How blade steel affects your buying

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What steel and why buy? I don't really buy knives that way.

I once bought an Old Hickory brand kitchen knife at Kroger to take to South Louisiana for Alligator "hunting". A 4" boning knife in high carbon steel with a riveted wooden handle. It took a good edge and was cheap enough to not break my heart if i dropped it into the swamp. There were other reasons. . . .I was going to be with local folks who were much like some of the people on TV's "Swamp People", and didn't want to look like a city boy who had just maxed-out some Gold Card at Dicks. Mde a sheath for it with leather cut from a worn purse bought at Goodwill.

But when buying a knife for a young Marine about to be deployed to an active combat zone, I bought premium maker military knives of high specification regardless of price, from both Randall (440 series?) and Chris Reeve (then S30V).

At the same time, that same Marine got a CRKT M21 folder: It has a robust~4" blade in AUS-8, good enough but not S30V either. Not a premium maker (Japan, Tiwan?), not a high-end knife. A utility pocket knife designed to be rugged enough, with a pierced aluminum handle. I could have bought one of the Chris Reeve folders, at ten times the price, but the likelihood of that being stolen or lost could be high. Who cares about the CRKT M21?
 
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It's unusual that I will seek a specific steel when making a purchase. It's more common to rule out a purchase because I specifically don't want some steels based on past experience. If a blade is D2 (or one of its analogs), 440C, 420J2, and a few others, I will typically avoid it.
 
V VorpelSword I've done similar things when I use to travel, get to a new city and I'll pick up an Opinel or something to use while there that I didn't bring along due to flying or border related reasons.

And good on you for helping out the service person, always nice to see support for our troops!
G2
 
Gary W. Graley said:
I didn't give the Mule much trail time, so she's up for sale right now, I'll have to test out that Magnacut with another knife, probably a folder.

But lately, this one from Petrified Fish Havrog has gotten a lot of pocket time, blade of K110 is sharp and pretty sturdy knife overall.

Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr

G2
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Didn t think the Magnacut was what you expected?
 
Not so much that as the knife overall fit for me, I still want to give Magnacut a try, as I didn't use the Mule, just at the desk but it didn't click with me...
G2
 
I've been digging Magnacut (Spyderco Mule).

Huge AEBL fan. Just so easy to get sticky sharp.

Cpm3v gets carried and used a good bit by me.


As far as what I've used
52100 and sr101 (Swampratt's version), Infi, 1095, 1080, 1065, A2, L6, 5160, D2, 65mn, XC90, 15n20

Aus8a, 420HC, 4116 Krup, 440C, CPM154, AEBL, 12c27 Sandvik, VG1, VG10, 8cr13mov, 425M,

And many more I'm forgetting.

I like most steels with a decent heat treat.
 
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rhino said:
It's unusual that I will seek a specific steel when making a purchase. It's more common to rule out a purchase because I specifically don't want some steels based on past experience. If a blade is D2 (or one of its analogs), 440C, 420J2, and a few others, I will typically avoid it.
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I kind of work the same way: knives may be ruled out for having a steel that I'm not fond of...
The problem is that I'm like a magnet: I'm drawn to ALL of it!
 
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I've been on a steel variety kick recently. Up to 15 so far. But every time I get a new knife, I try to make it a steel I don't have yet. So far my favorites are M390 S35VN and 154CM. Edge retention is probably the most important quality to me. Not worried about corrosion or toughness since I don't beat on my knives and I use oil on any non stainless steels. I don't like any of the CR MOV's. They go dull if I look at them wrong. Other than those, they are all good. 14C28N to Cru Wear and Magnacut are all great performing steels.
Looking to get something in Maxamet next. Probably the Manix 2.
 
TC said:
Afterthought to my earlier comment: Blade shape and geometry, good heat treat is probably an order of magnitude more important to me than (decent!) steel chemistry. Sometimes stainless is important as well, though not too often.
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Absolutely, 'super steel' with a crap heat treat won't be much better than a 'low quality ' steel with a good heat treat. And you're spot on about geometry too. Edge ange and blade thickness to the type of grind all play a roll.
 
