Good Steel vs. Exotic Steel.

[jackG]

I'm not a collector, I'm a user. And I prefer the very best steel I can get. I recently bought a custom fillet knife by Phil Wilson in S90V and had a chance to wring it out on a fishing trip. The way it holds an edge makes (both superb knives) my Microtech Socom Elite, M/A, in 154 and Spyderco Wegner jr. in 134 look like cheese.

I'd buy a small and a large folder in S90V or S30V in a heartbeat and likely sell the the two I've got. Since I'm not a collector and don't amass regiments of knives for entertainment, I couldn't care less about the price so long as it's appropriate for what I'm getting. I only buy knives I need and use. Buying Wilson's custom fillet knife cost a bunch, but it will save me money in the long run. Instead of accumulating a tub of knives in my search for one that I'm not sharpening every ten minutes, it's done. I'll never need another one, ever, unless of course someone makes a quantum jump in quality over the S90V or its equivalent.

I don't see those steels as exotic anymore than computers, fuel injected engines, cell phones, or the internet are exotic. They're simply up to date technology.

 

[Captain Ron]

I'm am a heavy user of knives and need the better grade of steel one like the great VG-10,after trying a buck crosslock instead of my usual Spyderco it makes a big differents.

 

[jjcoolay]

I mean after I used vg10, and cpm 440, aus 6 and 440 a will never be seen in the same light again, at least when in a side by side comparasion.
They are still great steels, its just that once you go cpm 440 or ats 34 etc, the difference between the high and low steels is quite noticable.

 

[allenC]

I don't just collect knives, I use them plenty, and I have arrived at a few conclusions:

1) If you use your knife alot, it's going to get dull no matter what steel is used.
Keeping that in mind, I prefer a steel that is easy to resharpen. Some of the high-end steels are really a pain in the butt to sharpen.

2) About 90% of folks will never use even an AUS-6 knife to it's fullest potential, so often exotic steel is simply overkill and needlessly drives up the price.

3) In a blind test, cutting common items (sticks, plastic bottles and packages, rope, clothing, cardboard, ect), I'll bet most folks could'nt tell AUS-8 from ATS-55 from VG-10.
I think this is because the cutting performance is more in the blade design and the heat treating than the steel.
I recently bought a CRKT aluminum M16-03 and, even though it's only AUS-8, it slices better than my VG-10 Endura.
This is because the M16 has such a thin blade compared to the Endura.
I still love my Endura, and it definitely has a stronger tip than the M16, but if it was any thicker it would be "too thick".

It really comes down to "sharpen more often, but with great ease" vs "sharpen less often but with greater difficulty".
There's no right or wrong, but one does cost more.

Just my opinion,
Allen.

 

[Manji]

i tend to expect at least ats34/154cm and maybe 440c on certain knives