Collecting knives in differant types of steel

[pahl]

In looking over your knife collection how many differant types of steel do you see?

What type of steel do you like best and why?

 

[Sid Post]

I'll ignore the stamped no name stuff that just seems to collect like spare change between the cushions in the coach

5160, A-2, 52100, ATS-34, CM154, 440C, CPM3V, CPM30V and, stainless German kitchen knife steel.

Which one do I like best? It depends on what I am doing with the knife. For a non-descript beat it to heck knife, CPM-3V. For a general stainless, 440C and BG-42 are easy to maintain and forgiving of minor abuse. CPM 30V sure looks promising for a general do it all steel, though I don't have enough experience with it yet to make that claim at this time.

 

[DaveH]

Lets See:

s30v - too soon to me to judge.

BG42 - I like this alot, I think much better than ATS-34

VG10 - I like it quite a bit but the Lum turned into a passaround before I got a solid opinion.

ATS-34, GIN, AUS-8 - All pretty OK.

AUS-6 - OK, but softer.

420 - Air dulls this steel.

 

[Practical Use]

Benchmade M2 is my first choice, followed by any of the higher grades of stainless.

 

[stjames]

I mostly use folders so prefer stainless steels. I do like the performance I have seen from CPM S30V, it holds an edge a bit longer than BG-42 and sharpens easily, very user friendly. No staining problems so far, if it holds up in that regard it will be my new favorite.

 

[misque]

Let's see if I can remember them all:
A-2
M-2
ATS-34
154CM
AUS6M
AUS-6A
AUS-8A
AUS-10
440c
440a
L-6
1095
420HC
D-2
5160
52100
Gin-1
CARBON-5
ATS-55
cpm-440V
Sandvic 12c27
BG-42
MBS-26
W-1
W-2
Boye Dendritic 440c
Mod INFI

I have knives in all of the above steels.
I'm sure there are a couple I've forgotten.

Oh, yeah, there is that steel on the CRKT Navajo ZD60 something or other.
And also there is the 0170 used in the Becker line.

Tying down a favorite is hard as each has it's own strengths and weaknesses. I like CPM440V, M-2 and D-2 for edge holding, Mod. INFI and 5160 for toughness AND edge holding. I haven't used the BG-42 knives enough to rate them. Sorry.

 

[bquinlan]

Here are all the steels in my collection...

Non-Steel:
Talonite

Stainless:
D-2
ATS-34/154CM
CPM 440V
AUS-8A
AUS-6
420HC
420

High-Carbon:
Chromed A-2
0170-6C

I can't claim a single favorite for every purpose. I love Talonite for small to medium blades and D-2 for medium to large ones. The only place a really like high carbon is on very large chopping blades.

--Bob Q

 

[dsvirsky]

AUS-6
AUS-8
440A
440B
440C
ATS-34 & 154 CM
ATS-55
CPM 3V
CPM S60V
CPM S90V
BG-42
GIN-1
VG10
420HC
Damascus (several patterns)
1095
Stellite 6K (non-steel)
Plus I have knives (folders) on order in Talonite and forged 52100.

Not quite up there with misque, but not bad. Since, like so many of us here, I like knives that will take a wicked edge, my steel preferences are AUS-8, 3V, BG42, and VG10. 1095 probably belongs with those four steels, but the only knife I have in 1095 is an inexpensive stockman that never gets carried, so I really can't evaluate it.

I love damascus for the way it looks -- Damasteel, in particular, since it also holds an edge well.

Stellite 6K is still undergoing rigorous testing -- I just got my TNT six weeks ago at Blade.