Favorite blade steel?

Spydermade86

Spydermade86

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Jul 28, 2022
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Just bored at work so thought I’d ask everybody’s favorite blade steel and maybe even least favorite haha! My favorite is CPM Cruwear! Good edge retention and toughness very easy to get freaky sharp! My least would have to be 8cr13mov if I see a knife in that steel it’s an instant no for me! I really wan a spyderco button up but I’m going to wait for a sprint, even in cts-bd1n 😂
 
For knife making, probably SF100 for stainless and 01 for carbon steel.

As far as factory knives go, 154cm for stainless steel. Easy to sharpen, decent corrosion resistance, and takes a nice sharp edge.
CPM3v gets my vote for carbon steel. Easy to sharpen, tough, and takes a nice sharp edge.
 
3V is my favorite in general because it can do anything with the right geometry. But if you need very high corrosion resistance or a bit more hardness then MagnaCut will be better. If you need even more hardness than MagnaCut then 4V, K390, 15V, or Z-Max will be best.

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Cruwear is probably the modern steel that most of my knives are in (I think I have maybe 6 in that steel).
I'll always have a soft spot for S30V as general do-it-all stainless. It's not much of an upgrade these days, but my CRK, Spyderco, and Leatherman blades have all been rock solid performers. Hard to beat that.

That said, today I'm a sporting old school 1095 on the belt. Easy to sharpen and tough enough most tasks.

I do like Magnacut though too.
 
I have several that I like depending on the blade size and usage . But my favorite is Magnacut with s35vn a close second.

In traditional pocket knives such as stockman and trapper patterns I’ve long liked Bucks 420hc bos heat treatment and the 425m is pretty decent as well. I have some newer ones that are cpm 154 I really like.

As for larger more modern knives I have a mix but Magnacut stands out as my favorite. It holds a great edge for a long time and it’s easy enough to sharpen.
 
ROSTFREI and 440 SURGICAL STAINLESS

The very words are like poetry.

*edit: in all seriousness, most decent steels will do well with proper heat treat and geometry. If I get a choice, I prefer AEB-L, Cru-Wear, K390, 15n20, 3V, D2, 52100, and whatever Russell Green River does with 1075 to make it work so well.
 
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Depends on the usage for me...

Machete? 1075 or 5160... Hunting knife? Well right now it's S35VN...

Daily carry I like easy to maintain stuff like 1095, AUS-8 ... I really like VG-10... stuff I can touch up on the bottom of a coffee mug and strop on a newspaper.

I have lots of favorite steels ;)
 
Any of the balanced steels based on the BHQ steel rating test on their website.
My only break from my rule LC200N
IMG_3243.jpegIMG_3244.jpeg
With nothing lower than a 5. 👆🏽
Nothing like this 👇🏼


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Just examples that i have in my photos.
I like Cruwear and Spy 27.
I love all my steel in my knives i own. It would be easier to list the few i don’t have lol.
Magnacut is definitely on my radar.
 
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