Favorite blade steel?

Maximumbob54 said:
I just bought yet another Rat 1 in AUS8 not long ago since I gave the last one away again. The D2 version may keep the edge longer but the AUS8 won't rust in my pocket on a sweaty weekend doing weekend yard projects and then forgetting about it in the pocket of the shorts tossed in the hamper. My fault but still. Would it thrill me to no end if they went to literally anything better than AUS8? Of course, that's why I own the red and green G10 S35VN versions of the Rat 1. And yet I still like the AUS8 in the pocket for whatever reason. Old reliable? Dunno. Thought I would fall in love with the 1.5 being the sweet spot size and in MagnaCut. Cannot fathom why not.
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Id take aus 8 over d2 as well, everyday of the week and twice on Saturday
 
XtianAus said:
Id take aus 8 over d2 as well, everyday of the week and twice on Saturday
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I've just gotten tired over the years of the "semi stainless" status of D2. But then I live in the south and tend to fill pockets with sweat. Still seems like a silly description. Like the wife is a little pregnant. Or the doc says you have a little cancer. D2 is a little stainless. Whatevs.

I'd still be interested in a 440C, 154CM, or VG-10 Rat series. Just a middle of the road upgrade. Even AUS10. That might be the easy button answer without raising the price too much. I've personally have great luck with Cold Steel's AUS10 pocket knives and have zero issue including them in the rotation.
 
Maximumbob54 said:
I've just gotten tired over the years of the "semi stainless" status of D2. But then I live in the south and tend to fill pockets with sweat. Still seems like a silly description. Like the wife is a little pregnant. Or the doc says you have a little cancer. D2 is a little stainless. Whatevs.

I'd still be interested in a 440C, 154CM, or VG-10 Rat series. Just a middle of the road upgrade. Even AUS10. That might be the easy button answer without raising the price too much. I've personally have great luck with Cold Steel's AUS10 pocket knives and have zero issue including them in the rotation.
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Totally agree. And i have rust issues too and rather a tough stainless over a high retention, relatively brittle 'semi' stainless
 
For dedicated slicers I’ve always enjoyed ZDP-189.
If toughness is the goal I’ve always leaned toward 52100.

Overall though, If I had to choose one steel for every knife it would be 3V.
 
DrRollinstein said:
Everyone just likes the "new hotness". Like 95% of tasks people use knives for would do just fine with lower end steel. We all like to collect though so, unfortunately, new steel it is lol.
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I’ve had the misfortune to be in a situation where a lesser steel was almost a catastrophe. The case pocket knife went dull before I could finish the task to cut some poly twine and weeds wrapped around a drive line while sitting in a creek and a flash flood coming. We fortunately found a side cutter that was able to get us out of the mess . After that we put a couple more better knives and cutters in the truck to have just in case. Not only that but when im working I don’t want to have to stop in the middle of things to sharpen a dull blade when I need to get things done.
 
Magnacut if you want stainless. K390 is up there too and my Endela that gets used a lot has only the slightest of patina. The Magnacut seems to touch up easily. It's not one I get a bit of a toothy edge on. Smoother... K390 on the other hand gets just as sharp but it is toothy. They both seem to hold up well in use. So, I like them both. With S35VN coming in third because of the great knives made with that steel.
 
Lesknife said:
I’ve had the misfortune to be in a situation where a lesser steel was almost a catastrophe. The case pocket knife went dull before I could finish the task to cut some poly twine and weeds wrapped around a drive line while sitting in a creek and a flash flood coming. We fortunately found a side cutter that was able to get us out of the mess . After that we put a couple more better knives and cutters in the truck to have just in case. Not only that but when im working I don’t want to have to stop in the middle of things to sharpen a dull blade when I need to get things done.
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A valid scenario, but definitely one of those 5% of tasks where the lesser steel failed.

154CM for life.
 
I can't really say I've got a favourite steel. Anything that works well is fine for me.

As long as it's a quality steel that's well suited to the cutting tool in question and the heat treatment is done properly.

I try to avoid low grade stainless steels like 420 or 14110 unless it's on a SAK or multitool.
 
Monofletch said:
I am a city mailman. I walk in the summer heat and humidity for 8-12 hours a day. Nothing stands a chance!
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I work over salt water during the day and putz around a garden in the afternoons with an evening walk. And I try to love K390 but no oil can keep up with it. Can't wait for MagnaMax to hit the scene.
 
It goes beyond laboratory analysis and tests in the real world. Edge retention is a reasonable measurement for a desired performance along with toughness and then corrosion resistance and then sharpening ease. When you are in a harsh environment that includes dirt and other debris in tough materials you are trying to cut that will help you realize what makes the difference. I have worked in some very dirty and harsh environments and conditions that can eat up a decent knife steel edge in a hurry. The knife steel that worked best for me in that environment was s35vn , s30v and cpm154.

I’ve also worked in a job that was very hard on ordinary knife steel. It also had to be very corrosion resistant because of salts and corrosive elements which were mostly residual but lingering in the materials the blade was exposed to. This required a very good stainless steel. I used a 20cv blade in that job and it worked great. This was before Magnacut was available.

And then it also depends on how the knife is used. One person can get a lot of use out of a particular knife whereas another person would dull it quickly using the same knife because of their poor knowledge and skills or technique.

I have my favorites now in retirement and mostly recreational use and I like Magnacut the best but s35vn is a very close second.

So I believe it depends on each person and how they use a knife, their particular technique, the environment they are in, the type and kind of material they are cutting and how well they can sharpen a knife. All these variables among others can affect what kind of performance they achieve or don’t achieve. This is the reason I don’t loan my knife to just anyone. It’s also why I have lots of different knives in various types steel, sizes and designs to get the best results I desire.
 
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