Best steel for edge retention

bodog said:
What kind of sharpness? Like a razor sharpness or a low quality saw tooth type sharpness? A sharpness that tackles wood and plastic or a sharpness that handles rope and cardboard? Different steels work differently in different environments and with different cutting mediums and with different sharpening grits and even sharpening stones.

I'll stick with what's generally available and often talked about so you can find reviews on your own.

Soft but highly abrasive materials like carpet, rope, and cardboard?
S110V, K390, 10V, K294, Vanadis 4E, 4V, ZDP189 S90V, M390, 20CV, 204P, etc.

Hard but not super abrasive materials like wood, rubber, plastic, etc.
M4, 4V, PD1, Cruwear, 3V, etc

Chopping type duties
3V and a host of carbon steels, etc.

Razor edge on soft materials
AEB-L, 13C27, Hitachi white and blue steels, 52100, etc.

Obviously it's not all inclusive but you can look at the different classes and decide what you want and then choose which class of steel you want and then decide from there. Many quality steels out there for a variety of uses.
Click to expand...


spot on :)
 
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Rostafrei, mon! :D That is the only steel that can hold a better edge in ALL conditions against ALL steels.
 
nick21 said:
Just on Youtube and from other people on this board

I apologize if I was misinformed
Click to expand...

ZDP does have great edge retention. It's also tougher than commonly thought. But people have their own agendas and prejudices; if you had mentioned a different steel, you'd have gotten the same question from someone else.

I would refer you to Ankerson's edge retention testing, although you need to keep in mind that it tests for a very specific set of criteria, and it's not at all the bottom line (as I'm sure he'd tell you himself):

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...based-on-Edge-Retention-cutting-5-8-quot-rope
 
calc said:
I've actually been curious as to why S90V never got as popular as it should have. It seems that M390 and the like have taken over as the steel du jour, and I've enjoyed the knives I've had in it (currently just one in 20CV), but it seems the only advantage it offers over S90V is corrosion resistance which I didn't think was an issue with S90V anyway. Perhaps ease of sharpening? But you're not going to be sharpening M390 with natural stones anyway, so... I don't know. I've yet to try S90V out myself, but there haven't been a lot of recent production models to try it out in.
Click to expand...

M390 is popular for many people in the know as well as S90V, however, I recently spoke to a maker that uses 12C27 hardened to above HRC 60 and his costumers where complaining that they could not get it sharp on a Lansky and the steel was too hard. How would they complain on things like M390/S90V?

If you look at S90V it is quite a different animal than M390 chemically wise (see image below). Higher Alloys steels are also a bit more problematic in heat treating and can do some od things. I know one maker locally that uses M390 extensively and recently used S90V. Was not impressed with S90V's difficulty to grind post heat treatment, resistance in satin finishing and its performance above M390. Another maker is not impressed with M390's inconsistency in heat treatment response above 12C27. Both of whom are very strict in their approaches and heat treatment with several thermal couplings on their furnaces etc.

Of coarse, opinions and experiences differ but these experiences I feel is why a lot of "modern" steels in the knife industry never become too popular.

M390S90VCPM-M4.png


As to the original question:

I feel me2 summed it up.

me2 said:
That question isn't as simple as it might seem. It depends on what you are cutting, how the edge was sharpened, and how you are cutting. It also depends on how the steel was heat treated, and many more things. Enjoy the show.
Click to expand...

So much emphasis is placed on steel and chemical composition etc. that too many of us forget "how the edge was sharpened" dictates an edge's performance far more than anything else.
 
Technically, if you just want 100% focus on edge retention then ceramic would be the way to go, but the drawbacks are very high for the edge retention.

The issue is that edge retention is not quite a black and white topic. There are myriad of qualities that few people think about. You can think edge stability, chip resistance, and straight wear resistance. Many steels that excel in one area will be lacking in another. The easy answer is there is no answer without more information.

