Blade steel school?

A

azjeff

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Dec 16, 2018
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Having become interested in better pocket knives, (defined as over $100... for now), one discovers there are a lot of different steels used for blades. Fooling around on Benchmade's website you see that the stock Mini Grips are available with either 154CM or CPM-20CV while in the custom shop the Mini Grips are available with 154CM, D2, S30V, M4, and 20CV. They give a little graphic with each that ranks corrosion resistance, edge retention and toughness. For an EDC knife for typical around the house and at work stuff how do you choose? And since you can choose why not? For my use and where I live corrosion resistance isn't a big deal. So is 154CM good enough or bump up to D2 or 20CV for instance because you can and it's a better knife for $20 more? Or is this one of those questions like how often do you clean a .22 that has 1000 answers? Thanks for any help.
 
Where to begin...

154cm is a stainless and D2 is a "semi" stainless meaning it will rust far easier than 154cm. As to better, that depends on what you are using the knife for. If holding an edge is your goal than 20cv is "better than" 154cm, 20cv is also more corrosion resistant than 154cm. Might I suggest using the search funtion and reading up on the thousands of threads on each of these steels? You could spend months scouring this site and learning about different alloys. If you have more specific questions post them up.
 
A victorinox is probably good enough for typical around the house tasks. So all of Benchmade’s options will exceed “good enough” by a fair margin.

You really are blessed with choices that are all good enough. You can choose based on how stainless you need, and which one you like to sharpen better.
 
A azjeff , I too had (have) many questions on Steel.
I have found that if you search the webb you'll find many articles and a boat load of information. You mentioned just 5 different steels and there are many more.
What I have learned is that each steel has different properties that lend them to being harder, or easier to sharpen, or are more resistant to stains, or hold hold an edge longer, or ......
I hope you get the point (:p)
Keep reading here and you'll learn so much (if you want to) that you can answer you own questions and in time help others.

Lateck,
 
IMO, the best two steels are M4 and 20CV. The other steels are all very good, too, but not as good.

For a small pocket knife, I'd go with 20CV, which is stainless and has decent toughness (resistance to cracks and chips) and excellent wear resistance. M4 is a bit tougher steel, and a good all-around steel, but not stainless.

154CM is a go-to steel for Benchmade. It will be a bit easier to sharpen, but won't stay sharp as long. My third pick.

S30V will hold an edge a long time, but will be harder to sharpen and I don't see any advantage over 20CV.

D2 just can't keep up to this crowd.
 
There are some links in my signature below which gives you some starting places to start looking at different steels.
 
Thanks. All good help. I mentioned Benchmade and D2 and 20CV only as examples. There are 5 steel choices for Griptilians if you go custom, is this a knife geek thing or if you had one of each steel and alternated using them daily would you notice anything different? I suspect the answer is depending on use? If D2 has been surpassed by newer steels is there a reason it's still a choice?
 
You have to consider shapening too, meaning what are you sharpening with and how much time are you willing to dedicate to it.

There is no best out of the choices given there’s only best for the individual, out of the ones you list I’d take 154 since I don’t much like to sharpen and 154 sharpens up quickly.
 
azjeff said:
Thanks. All good help. I mentioned Benchmade and D2 and 20CV only as examples. There are 5 steel choices for Griptilians if you go custom, is this a knife geek thing or if you had one of each steel and alternated using them daily would you notice anything different? I suspect the answer is depending on use? If D2 has been surpassed by newer steels is there a reason it's still a choice?
Click to expand...


D2 and 154 CM are going to be close in terms of toughness and edge wear. 20CV, S30V and M4 will have noticeably better wear resistance.

BilboBaggins posted a link to Ankerson's edge wear tests. Look at the lower list in the first post of that thread. The steels listed go from being able to cut rope 80 times to a given level of sharpness to more than 2,000 times to a given level of sharpness.

Other factors are involved, such as edge width and hardness, but steel makes a big difference. Because you're talking about a small knife, toughness probably isn't that much of an issue. That leaves you with stain resistance and edge wear. You said that you don't care about stain resistance, so that leaves edge wear.

There will be a noticeable difference in edge wear between those steels.
 
azjeff said:
For an EDC knife for typical around the house and at work stuff how do you choose? /QUOTE]

With the exception of traditional patterns (trapper, stockman, etc.), the steels being used for cutlery today are head and shoulders above the performance of steels used over the period of say 500 BC to ~1980. (And those got everyday jobs done just fine.) Blade steel is only one factor in a design. I would pick a design that looks like it'll do what you want from a top manufacturer. Any of the alloys a top manufacturer offers for that design will be more than adequate.
Click to expand...
 
azjeff said:
If D2 has been surpassed by newer steels is there a reason it's still a choice?
Click to expand...

It’s still good, and it’s inexpensive and readily available. I’m told that Bob Dozier does magic with D2, and it’s Tom Krein’s favourite steel.

I’d like to try a Dozier or a Krein knife someday, but they haven’t made it to the top of the list yet.
 
1000 different answers is likely an understatement. In addition to those I think heat treat is just as important. A steel will perform significantly different depending on heat treat. Generally the hierarchy of steels holds true wighin one company but its possible that 440c from buck will perform as good as vg10 from another company. There are many examples of this. Edge geometry will also play a huge role. That being said i feel that people put too much emphasis on blade steel. In my opinion the most noticable factor in everyday life is corrosion resistance. If your spending over 100 dollars you will likely be getting a steel where edge retention wont be a major problem. Hope this helps.
 
For me this is a super easy decision.
If I can have M4 I don't need to look at the other choices.
if I can't have M4 then I suppose I can put up with one of the others.
FOR ME M4 is the perfect blade steel :
  • fairly easy to sharpen
  • takes a fantastic polished edge; I don't want to look at it I want to push cut with it . . . and boy howdy does it push cut . . . and cut every whichaway.
  • Doesn't rust where I live and for what I do with it AT ALL. (takes a patina if I force it but not if I don't)
  • Touches up with a Spyderco Ultra Fine Triangle rod like a dream come true.

I see no negatives other than some of my favorite knife makers are afraid of it.

What was the question ? Oh . . . how to chose ?
Buy, sharpen and use everything you can get your hands on and decide for yourself.
Or just get some M4 and spend your extra time and all that cash on something more fun.
 
D2 is an amazing solid steel choice. You get the tough tool steel qualities with 12% chromium. At a high hardness it still may be one of the best choices out there.
 
Just get an alox pioneer swiss army knife with a suspension clip esp. if your starting out,It will save you a ton of money and keep you from buying all the hyped up steels ( trust me on this)plus you will learn the mechanics of sharpening- once you learn how to sharpen work your way up, steel will d2 is superb,spyderco para3 lw in bd1n is very new but I think it will be an excellent starter knife,Cold Steel Grik is really nice aus8a steel .
 
It would depend on your sharpening skill, IMHO.
If you have a hard time getting a keen edge I would think any of the mentioned steels would be a headache for you.
If you have good or very good sharpening skills or have a sharpening system (Lansky, DMT, Wicked Edge, Tormex, Sharpmaker...etc.) then you'll be able to see the benefits of a quality steel... possibly.
Someone here mentioned something along the lines of how most modern steels are just generally pretty good and they'd recommend you get whatever looks like it'll suit your needs from a reputable manufacturer.
I'd second that.
I have some knives in the $200-$300 range with really spiffy steels and I'd have to say one of my most useful knives is a Opinel #8 that cost around $15.
Who'd a thunk?
 
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