Favorite blade steel?

I don't really have a favorite, but I do like value steels such as AUS8 and 420HC alot. I have a couple of knives in Magnacut which are pretty awesome, and my Sebenza and Hinderer are in S45VN which are awesome as well. I have a love hate relationship with carbon steels. I like the toughness and patina is cool, but then sometimes I think it is silly and really just want stainless. Sometimes I cut up an apple with a carbon steel blade and then realize why they used to have silver fruit knives. 😏
 
Danke42 said:
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Put Larrin's tattoo sleeve on, and I think you win the internet.....😂
 
Wowbagger said:
I honestly never thought I would say this but I am going to FINALLY try some Cruwear .
The last couple of years I have been chasing the "superest" of the blade alloys (Maxamet , 15 V and REX 121 ) . Sure I reprofiled them and got them all silly sharp .

Honestly though I am tired of chasing Diamond stones and stropping diamond stuff .
Tired of all the some what disapoiinting scratchy diamond films and matrix stones that are finikey about what steel one is taking it to . Sure it's great on Max and 121 but it leaves marks on other lesser "high vanadium" blades .

Sheezzz .

What I am saying is I miss the days of using Shapton Pro and Shapton Glass stones and getting really clean and beautiful mirror bevels , even the Norton stones up to the yellow 8,000 water stone .

Boy those were the days I really enjoyed producing sharp edges . Not so many Vanadium blades breaking down to a "working edge" but more crazy sharp edges that eventually got less crazy sharp .

Sure I used to bang the table about M4 being the best alloy on the planet for me (and it probably will turn out to be so ) but I am looking forward to an adventure with Cruwear which should be about like 3V and ZDP-189 as far as the final edge . As far as I have read . I LOVE sharpening those and how they turn out . No diamond need apply .

So . . . a long answer but now I just need to figure out which first Cruwear to buy . If I could get a normal size Spyderco Stretch 2 in Cruwear I probably would but the XL is too long for me in handle and in blade .
Plus I would like some jimping on the spine of the handle . The Manix is looking pretty good to me . . .
I'll probably end up buying a Para 3 which , these days , is a very handy size for me and I like it a lot more than I ever imagined I would .
Problem is I have a bunch of them including a REX 45 which is going to be kind of like the Cruwear . . .

Any other brands I should look at for a Cruwear knife around the size of the Manix or Para 3 ? Spine jimping prefered rather than smooth.
I hate swoopy finger grooves .

Thanks .
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Spyderco is a solid choice, they focus on properly heat treating various steels to get the best from them. My suggestions would be a PM2 Micarta, carried one for years and love it.

Benchmade uses CruWear for most of the Shootout knives if you don't mind an OTF. It is very light and feels like a toy, but has good strong action and easy to actuate and holds up well.

ZT has a few autos I haven't tried, there is also a Kershaw Belaire that gets good reviews.
 
SwissHeritageCo said:
Edge geometry is my favorite steel.
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Now, folks, THIS POST stands out as universally relevant. Somebody wrote not long ago that most of us could carry any knife-steel and we wouldn't know the difference. THIS assumes a fellow who carries his knife but seldom has opportunity to use it, so it seldom gets dull enough to require sharpening. Fair enough....this describes me.
I like to carry a thin-bladed knife (about 0.090") that is about 0.010" behind the edge. This will cut like a laser, regardless of the steel.
I am tired of 1/8" thick blades that cut so-so.
My present EDC is a WE QUBIT with CPM 20CV steel. Certainly enough knife for me!
I use it in the kitchen on occasion and it performs well.
 
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Blues said:
You won't go wrong with Cru-Wear IMHO. I'd recommend the Spyderco simply because of their experience working with it in various patterns.

Demko also occasionally comes out with one in Cru-Wear, but not regularly.
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Thank you Blues !
I was just looking at Gary Graley's Bel Air over in another thread .
I would go with an uncoated if I got one . Thin though as I remember .

Yes Spyderco pleases me .
 
Grip said:
Spyderco is a solid choice, they focus on properly heat treating various steels to get the best from them. My suggestions would be a PM2 Micarta, carried one for years and love it.

