Blade steels that have given your best edge

K

kent_michaels

Joined
May 2, 2013
Messages
258
For some reason S35 just seems to produce the best edge for me. Has anyone else found that one steel just seems to stand out above the others when sharpening.
 
Can you be a bit more specific what kind of edge you’re looking for or for what use? If it’s just the most terrifying sharp edge for me it is Aogami super or super blue.
 
For me I've gotten the most scary sharp polished edges on VG10.
 
I'm finding out, more and more, my favorite edges come about by thinning the edge geometry and then figuring out (over time) what particular abrasive types work best with the steel I'm sharpening; especially at the finishing end of things. Regardless of steel type, this approach has always worked for me.

I used to think certain steels were 'better' than others, and sometimes they are in some respects; that just depends on how one defines 'better' in the first place. But eventually, I figure out how to get much better results from steels I previously didn't like, and it turns my perceptions completely upside down. I've decided it's best to keep an open mind and keep trying different approaches to figure out what works best. Then do it again (and again, and again). There's always something new to be learned.
 
52100 comes to mind for a fine grained steel that takes (and holds on pretty well to) a wicked edge.
 
It seems like I can get Swamp Rat Knife Works' SR-101 the sharpest, but it's more geometry dependant than anything. I beleive its just 52100 with a proprietary HT.
 
I really like M390 and it does not seem to matter whether the edge is toothy or polished it get's dam sharp and I really like M4 and I sharpen it up to a 1200 FEPA grit Venev prototype diamond stone I got to test from Gritomatic.

I find the M390 and M4 really threw everything very well and hold their edge's fairly well to and I like those 2 steel's a lot right now.
 
1095 Cro-Van. The only blade of mine I've ever split hairs with. It was off a 1,000-grit ceramic rod. Semi-toothy and very aggressive. Haven't been able to replicate that edge since.
 
Last edited:
Blades that have thin geometry near the edge and are low alloy carbon steels give me my “best” edges with the least amount of time/effort. 1095, 80CrV2, W2, O1, O7, Cru Forge V, A2. M4 and ZDP189 are 2 higher alloy steels that take great edges for me, but with a little more time/effort on the stones.
 
The sharpest edge I have achieved (except on my razor) was in XC90(a steel similar to 1095) I think the edges abilities have more to do with the blades shallow appleseed/convex geometry(standard opinel polished to mirror) then the steel.
 
kent_michaels said:
For some reason S35 just seems to produce the best edge for me.
Click to expand...
That's not surprising. The steel was engineered to be one of the easiest super steels (~) to machine / grind.
Once upon a time I thought this or that steel was hard to sharpen or this or that steel took a better edge.
Then I got an Edge Pro Apex. All the edges are equally sharp. Pick a qualifier : Wicked, Stupid, Silly, Scary, Best, . . . Oh-Yeah-Baby.

Doesn't matter; SAK, to S110V . . . the edge takes little curls off a single hair while it is in my arm.

Now which would I most want in my pocket if I had to abandon all my knives and carry one ?
M4 . . . period.
But that is for the ability of the steel to hang onto that edge day in and day out.
 
White, though I won't give it marks for edge holding.
I do have an Aogami Super whose edge you can't even lightly thumb without breaking skin. That holds an edge far longer.
 
Agree with the perspective that for sharpness purposes, the steel choice may be less important than things like sharpening method, abrasive choice, and the resulting blade and edge geometry. A master sharpener can produce a stunning edge with a cheap but expertly heat treated steel like Buck's 420HC. A mediocre sharpener can produce a mediocre or worse edge using a fantastic high-tech PM steel like CPM 20cv. I definitely have some favorite stainless steels and S35vn is among them, but it's never been because I could consistently get a better edge on one steel versus another. It was more based on other attributes of the steel that I wanted, like edge durability, blade toughness, or stain resistance.
 
Xhp for me cold steel specifically can get hair wittle off stones alone, other than that all of the non stainless have been my favorite
 
I read this for a few days thinking on it before commenting. Much depends on blade profile and the shape more so than just steel and the manner it cuts rather than how long it cuts. Thus, I like using and working with cpm154 & 440C or 440C XH. DM
 
About any high carbon steel will take a hair-popping edge with relative ease compared to the current super steels with high volumes of very hard carbides, given proper heat treat and blade geometry. My sharpest blades are in 1070 (Ivan Campos Scandi grind), M9 (Roselli Carpenter and erapukko), 52100 (Marbles Fieldcraft and Campcraft) and Carbon V/50100 (Cold Steel Master Hunter, SRK, etc.). It's easy to get a hair-popping edge on "lesser" stainless grades like 12C27 and subsequent variations, which at one time was lauded as one of the best cutlery steels available (and still is IMHO). Some of the newest steels with very small carbides (not having an electron microscope, so I'm speculating here) like CTS-XHP, CPM S110V will take a very fine edge, but they take a lot more effort to achieve and work better with a coarser/toothier edge, in my experience.
 
  • Like
Reactions: vba
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top