Steel is my primary factor in choosing a knife. I buy based on other criteria, but steel is always the first. And for steel choice, wear resistance is the criteria, above toughness and way above stain resistance. If there weren't so many steel options I would never have bought quite so many knives. After several decades using knives, I know what I like a knife to feature and what doesn't really seem to matter much as far as spending money and taking up shelf space. I already have way more than I'll ever truly need and they still only cut stuff.
 
Pacu0420 said:
I've been on a steel variety kick recently. Up to 15 so far. But every time I get a new knife, I try to make it a steel I don't have yet. So far my favorites are M390 S35VN and 154CM. Edge retention is probably the most important quality to me. Not worried about corrosion or toughness since I don't beat on my knives and I use oil on any non stainless steels. I don't like any of the CR MOV's. They go dull if I look at them wrong. Other than those, they are all good. 14C28N to Cru Wear and Magnacut are all great performing steels.
Looking to get something in Maxamet next. Probably the Manix 2.
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While 8Cr13Mov isn't good and the lower-numbered members of that series are bad, don't discount the higher numbers. Generally, 9Cr18Mov and 10Cr15CoMov can be solid budget choices. Depending on the individual heat treatments, you'll find performance for those steels overlapping with 440C, VG-10, 14C28N, and other more reputable steels.

WE actually does a fantastic heat treatment on 9Cr18Mov. If nothing else, get yourself a Civivi in that steel. Several models, such as the Baklash, get fairly thin behind the edge too. You might be surprised by the edge retention, especially once you've got fresh steel with your own edge on it.
 
I like variety and trying new things.

Current collection:

D2
M390
CTS-XHP
CTS-204p
CPM-S30V
CPM-S35VN
CPM-20CV
CPM-3V
CPM-M4
CPM-154
CPM-S90V
CPM-SPY27
CPM-S125V
9Cr damascus
1095CV
H1
ATS-34

I've owned numerous others over the years. Next on my list is magnacut. However, currently there are no folders I care for in this steel.

I also want to try Stellite 6k. Saving for a custom in that.
 
I don't consider myself a steel snob but I do have standards. I'm more of a brand snob I guess. Personally for what is out there now I won't go any lower end, if you can even say that, than S30V. When I seriously got into quality knives that was the newest and greatest. Most people were at 154cm at that point for higher end or D2.

I'll still buy an Emerson with 154cm for the basic fact that it's all you can get really in Emerson and I like some of the designs. My favorite steel I guess you can say right now is 20CV only because the blades I really like (ZT, Ritter RSK) come in that. I will likely pick up a Blade HQ Bugout just because.
 
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I think blade steel has come a very long way in doing what could not be done not too long ago. I am not totally sold on it for the following reasons.

I will quickly choose a low end steel heat treated, tempered, handled, etc...... that is suited to the design and purpose of the knife it's used on made by someone or a company willing to put in the time, effort, cost, and quality control needed over a cheaply mass produced "super steel" knife with the wrong design, the wrong intended use for the type of steel with a possible heat treat range all over the place and cost cutting quality control measures in place of doing what is required to properly bring out the positive qualities of the steel.

People generally don't know that even 1 rockwell in hardness can significantly alter the properties of a lot of steels. A good sign is a truthful actual hardness level rather than a varying range of typically plus or minus 3 to 4 (example 59-63 rockwell) which can mean too soft or too hard and if you are lucky just right.

I respect the profession of marketing I really do however the market is proliferated with BS marketing (very insulting) as opposed to the few who market a product based on it's true merits.

I have learned not to jump on a knife solely because of the steel used. I do admit I am curious as to how the latest steels perform so lets just say despite a curiosity purchase I know and those who know should let everyone know that they know. BS marketing is a quick way to drive me away. I have actually been driven away from good products, good movies, tv shows because of BS marketing.

BS can distort the positive properties of product being marketed causing a loss of sales.
 
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