Favorite steel family to use and sharpen

What is your favorite steel family when you consider use, and sharpening?

  • Simple carbon steels (1095, 1075, 5160, 51200, etc.)

    Votes: 23 29.9%

  • Tool steels (3V, D2, Infi, M4, SK[x], S7, Cru-wear, O1, A2, etc)

    Votes: 15 19.5%

  • Softer stainless (154[x], ATS-34, 440[x], 420[x], Aus[x], [x]Cr13MoV, Sandvik, etc.)

    Votes: 15 19.5%

  • Harder stainless (S30v/S35vn, M390/20CV, CTX-XHP, ZDP-189, Elmax, S90v, S110v, etc)

    Votes: 21 27.3%

  • Other (specify)

    Votes: 3 3.9%
  • Total voters
    77
I tend to favor any steel that's consistently predictable and reliable in how it sharpens up. In other words, a steel that takes a good/great edge, holds it for a reasonable time appropriate to the steel, and resharpens to the same edge quality each & every time. Most of that is more dependant on the producer of the steel (process, purity), and the blade maker doing the heat treat, rather than the specific type/family of steel. I've seen both very good and very bad (some horrid) examples of each of particular steels, like 1095, 420HC, S30V, VG-10. So, I won't try to narrow it to a family of steel or a specific type.

Overall, I tend to use & carry knives in simple carbon steels and low-alloy stainless, if only because there's almost no worry in finding the right tools & materials to maintain them, wherever I happen to be, on the fly. If I happen to have my DMT credit card hones in my wallet, as I do about 99% of the time, even that point is relatively moot, as I'll not have to worry about finding the right tools when I need them.


David
 
I lean more toward cpm154 and 440C taken to 59-60 rockwell hardness. At this hardness it will hold an edge with s30v and is easier to sharpen. These are consistent and predictable steels. Plus, I can sharpen them on conventional stones and not worry about whether I tore out a vanadium carbide. O-my. DM
 
HeavyHanded said:
Carbon steels, anything Sandvik, 420hc, 440c
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I wouldn't have said this a few years ago. But now, oddly enough after learning more about sharpening and trying a number of different steel families in backpacking usage--this is EXACTLY where I'm at. I have a few of the "hard stainless" blade family still, and enjoy using those, with lots of S30/S35, and a few in M390, which is now my overall favorite "super steel." But really, I'd take a good Sandvik, Aus-8, or 420hc blade, provided they are done with great heat treat, any day of the week.

The only steel family I haven't used as much of is the tool steel category I put in the poll. I've only ever had a handful of blades in those tool steels, like D2, 52100 (not clear if that should be counted as a tool steel, I have it in the simple carbon steel category above), and Swamp Rat's "SR101" (which they consider a tool steel, but as above in thread, is just 52100 with some kind of unique heat treat or process added to it). I think the only tool steels I'd be strongly interested in trying, because they have such a great rep for toughness and all around performance, is something in Infi, and something in 3V. Thing is, I'm not super motivated to try these now, because my other blades in the other categories do everything I currently need and then some, so it's hard to want to go spend the extra $$ just to mess with the steel type.
 
^ Now that you have mastered the Art of Sharpening, I want to hear your feedback on Bradford M390 and SRKW SR-101. Give us the good stuff ;) .
 
I prefer steels that respond well to old-school oil stones. Norton Crystolon, Norton India, Arkansas Stones. That covers most of the 420/440 and similar stainless category, and carbon steels like 1095 and Case CV. I don't use pocket knives really hard, so those steels are quite adequate to my daily needs, and I like being able to sharpen easily and on improvised surfaces if needed.

Kitchen knives is a different story, but you really didn't mention kitchen knife steels so I assume you are only asking about pocket knives.
 
jc57 said:
Kitchen knives is a different story, but you really didn't mention kitchen knife steels so I assume you are only asking about pocket knives.
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I was talking about all knives of any type. If there's a category I missed, I guess use other. Most of my kitchen knives I'd lump into the softer stainless category, or I have a couple that are simple carbon steels.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
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.
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I love those Sandvik steels. They just get so stupid fine and sharp so easily. I actually think they are some of the most pleasurable to sharpen. In some ways I prefer them to high carbide super steels.

I find those Sandvik steels behave alot more like knives our ancestors would have known. As in able to be sharpened and reprofiled easily.
 
Lapedog said:
I love those Sandvik steels. They just get so stupid fine and sharp so easily. I actually think they are some of the most pleasurable to sharpen. In some ways I prefer them to high carbide super steels.

I find those Sandvik steels behave alot more like knives our ancestors would have known. As in able to be sharpened and reprofiled easily.
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Agree. What's your favorite Sandvik flavor? Mine: 14C28N. Kershaw uses a lot, and some Moras.
 
maximus83 said:
Agree. What's your favorite Sandvik flavor? Mine: 14C28N. Kershaw uses a lot, and some Moras.
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I unfortunately only have limited experience with those Sandvik steels. I have tried the 12c one which I liked alot. I have only had one knife in 14c28n so it is kind of hard for me to pass judgement.

I remember Kershaw at one point was using alot of the 12c Sandvik before they switched to 8cr13mov. Most my experience with Sandvik is with these knives. Honestly I might be weird though becase I find Aus8 can also have properties somewhat like sandvik as it is easy to sharpen and takes a screaming edge. Another steel to try is BD-1 or BD-1N. They get screaming sharp easily too but seem to be more toothy
 
For kitchen knives, small carbide stainless followed by stainless clad high carbon at high RC. And yes, 1428N is my favorite Sandvik as well.
 
12c27 is my favorite Sandvik.

For kitchen cutlery I recently picked up a Dexter made with their "Dexsteel". IDK what stainless it is but it takes a screaming edge easily and lasts a long time. I've only sharpened it once since Father's Day and only had to take it a Washboard maybe 5 times. It gets used daily.
 
maximus83 said:
Can you give examples of this one and why you like it? I'm not familiar with this.
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Takeshi Saji Aogami Super Kurouchi Custom Series. The core of the blade is Aogomi Super Blue (high carbon) steel which is clad with a softer stainless steel to improve toughness and resist corrosion (less the unclad edge). Hence, the blade inherits the properties of both high carbon and stainless steel (more or less).
 
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Ok. Is that similar in principle to what say Fallkniven does with their laminated steels in some knives, as described here?
 
A more familiar body of examples include most of what Murray Carter produces: Hitachi Super or White clad with SUS 410.
 
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