ.jpeg

y4LjLZy.jpeg

Should you pry open a paint can with it? No. But if you are wanting something that cuts it will do so all day and strop back easily. Also it really doesn't require much maintenance for me and I live in the Carolinas.

You should also check out K390 and M4 is good also.
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Just don't put any side torque on a Maxamet blade, or it will snap! It does have excellent edge holding properties though.
 
ferider said:
When I look at one of my used Maxamet, Rex 45, etc., "unsharp" edges, they usually have tiny edge damage, call it micro-chips, whatever ... Then again, I use them in real life, cutting boxes, zip ties, in the kitchen on a board, etc., etc.

The steel that holds best in this scenario - for me - is Spyderco's CPM Cruwear. S90V is pretty good as well, better than M390 in my use (and again - this is for Spyderco's, other companies M390 is tougher).

10V (K2) & M4 (GB2) do pretty well in my use, too.
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So which of the knives you own (since it looks like you own most of the steel I’m looking at) holds a sharp edge the longest? Which is your favorite and why? Thanks
 
Benchmade: 20CV/M390
Spyderco: Maxamet

One would argue M4 is better than 20CV/M390, but I think they're all the same tier.
 
91bravo said:
Just don't put any side torque on a Maxamet blade, or it will snap! It does have excellent edge holding properties though.
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I guess I'm not very over demanding of my blades but I've never had an issue. I have had more trouble with S30v than Maxamet. I have used maxamet to take cuts out of wood, trim plastics, cut zip ties and I have not had a single issue. I find it to be such a good edc steel that it sort of messes with my mind when I use other types and they dull in the amount of time my maxamet looses its shaving edge.

I'm sure people have had different experiences but this is just how mine has gone.
 
ktataragasi said:
I guess I'm not very over demanding of my blades but I've never had an issue. I have had more trouble with S30v than Maxamet. I have used maxamet to take cuts out of wood, trim plastics, cut zip ties and I have not had a single issue. I find it to be such a good edc steel that it sort of messes with my mind when I use other types and they dull in the amount of time my maxamet looses its shaving edge.

I'm sure people have had different experiences but this is just how mine has gone.
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I was cutting some conveyor belt at work with my maxamet Manix and it snapped. I was pulling it back out of the cut I just made because it was stuck. I twisted a little bit and it ended up snapping. I had done this job hundreds of other times with my other knives and they fared just fine.
 
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