Curious how many people who like super steels that maintenance those steels

[Chris "Anagarika"]

Like I said :
What I like about the super steels is the ability to go days without touch up or more involved sharpening.
My M4 I can go much much longer and the others as well.
. . . then I touch up.
Heck my M4 in my beloved Para2 I just touch up with a Spyderco Ultra Fine ceramic triangle rod and that is after a month of use where the lesser steels bellow would be dead in a day or two and need more than just the ceramic rod.

. . . say a Case CV or SS or Aus8 or even some VG-10 etc., where I may have to touch up EVERYDAY or even during the day for the same cutting and do a full sharpening in a few days or week.

see ?

No argument with M4. I like it too. My challenge is D2 & S110V (I skipped S30V).

 

[jpm2]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned hap40 yet. High carbide, easy to sharpen and maintain, takes a super fine edge.

 

[Roikyou]

I'm starting to gather or get the opinion that Sic stones, diamonds or CBN stones are starting to be a preference. It seems that diamond plated or bonded diamonds are the cheaper, go to route for sharpening any steel. Not sure where Sic fits in, it's not expensive, CBN is the more expensive route that doesn't grove like diamonds and can handle any steel.

It's weird, I've got what I call the squirrel moment, where I am trying to perfect a good edge and not worry so much about a mirror. But I'd like to achieve the cleanest edge possible. Too much reading...

 

[Mo2]

I'm starting to gather or get the opinion that Sic stones, diamonds or CBN stones are starting to be a preference. It seems that diamond plated or bonded diamonds are the cheaper, go to route for sharpening any steel. Not sure where Sic fits in, it's not expensive, CBN is the more expensive route that doesn't grove like diamonds and can handle any steel.

It's weird, I've got what I call the squirrel moment, where I am trying to perfect a good edge and not worry so much about a mirror. But I'd like to achieve the cleanest edge possible. Too much reading...

Ken Schwartz makes cbn emulsions that he says are good to use on water stones and what not. I've never tried that but could be a good idea

 

[Roikyou]

Many options out there. I've tried KME gold diamond, Chosera stones for KME, Venev bonded diamond, I have but have yet to try Sic stones from Gritomatic. Have not tried CBN stones yet.

 

[sodak]

So, I'm curious. I see a lot of people requesting or looking for the hardest steel they can get. M390, CPM-20CV, Elmax, ZDP-189, CPM-S90V or CPM-110V.

I've worked with M390, CPM-20CV and CPM-S90V. Definitely my least favorite and time consuming to work with.

Do people like the idea of these hard steels because it's assumption you don't have to deal with them as often and they keep the edge longer? When they do dull, you just send them out for someone else to deal with?

Personally, if a company said I'm doing away with any steel software than CPM-20CV or M390, along those lines. I'd find another knife company. I'd rather do the sharpening myself. I enjoy the learning aspect.

I personally shop based on steels around S30V or S35VN.

I don't find any of the steels you mentioned hard to sharpen at all. With diamond stones, I rarely take longer than 10 min or so. Then again, I make sure to buy knives with the correct geometry, that takes advantage of the steel.

I've spent far longer chasing burrs on soft steel than sharpening a hard steel that barely burrs at all.

 

[Ankerson]

I haven't had any issues dealing with any steel personally.

I reprofile and sharpen on an Edge Pro using SIC stones.

For touchups I normally use ceramics.