Could you tell the difference?

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fishbulb

Joined
Sep 18, 2001
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I once saw a segment on a "Candid Camera"-type show where they set up a table at a sommelier's convention and filled 6 glasses with the same wine from the same bottle. They then put 6 different names and descriptions on the cards next to the glasses, and recorded what happened as the "experts" come by and rate the wine. They all gave varying descriptions and ratings to the same wine simply because they expected to find differences.

I think that this may relate to discussions of knife steels. There are plenty of reviews around here about how one steel performs compared to another and which is best for a particular situation and how 440 and AUS series are apparently not fit to be made into a bedpan, much less a knife. This is known as "steel snobbery".

I like good everyday steels like 440C and AUS-8, and I love simple carbon steels like O-1 and 1095. This is because they are simple and inexpensive and have never left me disappointed even under heavy use.

My question to you is do you think you could really tell the difference if the Super Hard "came from a meteorite" NASA-grade steel in your everyday folder was replaced with 440C or (gasp) 420HC? If you use your folder like most people do, I bet you couldn't.

Obviously if you are doing "extreme" testing like Cliff Stamp does there would be some clear differences, but consider the "performance envelope" of a general folder. Would S30V have any immediately discernable benefit in opening the mail or trimming loose strings?

I think that like the sommeliers on Candid Camera knifeknuts in general have over-hyped steel composition and metalurgy to the point that we are in many cases inventing differences where none are really present.
 
For average everyday work...... nope. It takes something at least slightly challenging to test a steel's qualities. Cut up a bunch of cardboard, leather or old carpeting, and you'll have a much better understanding. Or try sawing through the backbone of a 4 pound largemouth bass. But opening envelopes and slicing veggies.... nope.

This is the reason that most of my slipjoints are lowly 440a, 440c, or 1095. They just don't get used for anything tough. My fixed blades are another matter entirely.
 
I completely agree with you. There is nothing wrong with keeping up with the new steel technologies but dismissing simpler steels is to dismiss most of the knives ever made. By owning the newest production and technology you will have a competent knife but I'm not sure how much collecting you are doing.
 
I can usually tell when sharpening. At the extremes, my wife's Kershaw Boa takes forever to sharpen, and cheaper steels leave my waterstones gummy with a lot of gray slag or dross run-off.

Steels like 154-CM sharpen fairly quickly, but the real clue is how bright they polish up with 4000 series polishing tapes.

If I did not know that my Strider AR was S30V, I would wonder why a knife that sharpens like 440B stays as sharp as BG-42 or VG-10.

For me, it's the angle of the bevel and the narrowness of the blade. For example, I'm REALLY careful around my four-inch Opinel when it has a fresh edge!
 
Originally posted by Ichabod Poser

For me, it's the angle of the bevel and the narrowness of the blade. For example, I'm REALLY careful around my four-inch Opinel when it has a fresh edge!
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Yes, I just sharpened my case toothpick yesterday and nearly drew blood after simply cleaning the debris of the edge :eek:
 
As mentioned, I see the biggest different in steels when sharpening. This makes it really easy to tell the difference between some of the super steels and some of the lower ones, IMO.
 
Originally posted by fishbulb
My question to you is do you think you could really tell the difference if the Super Hard "came from a meteorite" NASA-grade steel in your everyday folder was replaced with 440C or (gasp) 420HC? If you use your folder like most people do, I bet you couldn't.
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"Like most people do" is somewhat flawed. Some people use the heck out of their knives - farmers, ranchers, butchers, etc. Others hardly use them at all. I generally fall somewhere in between, but probably far ahead of most users.

Also, that tends to vary by knife type. I would bet that most fixed blade hunting knives get used harder than most executive-sized SAK's.

But, for sake of argument, yes, I think I could tell if my blade steel changed.

I don't measure how many things I cut with a knife, before it needs sharpening. And, I don't usually remember how long it's been between sharpenings. So, barring precise measurement, I probably couldn't tell through use.

But, I could tell by sharpening. 420HC is comparitively easy to sharpen. When it takes a hair popping edge with only a few swipes instead of hours of agony, I'd know immediately that it was not CPM 440V or ATS 34.

I don't think that knife steel is over-hyped. Some of the newer steels really do have some serious advantages in edge retention, durability, stain resistance, etc.

The old steels are still useful, but for my purposes, I'll stick with a good, modern stainless.

-- Rob
 
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