Favorite steel family to use and sharpen

[maximus83]

Interested to hear people's preferred steel family/category for both use, and sharpening.

Oh right, you wanna know what I think? Having a hard time deciding , I own steels from all these types and am interested in their different properties and performance. Stuff in the softer stainless category is what I have most of. After that, simple carbon steel. If I pick a favorite, I'd go simple carbon steel due to: all-around toughness in a wide range of tasks, cost-effectiveness, and ease of sharpening outdoors and at home.

 

[McFeeli]

For use(in folders especially), I prefer stainless. Another attribute I like is wear resistance so I went with the hard stainless category.

Now they sure as hell aren't my favorite steels to sharpen(I still firmly believe M390 is easy to sharpen up), the group itself is what I prefer to carry so it's mostly what I sharpen. M390 is my favorite steel overall as of now.

If I had to choose a steel as my absolute favorite to sharpen I'd probably pick Sandvik 12c27. That stuff turns into a laser after a few swipes on the stone.

 

[maximus83]

For use(in folders especially), I prefer stainless. Another attribute I like is wear resistance so I went with the hard stainless category.

Now they sure as hell aren't my favorite steels to sharpen(I still firmly believe M390 is easy to sharpen up), the group itself is what I prefer to carry so it's mostly what I sharpen. M390 is my favorite steel overall as of now.

If I had to choose a steel as my absolute favorite to sharpen I'd probably pick Sandvik 12c27. That stuff turns into a laser after a few swipes on the stone.

Totally agree with you there on Sandvik in the "softer stainless" group, love that steel every time I've used it (last time I used it was in a Mora blade). Similarly, Aus-8 with good heat treat is nice to work with and super easy to get it super sharp. I still have a SOG Elite in Aus-8 that is a joy to sharpen.

 

[McFeeli]

Totally agree with you there on Sandvik in the "softer stainless" group, love that steel every time I've used it (last time I used it was in a Mora blade). Similarly, Aus-8 with good heat treat is nice to work with and super easy to get it super sharp. I still have a SOG Elite in Aus-8 that is a joy to sharpen.

Yeah the funny thing I noticed with that steel group is it tends to have a "sharper" feel to it as opposed to most carbon steels. To me a scary sharp carbon steel edge has a soft touch to it, while the mild stainless has a more intense bite. It may just be psychological by nature, but that's how it feels to me, haha.

 

[adamlau]

Tool steels followed by high carbon at high RC followed by high carbide stainless.

 

[maximus83]

Tool steels followed by high carbon at high RC followed by high carbide stainless.

What's your favorite tool steel? This is the category I have least of, no idea why. I have some stuff in D2, that's about it. Interested in Infi, 3V, others, just never got around to trying it. I'm not sure if the "SR101" that Swamp Rat knives puts in their blades would be considered a tool steel, if so, then I have one of those in the Swamp Rat Ratmandu. Here's what they say about it on their site's marketing literature, and elsewhere, it's noted that this steel is 52100 with Swamp Rat's special sauce to enhance it.

http://www.scrapyardknives.com/about-our-various-steels/
SR-101 Steel is the combination of an extremely fine-grained tool steel and a proprietary multi-step tempering protocol. This process includes the incorporation of a deep cryogenic treatment for grain refinement with the added benefits of differential tempering which add greatly to the overall toughness and strength of what will most certainly prove to be your favorite blade.

 

[adamlau]

4V/V4E followed by 3V. The former through Keffler or CPK and the latter through Keffler or CPK or S!K due to their close involvement with Peters. 10V by way of Phil Wilson. It is difficult to state a favorite steel without associating it with a maker. I have yet to try anything from BMW and hope to do so sooner rather than later. SR-101 is indeed tool steel being 52100 refined by SRKW.

 

[brasileiro]

If I was Chuck Noland in Cast Away I would like to have in my hands any steel that would easy to sharpen with any rock that might be found. But I’m not and still my preferences is by medium soft steels.
Edit: I mean stainless steel.

