Blade steels... Are we suckers?

Riz!

Riz!

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So I recently purchased a pricey knife with what most would consider a budget/low end steel. I haven't taken delivery of the knife yet. I bought it because I liked the design and other materials. This got me thinking... How many functional, nice knives have I passed up on because of the steel? I have always loved knives and my first real knife was a Gerber LST with a black blade and camo handle. I still have it. It is probably 25 years old and who knows what steel it was. Then the gerber EZ Out came out and I was officially a knife knut. I had Columbia Rivers, Gerbers, Bucks, and many Kershaws. All of them performed flawlessly for me and none of them had any powdered metal super alloy steel. (Not hating on CRKT, but they sold some cheapies in AUS4 and 6 which wouldnt hold an edge after single cuts on foods and paper.)

I haven't really been that impressed with S30V, CPM154 or D2. They have all cut what I needed to cut, but under normal EDC use, I didnt really feel like they gave me any major advantage over some basic steels like Kershaw's 14C28N. CPM 154 was really a dissappointment, the knife I had was a well known brand of fixed blade and didnt hold an edge for S! For the longest time my favorite fixed blade was a Buck Special (420J i think) Now it is CPM3V Survive Knives 5.1! Wow! It does hold an edge forever under my normal hunting, fishing, outdoors use and the upgrade in steel is plainly obvious and worth every penny. I wish that there were some nice folders made of 3V. That Spydie Tuff is hideous!

Most users, even knife knuts, probably couldnt tell the difference in most steels and wouldn't know otherwise unless they were told. I have a Sebenza 25 and love it. I often wonder if I would love it just as much with an expertly heat treated 440C? Have we fallen for some serious marketing hype, and now give up hundreds of dollars for a super steel? I hope to answer this question for myself with my new knife when it arrives. What do you guys think?
 
Yes, to an extent. I'm occasionally reminded that the actual design of the knife is more significant than the steel. Some of my most favorite knives use AUS8 which most would agree is just 'meh' but the knives themselves, as an entire package, are fantastic.
 
I like my S30V Spyderco military better than I like my Benchmade 610 in the same steel. Geometry still matters a lot.

My Custom Buck 110 in BG-42 outperforms the 420HC versions quite a bit.

My CPM 3V Skookum Bush Tool stays sharper for longer than anything else I own.

That said, a humble Ka-Bar USN Mk. 1 is my favorite all around knife and it is in 1095. I also have some Finnish made puukkos from various manufacturers, all in 1095 or so equivalents, that I enjoy very much.

I am a steel snob where and when it makes sense for me. I am not when it doesn't really matter because the knife comes with no steel choice. A knife is more than its steel in most cases and a super steel will not get me to buy a knife that doesn't touch upon my other preferences as well.
 
Interesting topic. I guess it's relative like everything else. I think lot would depend on what the knife is used to cut exactly. I have tried knives in many steels. Overall , I'd say that S30V has been my favorite over the years. I like Spyderco's S30V especially. Must be the HT. But lately I've been been carrying a knife with S90V and there is a huge difference in edge retention over S30V or any of my other blades IMO. I'm in love with S90V now. I have found M390 to be and exceptional steel as well.

But I have many other knives in more "common" steels such as 154CM and D2 that have served me well. Some require more touch up to keep sharp. Some require more finesse to get a fine razor edge. But all in all , I think that the super steels earn their name.
 
Seriously though, the right steel with the right heat treat for the right job works better.

There's no "One steel to rule them all!!!", but there certainly are steels better suited to certain knifey uses.
 
Boats said:
I am a steel snob where and when it makes sense for me. I am not when it doesn't really matter because the knife comes with no steel choice. A knife is more than its steel in most cases and a super steel will not get me to buy a knife that doesn't touch upon my other preferences as well.
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I very much agree!
 
It's not only the type of steel that matters, but also the heat treatment. The heat treat is just as important (if not more so) than the steel itself.
 
