Do you really need a "super steel"?

stabman said:
Of course not...I'm going back to copper blades. ;)
I don't need new-fangled things like bronze or this, what did you call it, "steel"?
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Ayup. Nearly every cutting task I really need to do could be accomplished with a broken rock and a little patience. But I don't like sharpening often and I don't like stuff that breaks easily... so I use "super" steels more often than traditional simpler alloys.
 
I don't need it. Is s30v still considered super steel. My Sebenza does everything I need but then again so do my cv Case knives or my O1 B.Goode custom. I field dressed my 8 point with the B.Goode (which included chopping the pelvis bone apart) and it still shaved the hair off my arm.;)
ry%3D400
 
The PR firms have worked a number on the knife people. Does super duper pooper steels cut one bit better than the old steels? Probably not if we are honest about it. Thicker blades just don't cut like thinner blades and the list goes on. Add all that to your sharpening skills and the list goes on. If you like the newer steels go for it.
 
Buy whatever you want or need, who cares, have fun. I find pleasure in processing (fairly soft) wood, with whatever is fun to use at the time. As long as the weather or season is not a threat I use all kinds of cutting tools. From high end axes to Cold Steel hawks, machetes, large knives etc, which I get great pleasure of use from. My needs are relatively simple and easily met with simple\common steel alloys. If you want the high end steel go for it and enjoy yourself. Who cares what the next guy thinks about your choice. Sometimes I see responses in threads based on personality conflict and perceived vendettas, as opposed to honest choice and opinion. It's always amusing. Just buy what you want and have fun. :thumbup:
 
Is it nice? Yes.
Is it really nice? Yes.
Is it necessary? Not at all. My original 710, for example, bought in 1998 or early 1999 has an ATS-34 (= 154CM) blade that was the high performance steel of the day. There are a dozen or more steels used in knives today that would leave it in the dust in a head-to-head test, but that doesn't mean it doesn't perform extremely well today. Oh, and by the way - it sharpens up a lot faster than most of the super steels. ;)
 
mmarkh said:
Is s30v still considered super steel.
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If an alloy was developed post 1990, it was in fact, developed in the information/technological age. IE its engineering/R and D/production-techniques had all of the modern advantages during development.

S35VN is the real deal state of the art steel.

It's only going to keep better from here folks. Do we "need" cars? No. Does your economic margin expand with a cars use? Yes. Same goes with other technologies.

O1 works... But I'll take 3V any day of the week. It can take a thinner edge profile.
 
Nope, no need at all.
It is fun to try out what the industry can put out today, but most of the time the evolution isn't all that impressive to be honest.

Personally I use my knives every day, all day, in my trade, so regardless of steel, they dull within the week.
I cut cable ties, cardboard boxes, cables and wires, drywall and a host of other stuff constantly.
Given such usage, good performance AND ease of maintenance and honing is vital to me.
Simply put, honing some of the more exotic steels can be a real drag compared to a simpler steel.
I hone my users every Friday, and in honesty, I can see myself using those days for more productive things than battling those pesky carbides... :)
 
No but I sure do like to- I have a ZDP blade on my keys, a D2 blade in my back pocket and a S30V in my front pocket, it feels good to carry that but that's the machineist in me being happy about having different high-end / exoctic steels.
 
No. My cutting needs are simple, and fall into the realm of light duty. I'm fine with the basic steels. VG-10 is the fanciest steel on any of my knives.
 
I don't need supersteels for most of my applications. I prefer the toughness and ease of sharpening that comes with simpler alloys like AUS-8, 420HC, or 440A.

For more gentlemanly applications, I'll take a supersteel that can achieve extreme sharpness and hold it, like ZDP or M4.

Supersteel would be useless for kitchen knives in my household. Kitchen knives get destroyed to quickly.
 
I generally carry knives in S30V, 154CM or VG10. In rare circumstances, as when moving, it is good to have a blade with something like M4 steel. When I moved down to NC from IL, there was a period of more than 1 month when my sharpening tools were packed. M4 carried me through cutting more cord that I can remember (when a box cutter was not available).
Do I need a "super steel" right now? No, but there are circumstances when it is good to have something like ZDP 189 or even M4. At other times, I would rather have 154CM in my pocket, as when I have a need to strip the insulation off some wire. I don't like to do this with very hard, high carbon steels with fine edges, even though they may come through fine.
 
fetzer85 said:
I don't even 'need' a knife. Everything we care about in terms of knives is just an option.
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I need a knife every day, which is why I carry one. A knife or the steel the blade is made of may be an option for you, but I suspect it's different for most who frequent these forums.
 
Carrying a knife is not an option-it just makes my life so much easier that I'd never go without.
But steel, yeah I could get by with the steel used in SAKs, and in fact I often do.
 
Its sort of like the digital cameras they sell saying that they have 10 + mb image capability. Unless your making wall murals you dont need anything over 2.
 
I'm not really into the newest and greatest steel out there but I appreciate those that are. It keeps the steel companies working on newer and better materials. Some day people are going to say steels like m4, s90v, and s35vn are "good enough" because we'll have steels that blow them out of the water. I wonder if the same discussion occured when stainless came out.
 
Both of my modern folders have s35VN. I am not sure if you can consider it a "super steel" compared to others but they work for me. One thing I do like about them is the very little to no maintenance necessary to keep them from rusting.
 
In my opinion, the only significant advantages of super steels over AUS-8 are edge retention and rust resistance. So for most purposes, I would say you most certainly do not "need" a super steel, but if your knife goes through a good amount of use and abuse on a near daily basis and/or it is likely that the knife in question could be called upon in a life or death situation, then it's fair to say that you might "need" a super steel. But for most people, myself included, super steels are a luxury, not a necessity, and steels like AUS-8 can perform just fine, maybe even better, in the role we have for that particular blade.
 
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