 

[AFAustin]

I don't use my knives hard and I enjoy a really sharp edge which is easy to keep that way. I also like not having to worry about rust. So my vote is for the softer stainless steels, which for me are even easier to sharpen than simple carbon steels. I share the fondness expressed above for Sandvik 12c27 and a good AUS-8. Case's Tru Sharp, Opinel's stainless, and Vic's stainless are other favorites.

Andrew

 

[jpm2]

I have multiple blades of m2, m3, cpm-m4, hap40, m35, m42, t42, and maxamet. These are all high speed tool steels and different enough from the others listed to be in their own category. They are my general preference (with proper ht) if there's a choice.
I chose other.

 

[maximus83]

I have multiple blades of m2, m3, cpm-m4, hap40, m35, m42, t42, and maxamet. These are all high speed tool steels and different enough from the others listed to be in their own category. They are my general preference (with proper ht) if there's a choice.
I chose other.

Cool, I've not yet tried any you listed. So what are the benefits you're getting, is it mainly improved edge retention and wear resistance? Do these, like maxamet for instance, sharpen up quickly on diamond stones?

 

[jpm2]

I wouldn't say any of them sharpen up quickly except the hap40 by Spyderco, IMO it was done too soft.
At work my edge regularly comes in contact with other metals/steels. I find these generally take the least amount of damage in those cases. They're also excellent with more normal uses.
Been using these steels since the mid 80's because I was tired of my edges getting mangled to the point of having to stop and sharpen, just to complete certain tasks.

 

[Wowbagger]

Tool steels followed by high carbon at high RC followed by high carbide stainless.

That's me as well.

 

[Lapedog]

From a sharpening point of view it is true that super steels are harder to sharpen. As long as you keep em touched up though it isn't too bad. Reprofiling is the real pain.

Also a steel that wears slower will need less time touching up because even though it is harder it wore less. So once I have the edge set properly as long as I keep doing touchups as needed no steel has been unmaintainable.

 

[Mattysc42]

I generally find 3v and the m390 trio to be my favorite steels to use and sharpen. 3v for my outdoors knives and m390 for my urban/edc knives. I find both easy to sharpen with the wsko blade grinder attachment or the wicked edge. Never tried to free hand sharpen them though, so no comments on that.

 

[maximus83]

From a sharpening point of view it is true that super steels are harder to sharpen. As long as you keep em touched up though it isn't too bad. Reprofiling is the real pain.

Also a steel that wears slower will need less time touching up because even though it is harder it wore less. So once I have the edge set properly as long as I keep doing touchups as needed no steel has been unmaintainable.

And in your case--IIRC--you are using Sharpmaker ceramic rods to do microbevels and to maintain existing edges, right?

 

[maximus83]

I generally find 3v and the m390 trio to be my favorite steels to use and sharpen. 3v for my outdoors knives and m390 for my urban/edc knives. I find both easy to sharpen with the wsko blade grinder attachment or the wicked edge. Never tried to free hand sharpen them though, so no comments on that.

That seems like a plausible combo. I need to try freehand sharpening my new Mule Team m390 on the DMT stones, probably just staying in grits in the 300 to 400 range, and see how it goes.

 

[Lapedog]

And in your case--IIRC--you are using Sharpmaker ceramic rods to do microbevels and to maintain existing edges, right?

Actually I try to avoid microbevels. I lay the knife edge flat to the rod. I'm holding the knife in one hand and the Spyderco sharpmaker rod in the other. Some knives like CRKs come with a convexed edge and thus are regular nightmares to sharpen. The wider the edge bevel the easier it is for me to feel when it lays flat on the stone.

 

[me2]

I like the "softer" stainless assuming we're talking folders and such. Good sharpness, easily done, adequate edge holding, moderate cost.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Low-alloy steels in both the stainless and carbon camps, with a slight bias towards stainless. Particular favorites are in the Sandvik permutations. Fine-grained steels that readily take a very refined edge, and have a moderate to high toughness. I'm fast at sharpening, so don't mind if it dulls faster in abrasive wear than high-alloy steels so long as it lasts long enough to get some meaningful quantity of work done.