The geometry, the HT and the steel all factor into the performance for sure. I feel that the geometry and the heat treat are more important than the steel, not by a huge factor. A budget steel with an exceltional HT and good geometry to match its intended use can out perform a super steel with a poor HT or an inappropriate geometry. Which brings me to my original point. Most production knives adequately heat treat their steel and apply an edge geometry that makes sense, so is the steel really just a selling point, especially when we are comparing super steel to super steel. I know that I love the Sebenza 25 for all of its features and build quality over the S35VN steel.
 
You guys are knowledgeable knife users. You know how to sharpen a blade and when to touch it up. You know which steels are best suited to various demands made of a blade.
But, to the average guy with a pocket knife, I don't think he ever gives any thought to the type steel being used. I have a buddy who has over a hundred knives. He buys them for their looks. He never even wonders what kind of steel the blade is made from.
It's only when someone gets more serious about using or collecting that steel type matters much. Just my opinion and I could be wrong.
 
I have owned and used many different kinds of knives and blade steels over the years, even made a few, but I consistently have excellent EDC results with AUS8 mostly with CRKT and CS. I currently have a popular brand multitool with a 154cm blade that I have EDC for over a year haven't been all that impressed with it as a blade steel at least in this instance not convinced. I'm an auto technician and jack of all trades master of none so my knives and tools see lot of varied use.
 
Rebel4ever said:
You guys are knowledgeable knife users. You know how to sharpen a blade and when to touch it up. You know which steels are best suited to various demands made of a blade.
But, to the average guy with a pocket knife, I don't think he ever gives any thought to the type steel being used. I have a buddy who has over a hundred knives. He buys them for their looks. He never even wonders what kind of steel the blade is made from.
It's only when someone gets more serious about using or collecting that steel type matters much. Just my opinion and I could be wrong.
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In general I think you're absolutely right.
But when I gifted a better knife to a friend whose crappy knife had broken, he noticed a difference in use.
The better steel, heat treat and geometry was noticeable in use.
He would have just bought another crappy knife if I hadn't had one on hand to give him though.
 
Riz2530 said:
Most users, even knife knuts, probably couldnt tell the difference in most steels and wouldn't know otherwise unless they were told.
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True. Your 3V steel is very tough, but is NOT reputed to hold an edge very long. However, I love the TUFF also and have two of them.
We buy good super-steels for the same reason that we buy a "deer-rifle" that will give us a 1/2" group at 100 yards, when we could get along just fine with a M94 Winchester lever-action for our woods hunting with 40 yard max shooting distance.
We do, because we want to, and we can, and that is okay.
 
Every point that has been made as to the differences among steels is quite fair. I find that a great deal of use experience is a matter of personal preference. For one who daily uses a knife heavily and truly tests its wear resistance, a modern supersteel in the S90V or S110V range will be certainly noticed. Personally, as one who enjoys knives but uses them relatively lightly for day-to-day utility, I don't test the wear resistance all that far. For such, I like to keep a hair-popping edge on them at all times, and thus, I prefer a steel that holds one decently and is relatively easy to take back to that sharpness. In this, for feel of the steels in sharpening and use, I have a preference for, primarily, D2, and secondarily 14C28N and VG-10. I've tried many steels, from 8Cr13MoV to S110V, and I've settled mostly upon these.

I will soon see how some new-to-me steel compares to my current favorites, as I have a Spyderco Tuff coming in the near future. Glad to hear you like them, Sonnydaze!
 
I don't have any experience with any "super" steels, but I have noticed that 3crmov and the like just "wont cut it" for me (excuse the pun, but the expression works here :P). That stuff just wont hold an edge. But 440c, sk5, and 1095 all work just fine for me. That said, I would like to try 3v at some point to see what all of the fuss is about.

And so I am not fixated on steels, but I will choose something of my liking if I have the chance. So design and geometry are what I look at first, and will only discount a knife based on steel if it is something pretty low end, or not suited for the job (something brittle for a chopper, etc).
 
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