Favorite knife steel

Heat treat suited to the steel, and the grind and application all combined to give great knives or crappy ones...
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That's where I'm at. At this time I don't have a fave. Sounds stupid doesn't it ? My stones and plates sharpen anything I have taken to them so no limitation there so far (well there was that one ceramic neck knife . . . but I don't take that one seriously anyway; just liked how cool it looks).

I have made the ignorant comment (or so I have been educated into realizing) :
The harder the better and I have not run across a blade that was "too hard".
Possible Exceptions :

  • ZDP-189 up around 64 or 65 I can get the thin edge to chip if I use it like a blind mule in a china closet.
  • A blade I made out of a file and left full hard. It broke; but it broke into a more useful shape so I continue to use it to carve brass fillets on brazed joints connecting super thin wall Chro-molly tubes. Once I learned it's "limitations" I decided not to break it again.

Yes I like the ZDP-189 and wouldn't wish for a milder blade.

I can't wait to get something with S110V
IS THERE A COMPANY THAT DOES A BETTER JOB WITH IT FOR A STANDARD PRODUCTION KNIFE THAN Spyderco ?
Serious question . . . who else should I look at for a four inch or so folder ?

For that matter I would like to hear the specific knives/makers that go with your favorite steels. I think Phil Wilson and some of the other custom makers are to be left out because it goes with out saying and the tests bear out that they are so far beyond the standard production knives that they can't be included here.
 
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Wowbagger said:
That's where I'm at. At this time I don't have a fave. Sounds stupid doesn't it ? My stones and plates sharpen anything I have taken to them so no limitation there so far (well there was that one ceramic neck knife . . . but I don't take that one seriously anyway; just liked how cool it looks).

I have made the ignorant comment (or so I have been educated into realizing) :
The harder the better and I have not run across a blade that was "too hard".
Possible Exceptions :

  • ZDP-189 up around 64 or 65 I can get the thin edge to chip if I use it like a blind mule in a china closet.
  • A blade I made out of a file and left full hard. It broke; but it broke into a more useful shape so I continue to use it to carve brass fillets on brazed joints connecting super thin wall Chro-molly tubes. Once I learned it's "limitations" I decided not to break it again.

Yes I like the ZDP-189 and wouldn't wish for a milder blade.

I can't wait to get something with S110V
IS THERE A COMPANY THAT DOES A BETTER JOB WITH IT FOR A STANDARD PRODUCTION KNIFE THAN Spyderco ?
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Spyderco is the only production Company that is using S110V in standard models.

They are running it in the 62 HRC range from what I have seen, that is good for a standard production knife.
 
Oh HI !

Jim,

I went over to your steel test to make sure I got the S110V description right and I notice that you don't include it in the "Category 1" list.

Is that just an over site from back before you went to the 400 grit edge?

Thanks for the info on Spyderco.
 
Wowbagger said:
Oh HI !

Jim,

I went over to your steel test to make sure I got the S110V description right and I notice that you don't include it in the "Category 1" list.

Is that just an over site from back before you went to the 400 grit edge?

Thanks for the info on Spyderco.
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Wasn't available when I was doing the polished edge stuff that I stopped doing awhile back.
 
M390 is still "old faithful" to me, but my preferences are ever changing...

I've had S110V (Manix2 LW) for a while now (2 years) and I had never used the steel to its potential. That being said I've been carrying it everyday for a while now and it's awesome!

10v... Basically S110V's tool steel brother. Not much to be said there[emoji38]

Last, 12c27 is just BEAST! It's just turns into a scalpel in no time! It's also a super tough stainless steel too.
 
Sal, the man, Glesser,

Most seem quite pleased with our 110V.
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Yes they are and rope lives in mortal terror !
I'm a couple hours away; in Colorado as well.

KEEP 'EM COMING !
 
A friend let me use his ZT 0566 in Elmax and I loved it! But as for what I use, it's a toss up between s30v and vg10. Depending on what I'm doing
 
Nobody mentioned SR-101??? It's amazing steel, I really love it. For demolition, I love 1095. In my folders I really like M390/CTS-204P. I'm also a big fan of M4.

A lot of people here have mentioned Elmax, it sounds like I need to give it a try.

Also, many have mentioned S35VN. It might just be the geometry of the 1 knife I have with it, but I can't seem to get it super sharp, just working sharp, and it seems to want to lose its edge quickly.
 
Velitrius said:
Wow, I'm way old skool...

I like 1095, I think AUS-8 is AUS-OME, and I'm a big fan of VG-10.

Not anywhere near super steels, but I can get them sharp as hell in about a minute or two.
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I'm with you on the "old school" part. I love 1095, it does most everything and won't break the bank if you don't get too "dressy". Of the stainless steels, AUS-8 is my favorite as well. I have a Taiwanese Benchmade with this SS and it is a fine knife for sure.
 
Wrangoslash said:
I'm with you on the "old school" part. I love 1095, it does most everything and won't break the bank if you don't get too "dressy". Of the stainless steels, AUS-8 is my favorite as well. I have a Taiwanese Benchmade with this SS and it is a fine knife for sure.
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Probably a "Washington" thing. ;)
 
A few months ago I would have said M390 but I got a Benchmade 940-1 and LOVE S90. So much so it has replaced my faithful and all time favorite 586 barrage as my EDC. Also like CPM 154 and S35
 
I think A2 is a hidden jem, capable of more than what we usually think of as its peers. It appears to be more of a bargain 3V.
 
S90V, because of it's truly outstanding edge holding coupled with great corrosion resistance. I've only recently got me some S110V and am assuming it will be very similar. To qualify that, I have a WE and am happy to take the extra time and effort to cope with it's increased difficulty in sharpening.

M390 and Elmax are a close second, as an amateur I don't notice much difference between these 2. Their edge retention is very good though not as good as S90V, however they are easier to sharpen and I can get them heinously sharp.

M4 is awesome stuff for edge retention too and although it's not a stainless steel I find it's not really prone to rust if minimal care is employed. And it's easy to get and maintain a very sharp edge on it.
 
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