Best steel for blades?

[Knife Outlet]

Since you say you're new, there is something that you should know, and that is that your sharpening system is much more important than the steel. You need to maintain a sharp edge regardless of the steel, and since factory edges aren't very sharp, you'll need to put it there yourself.

Without a sharpening system, we would all be using ZDP-189 butter knives.

Well said. Assuming that one keeps a keen edge on a blade, then edge retention isn't a very big issue, really. If the blade is hard it will be harder to sharpen but need it less often. If it is soft, it will need it more often but take less time. I think it probably works out about the same in the wash. My own preference is for tougher blades so I have a tendency to be unimpressed ZDP-189 and other really hard steels. Edge retention isn't very important to me so I opt for toughness.

 

[GregY]

Well said. Assuming that one keeps a keen edge on a blade, then edge retention isn't a very big issue, really. If the blade is hard it will be harder to sharpen but need it less often. If it is soft, it will need it more often but take less time. I think it probably works out about the same in the wash. My own preference is for tougher blades so I have a tendency to be unimpressed ZDP-189 and other really hard steels. Edge retention isn't very important to me so I opt for toughness.

This is something I keep coming across and find it a little odd.

People seem to use 'hard' in 2 different ways, either to describe high RC hardness of the steel, or to describe steel that is high-carbide and very wear-resistent.

1095 at, say RC62 is hard, but not 'hard'. S30V at RC56 is 'hard' but not hard.

Is there something I'm missing?

 

[sunnyboy43]

5160 on ranger knives.

 

[Knife Outlet]

It is a generic way of describing things. In general terms, harder steels are harder to sharpen and softer steels are easier. Yes I understand things aren't always that simple but it is a reasonable description of reality. As an example, if you take one steel, make two knives from it, each with a different hardness after tempering, the harder one will take more work to sharpen. Hope that helps explain my comment.

 

[GregY]

It is a generic way of describing things. In general terms, harder steels are harder to sharpen and softer steels are easier. Yes I understand things aren't always that simple but it is a reasonable description of reality. As an example, if you take one steel, make two knives from it, each with a different hardness after tempering, the harder one will take more work to sharpen. Hope that helps explain my comment.

Oh it made perfect sense from the context, no worries.

I was just kind of wondering if it was something of a convention. Like, it may not quite be technically correct, but it's still almost universal for people to say it that way.