High Carbon Steels with some Corrosion Resistance?

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FullFlatGrind

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Mar 8, 2016
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I've been trying to figure out what steel to go with for my next custom and would like some suggestions. I'm looking for a high carbon steel that has better corrosion resistance than O1 or 1095 (this knife will be used around water) but isn't full out stainless steel. The only steel I can think of that falls into this category is D2, and while it seems like a good steel, I would like some more choice.
Thanks for any input.
 
3V, Sleipner and analogues of D2 are all semi stainless.

Why do you specifically want a semi stainless steel?
 
If you're dead-set against stainless, 3V would be my suggestion as well. However, M390 / 20CV / 204P is really an excellent steel, Elmax is phenomenal with a good heat treatment, as is S90V / S110V depending on the application.

You can't go wrong with any of those! D2 is very good as well, but is a little "plain" by comparison to 3V, in my opinion. I'm fighting with myself on buying another Warcraft Tanto now that they can be had in the 5.5" range...
 
I just haven't been impressed with stainless Steve's performance. But I've only used old school stainless so maybe I need to get acquainted with modern stainless steels. I also like a steel to be able to throw a spark when hit with a flint (as in a rock, not a ferro rod) and I understand that D2 does. Will 3V do that, too?
 
3V is an exceptional steel, not only because of it's resistance to impact, but because of how well it holds a solid working edge....
I can't think of a better all around steel for hard use.
It has excellent corrosion resistance for a non "stainless" steel.

A quick Google search indicates to me that it does well with "rocks" and ferro rods for sparks, but I can't link that info here.
 
It "stains" pretty easily, but I haven't had any issues with A2. It takes and holds an edge good enough for me. I haven't really bought into the "super steels" just yet.
 
Cruwear ( PD#1/Z wear/Spectrumwear etc.), 4V, Vandis 4E, 3V, A2, and a bunch more alloy tool steels. Individually the resistance to corrosion by any of these steels can vary greatly from the heat treat and temper temp's, as well as the finish put on the steel. The higher the grit finish the more it generally resists corrosion with a mirror polish being much more corrosion resistant than stone washed, for instance.

CPM M4 and M2 can vary pretty greatly in resistance to corrosion too. I generally keep my alloy and high speed steel knives clean and shiny and patina free just like my stainless blades. Most modern knives are fairly easy to keep clean compared to the old blued and parkerised guns I used to fight with here in the muggy NC summers when I was younger. Old Mausers and Nagants take more cleaning and care than any knife I've encountered in my 45 years of knife use and care.

D2 at 11% chrome , then on to 3V and Cruwear and 4V which are 8% chrome or near that and easy to keep clean in my experience with the scale going down through 5% steels like A2 down to the plain carbon steels at the bottom of the scale. All knives need care though.

Joe
 
depending on how you define high carbon and stainless CPM-154 has more carbon then 1095 at 1.05% but is highly corrosion resistant CPM m4 has even more carbon and seem to preform better but i have personally not worked with it before. I Do not know if ether throw a spark with flint, I have always been worried about keeping char cloth dry so used other back ups.
 
I've tested 3V.

I used one of my 3V knives to prep food for dinner. I used onions in that particular dish; this vegetable will react with steel. I left the residue on the flats overnight before cleaning the blade, 14 hours to be specific. Nothing happened, no staining.
 
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