Benchmade uses CruWear for most of the Shootout knives if you don't mind an OTF. It is very light and feels like a toy, but has good strong action and easy to actuate and holds up well.

ZT has a few autos I haven't tried, there is also a Kershaw Belaire that gets good reviews.
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Thank You !
Yes it is hard for me to say no to a Para 2 .
I'll take a look at the others you presented .
 
Spydermade86 said:
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 😂
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420HC. Not. Even. Joking. Why? High toughness, high corrosion resistance, easy to sharpen, cheap.

A knife is only as good as it is sharp. Modern high edge retention crucible steels are fine for EDC pocket knives that are used primarily "in civilization", where you are never far from a workbench, jigs, and a precision sharpening machine, but in the backcountry, you need a knife that will withstand abuse and be easy to sharpen with field-expedient sharpening tools and methods.
 
I don't care if it's the bandwagon, I love MagnaCut. I've used it extensively in both folders and kitchen knives, in hardnesses ranging from 61 to 65. I worked as a chef for a small college last year, and used a couple of custom chef's knives in MagnaCut basically every day. With minimal edge touch ups, they both held their working edge with no chipping through everything from normal vegetable prep, to breaking down tough bison shoulder for a gala. And they did all of this while never showing a spot of corrosion, despite being set down with lemon juice and all manner of things on them many times. For my personal use, with a definitely subjective view, I think I like the knives treated to 63-63.5 the best for "users".

Also, and I think this definitely plays a factor, but in my experience MagnaCut is also significantly easier to touch up or sharpen than it's popular competitors M390 and S90V.
 
Wowbagger said:
I honestly never thought I would say this but I am going to FINALLY try some Cruwear .
The last couple of years I have been chasing the "superest" of the blade alloys (Maxamet , 15 V and REX 121 ) . Sure I reprofiled them and got them all silly sharp .

Honestly though I am tired of chasing Diamond stones and stropping diamond stuff .
Tired of all the some what disapoiinting scratchy diamond films and matrix stones that are finikey about what steel one is taking it to . Sure it's great on Max and 121 but it leaves marks on other lesser "high vanadium" blades .

Sheezzz .

What I am saying is I miss the days of using Shapton Pro and Shapton Glass stones and getting really clean and beautiful mirror bevels , even the Norton stones up to the yellow 8,000 water stone .

Boy those were the days I really enjoyed producing sharp edges . Not so many Vanadium blades breaking down to a "working edge" but more crazy sharp edges that eventually got less crazy sharp .

Sure I used to bang the table about M4 being the best alloy on the planet for me (and it probably will turn out to be so ) but I am looking forward to an adventure with Cruwear which should be about like 3V and ZDP-189 as far as the final edge . As far as I have read . I LOVE sharpening those and how they turn out . No diamond need apply .

So . . . a long answer but now I just need to figure out which first Cruwear to buy . If I could get a normal size Spyderco Stretch 2 in Cruwear I probably would but the XL is too long for me in handle and in blade .
Plus I would like some jimping on the spine of the handle . The Manix is looking pretty good to me . . .
I'll probably end up buying a Para 3 which , these days , is a very handy size for me and I like it a lot more than I ever imagined I would .
Problem is I have a bunch of them including a REX 45 which is going to be kind of like the Cruwear . . .

Any other brands I should look at for a Cruwear knife around the size of the Manix or Para 3 ? Spine jimping prefered rather than smooth.
I hate swoopy finger grooves .

Thanks .
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Cruwear (or any of the 8% chromium tool steels) on Shapton Pros are a match made in heaven. It’s such a good sharpening experience.
 
Frankly, k390 is probably my favorite.

Stuff takes an aggressive edge and holds it.

Couple swipes on the ceramic rod at the end of the week if I’ve used it a bunch and it’s back to being a laser. 2 years and it’s seen a bench stone 1x.

Highly polished edges are pretty, but aggressive edges cut way better and last longer. Especially on high carbide steel. Wish it was the other way around, but it isn’t.

I’m liking 15v as well, for similar reasons. Haven’t been using it as long, so time will tell if it does what it’s supposed to do (be like k390 but hold an edge even longer).
 
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