Budget Steels Your Good & Bad

420HC, D2, and 1095 are my favorites in the budget range. Also some other closely related simple carbon steels like SK5, 1085, etc., all depends on who's doing the HT. Stepping up one notch in price, Sandvik 14c28n is a great performer for the $$, as well, I prefer this steel over VG10.

I've been blown away recently by the quality of some of Buck's 420HC knives, the edge retention and toughness and ability to easily/quickly create a very fine edge, are just impressive when you consider the low price point. Also D2: Ontario and Steel Will have both impressed me with some of their cost-effective D2 offering recently.

Starting to wonder why I've bothered to spend any $$ on knives with super steels. I guess it's because I like the designs, the nicer handles, locks, features, etc., but I certainly don't need them. You can get fantastic knives in all these budget steels.
 
I consider the makers as much as the steels themselves. HT being imperative to a knife steels performance, budget line steels where performance is already going to be "limited" by the alloy itself, a trusted brand will typically have a better and more consistent HT in place, as well as a better warranty dept. in the event you do wind up with a dud that slipped through QC.

Bos 420hc and 4116 varieties from trusted brands, (typical "German steel" used in budget line kitchen knives), being the 2 exceptions, I typically won't even consider anything with a Carbon content lower then around .6% as a suitable knife steel by todays standards...
that standard gives you your variety of, (in order of preference)
14c28N, 12c27, BDZ-1, 440a, 7cr17mov, aus6, stainlesses...
(and 1055 and 5160 carbons)

While suitable enough for an average casual user, I wouldn't typically consider the latter stainlesses for myself except for maybe budget fixed blades in the 4"+ range. They just run soft for my liking, especially in smaller folders.. the carbon varieties are quite suitable for larger fixed blades that require more toughness.

BD-1, 440c, 8cr or 9cr, Aus8, are all nice upgrades in terms of edge holding by comparrison, due to their higher carbon content.
Personally I avoid aus6 altogether, and all things equal even actually prefer the Chinese counterparts 7cr & even 8cr over aus8, because in my experience the Aus steels are often more expensive, but to me not worth the higher price tag as the added nickle content, (while adding to the toughness and stainless properties), causes them to run noticably softer... They take a wicked sharp edge with ease, but they lose it too quickly.

So anyways, that's my take on budget steels.
 
Leatherman's 420hc is good too. As good as Bucks. I was very impressed by it. But normally my lowest end steel that I'll carry is 14c28n or the older versions.

My current EDC knives are in s30v (which I like) and Leatherman 420hc.
 
Anything above 420 is fine with me. Or 1045 and above in non-stainless.
Even in 420 can be fine in some applications where a spring hardness is enough and you want no corrosion. Wouldn't be my first choice for anything, but you don't always need to go exotic.

Most of the steel hype is marketing of course. You don't necessarily need some extreme material for a simple tool. Heat treat is an equally important part of the equation as we know. And not ruining it in manufacturing steps after the treat (e.g. power sharpening). Not that there's anything wrong with having a variety of steels available. I like to use different kinds, too. But I try to keep myself aware that blade/edge geometry and variations in what you're cutting can account for even larger differences in performance. It would take a career of work to do conclusive real world testing.

Enjoy what ever knife you like to use.
 
I like d2 and 14c28n. I wouldn't go below aus8 for my main edc knife. I haven't had good luck with 8cr so I try to stay away from it. For a multi tool or sak I'm fine with what Vic and leatherman use.
 
I don't tend to buy crappy knives so I haven't really run into much "bad" even in the inexpensive knives like Opinel and Cold Steel's Kitchen classics (starting around ten or twelve dollars). I tend to take into account what is in my hand and use it in a fairly sane manner and all is "good".

I will say that one alloy, that these days is thought of as basic is Carpenters CTS-BD-1, surprised me . . . it held an edge well and "felt" good while cutting. Some steels seem to just feel better to me in use than others . . . even some very high end recent hoopla steels just don't feel that great to me; S11OV and S30V just don't feel great to me in use but M4, 440C and the BD-1 do feel good; among others.

Ha, ha . . . not to contradict but to just give one example of steel that, long ago, I thought was bad is the SAK blades. Turns out once I reprofile the holy badgeesous out of the edge, knock it back from OH MY GOSH THESE BEVELS ARE OBTUSE WHAT ARE THEY THINKING back to slender-slender . . . they do well for me at holding an edge.