Think of it like this, if you ask what car is the fastest you have cornering speed, flat out, and acceleration. A dragster will win flat out, but a rally car would win in cornering.
 
KennyB said:
No mention of ELMAX?
Click to expand...

If the question was about a high quality, well rounded stainless steel then Elmax would at least come close to topping that list if not being the top steel itself. It's not really going to top any list of any kind of edge retention, though. Still a very good steel.
 
So many great steels I have yet to try...sigh...
Well, from the steels I do have, for holding a working edge during general usage S90V is the best, noticeably better than M390.
ZDP-189 is pretty close, but waay harder to sharpen.

Pretty keen on trying 10V, the K2 looks great but just a bit big for me to carry. I did read a comment somewhere about a smaller version of the Farid K2 being likely. Hope so.
 
nick21 said:
Just on Youtube and from other people on this board

I apologize if I was misinformed
Click to expand...

You don't have to apologize for being misinformed, just for passing on hearsay. :D

Just kidding, no problemos bro.

calc said:
ZDP does have great edge retention. It's also tougher than commonly thought. But people have their own agendas and prejudices; if you had mentioned a different steel, you'd have gotten the same question from someone else.

I would refer you to Ankerson's edge retention testing, although you need to keep in mind that it tests for a very specific set of criteria, and it's not at all the bottom line (as I'm sure he'd tell you himself):

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...based-on-Edge-Retention-cutting-5-8-quot-rope
Click to expand...

So what would steel would you say answers the OP's question?

2nd question: What agenda and prejudice would you say I have by asking that question?
 
Last edited:
Tough one! If you plan on never sharpening the knife then probably S110V. I dont personally have a user in that steel but there are quite a few of the blue Manixes floating around so perhaps someone will chime in. In my personal experience, S90V and CPM-M4 are the best combinations of edge retention and user-friendliness. That is, if you do decide at some point that you'd like to touch the edge up, those steels will respond, the latter even to stropping. CPM-M4 is also a highly aggressive cutter, I just wish there were more knives available in this fantastic steel.
 
marthinus said:
If you look at S90V it is quite a different animal than M390 chemically wise (see image below). Higher Alloys steels are also a bit more problematic in heat treating and can do some od things. I know one maker locally that uses M390 extensively and recently used S90V. Was not impressed with S90V's difficulty to grind post heat treatment, resistance in satin finishing and its performance above M390. Another maker is not impressed with M390's inconsistency in heat treatment response above 12C27. Both of whom are very strict in their approaches and heat treatment with several thermal couplings on their furnaces etc.
Click to expand...

That might explain why there's a bit of a variance in M390 field reports.
 
Cursum Perficio said:
the K2 looks great but just a bit big for me to carry. I did read a comment somewhere about a smaller version of the Farid K2 being likely. Hope so.
Click to expand...

I am right now working on a batch of 4" and 3" version of the K2, release date will be later this year.
F
 
D2 is some seriously tough stuff, not the ne plus ultra like M390 but also costs roughly 1/3 as much.
 
Edge durability for each steel are depend on the material being cut, edge angle.

S110V would fall long shot before 1084 when it come to carving hard wood with thin/low angle edge.
 
With my experience with:s30v, s35v, cpm 154, vg 10, elmax, m390. I say m390 takes the cake. It holds a working edge the longest; and just happens to be easy to sharpen. It isn't an ends all debate answer, its just from my typical use. I'm not living off the grid, surviving in the woods, or fighting zombies. Just packages, tags, cardboard, ip`s, apples, etc.

Of course there are a multitude of steels I didn't mention. And of course one would need to consider: heat treatment, sharpped angle, blade geometry, ect
 
Gimme a Fallkniven with 3G steel any day. Holds an incredible edge for longer than anything I've seen. Fallkniven laminated cobalt steel is also a DAMN fine steel as well. Both steels are used in folders and fixed blades.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top