Best knife metal!

L

lastchancebaby

Joined
Jul 19, 2007
Messages
21
Hello,
I am exhausted trying to figure out best material for knife. I have reviewed so many; however, no clear winner. Can anyone help? Is 420 subzero Cold Steel any good-it is cheap ~$20 for neck knife? AUS 6, 8? Sharpening ease?
thank you for any advice
 
lastchancebaby said:
Hello,
I am exhausted trying to figure out best material for knife. I have reviewed so many; however, no clear winner. Can anyone help? Is 420 subzero Cold Steel any good-it is cheap ~$20 for neck knife? AUS 6, 8? Sharpening ease?
thank you for any advice
Click to expand...

There's a lot to be said on the topic; and a lot has been said here on BF.

Short answer is - there's no clear winner.
Much depends on your particular needs for the steel.

But 420 subzero quench Cold Steel, and AUS 6 are not even in the running.
AUS 8 can take a very sharp edge, it's known for that.
But it, too, is not considered generally to be one of "the best".

And then there are all the non-stainless steels (i.e. "carbon steel") which many knowledgable folks consider to be the "best" steels for knife blades.
Steels such as A-2 and 52100.
 
I've used AUS8. It's not bad, actually. It takes a wickedly sharp edge, and holds it for a reasonable amount of use.

I'd pass on the AUS6. I haven't used "Sub Zero Quench" 420 (nor do I plan to).
 
if this is for the self defense knife from the other thread, then the steel really doesn't matter that much if the overall design is sound.
 
hardheart said:
if this is for the self defense knife from the other thread, then the steel really doesn't matter that much if the overall design is sound.
Click to expand...

absolutely. It is more important you get it from a maker you trust. So for example, if you get a Benchmade or spyderco, you are likely getting a good blade steel thatshould do everything you need.

If you buy a $5.00 chinese copy, then you get cast parts that will snap with one or two uses.
 
Stainless steels:
Best at being insanely sharp edge for a short time: 13C26
Best at usably sharp for a very long time (this category is preferred by most): ZDP-189
Never rusting: H1
 
The best steel depends on what you'll be using the knife for. For scuba diving, 400 is the best; for edge retention, ATS-34 and up are the best; for defense or knock around, a good tough 440A or AUS8 strikes a good compromise between edge retention and toughness. A boot knife doesn't have to be made out of premium grade steel, it's just got to be concealable. So why do people turn their noses up at Smith & Wesson's boot knife? Beats me. It's inexpensive, won't break or crack, holds a servicable edge and resists rust.
 
Nobody seems to want to go out on that proverbial limb and pick a single steel. I guess I will. D2 is the best readily available cutlery steel.
 
I'll default to the KISS principle, as usual, and suggest good old 1095. Works for me. :thumbup:
 
GoodGuy said:
Nobody seems to want to go out on that proverbial limb and pick a single steel. I guess I will. D2 is the best readily available cutlery steel.
Click to expand...

Not if you're taking your knife out on your boat fishing every day. :)
 
does "best" include practicality of price? If not then it is a crucible steel. INFI and is supposed to be excellent for carbon steel, VG10 and CPM154 are up there for stainless. There are lots of great knife steels out there.
 
I think buck harsook in S30V for around 20 bucks. I dont know about carbon for an SD knife since you're carrying it alot, used very little. It might just rust.
 
Unfortunately, many of these knife metals have not been thoroughly tested under very rough conditions. I'd love to see them tested but, like gun reviews, published tests are usually plugged. To really test them, they need to be buried in mud over a weekend, exposed to salt water, whacked hard on the spine and tested in a vice to see how tough or brittle they are.

I've had good luck with AUS 8A and ATS-34, but don't have enough $$$$ for some of these new supersteels. Since I like longer blades, that also presents a problem, though a 4-inch blade is fine. They're usually expensive if they're made with a supersteel.
 
VG-10 and CPM S30V take a FREAKY sharp edge when done right. I prefer VG-10 actually, but CPM S30V is close
 
I have used CS's 420 zero quenched, and it's no more than ok. Easy to sharpen and easy to blunt. As an all round steel VG-10 would get my vote.
 
i personally would stick you with a tool steel (d2, 3v stuff like that) that is coated. They make great self defense knives, and all around good hard use knives from my experience. I owuld also agree with Sherlock bonez on the whole buck blade with S30V. that steel in general takes a very sharp edge and the treatment process spread the edge retention to a whole new level. I have heard great things about that little knife.
 
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