What is that saying ? There are no bad dogs . . . only something something . . .
Maybe there are no bad knives only bad edge geometry. ;) :thumbsdown::thumbsup::thumbsdown::thumbsup: :rolleyes:
 
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Barman1 said:
I've had a few budget Spydies using BD1 steel and found them very capable.
Similar to N690 in the important properties we all admire IMO.
Click to expand...

Ohhhhhhhh INTERESTING ! ! !
I have been avoiding buying a Spyderco Pattada because it has N690 . . . I have absolutely no use for super rust resistant steel and fear such things as "bad steel" as far as big trade offs giving up decent edge qualities for rust resistance . . . now you are telling me it is pretty good.

You enabler ! ! ! !
Now I want a Pattada again.
Sal promises me a Pattada in K390 . . . someday . . .
. . . :( :( :( etc., etc., etc.,
(said with the inflection of an alley cat in heat : I want it NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW !
 
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Tell you what, I've got a Spyderco Tenacious in 8cr13MoV and that knife is scary sharp. Never had a problem with it yet but I also don't hard use it either.
I like 440C too.
 
4mer_FMF said:
I would give BD-1 a try if it was on something I wanted.
Click to expand...

If you haven't already tried one I would say find a Cold Steel Voyager . . . this one is the Large . . . back when they were still making them it was / is about the most bang for your buck and is BD-1
IMG_4344.jpg

I would even go so far as to say it can hang with these big dogs (maybe not in ultimate edge retention but in all other respects):

Yeah it's a little big but is still very light (heat treated aluminum liners that are actually really strong !).
IMG_4336.jpg
 
Any of the Sandvik (12/13/14) steels have been great for my use. I started using 154CM when it was considered an upper end steel and still like it - though I like CPM-154 better. First knife in D2 was by Bob Dozier and I still like it, though CTS-XHP has started to gain my favor more. I've got a bunch of various puukko knives in simple carbon steels that work great.
 
14C28N is one of my favorite steels haha I think 8cnr is a great budget steel too. I find it great for hard use knives because it doesnt chip out out, it just rolls. And dont forget bucks 420HC! Case CV steel and even their stainless steel is great too imo.
EDIT!!!:
Wowbagger said:
That was an eye opener. I would NEVER have guessed that. I have never owned a Leatherman.
Interesting.
Click to expand...
I completely forgot about that. Leathermans 420 is pretty dang good too.
 
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I found the 440C Ganzo uses very poor....even worse than CRKT AUS6.

Other than that, on the budget end, I've been pretty lucky with Aichi AUS8, Spyderco's Chinese 8Cr13MoV, German and US 440C ( and BÖHLER N695 ). They all make for very servicable working blades...just have to touch them up more frequently.

For me Spyderco's VG-10 hits the "sweet spot" for toughness, corrosion resistance, ease of sharpening, edge holding. I like how long Benchmade's D2 can hold a working edge....but some may not consider these in the "budget" category.
 
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One 420HC is in the Gerber Strongarm. I know I could of gotten one uber super niche knife for the cost of all the strongarms I got. But I needed such a knife in several places. Just more sharpening if it goes dull is all I need to do. The BDZ-1 up grade Strongarm I got because its uncoated so goes in the hunting gear boxes.

I did get a Gerber Gator Blade in 154 CM with a gut hook...I think that is making me look at higher steel grades now...it performed fabulous on several deer this year!

Various places I read on The Blade Forums has taught me a lot on steels in UNDERSTANDABLE terms and what would work for me at what I need it for.
 
Wowbagger said:
Ohhhhhhhh INTERESTING ! ! !
I have been avoiding buying a Spyderco Pattada because it has N690 . . . I have absolutely no use for super rust resistant steel and fear such things as "bad steel" as far as big trade offs giving up decent edge qualities for rust resistance . . . now you are telling me it is pretty good.

You enabler ! ! ! !
Now I want a Pattada again.
Sal promises me a Pattada in K390 . . . someday . . .
. . . :( :( :( etc., etc., etc.,
(said with the inflection of an alley cat in heat : I want it NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW !
Click to expand...
Do not avoid the current Pattada!
Not a heavy duty piece, just an awesome slicer as designed.
And Italian made Spydercos might be my favorite...or maybe tied for first place in my lineup.
 
For knives around or under $50, what I keep going back to is Sandvik 14c28n, D2, and Acuto 440. Every knife I have or have had in these steels performs superbly for a $50 or less knife, sometimes outperforming knives near or over $100. In my experience they slightly outperform VG-10 and 440C, and easily outperform everything lesser (other Sandvik steels, AUS-8, 8Cr or 9Cr).
 
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