How much do you care about steel?

[MT Damascus]

I am a collector of fine steel, so it is pretty important to me. I love damascus and damasteel. I use all of my knifes, even the $2000 and up ones. Most steels today perform quite well, even the cheaper ones. Mainly it is all just personal preference, my preference is almost always damascus. Bill Burke is making me a bar of River of Fire which i am pretty jacked about.

 

[elkins45]

.(I'm not a "steel snob".).

I think it would be an interesting experiment to make a full set of Spyderco mules identically handled and sharpened but with the steel identifier polished off. Give them to a variety of steel snobs and ask them to identify which steel is which and/or rank them by cutting performance.

I'll bet the results would be all over the place. A lot of steel snobbery is based more on the blade marking than actual performance, IMO.

 

[Ankerson]

I think it would be an interesting experiment to make a full set of Spyderco mules identically handled and sharpened but with the steel identifier polished off. Give them to a variety of steel snobs and ask them to identify which steel is which and/or rank them by cutting performance.

I'll bet the results would be all over the place. A lot of steel snobbery is based more on the blade marking than actual performance, IMO.

That could be interesting.....

I know I would test them and rank them like I am currently doing, but then I have tons of cutting data to look at so it wouldn't be too hard.

 

[dsmegst]

Really? I use my Para2 in S90V and carbon fiber as a dedicated cardboard cutter.

Of course, no broad statement is going to apply to everyone. I have 6 S90V knives and I carry one everyday, the Para 2. The S90V mule is my garage knife. So 4 out of 6 sits in the safe. Same story goes for other blades with exotic steels too. I have 1 user out of 4 in ZDP-189, 1 user out of 4 in CTS-XHP, etc.

I think I actually use more of my high-end/high-priced knives then others but most of them still sit in the safe.

 

[KennyB]

I've never let the steel of a knife discourage me from buying it; some times the steel persuades me to buy a knife because it's new and I haven't tried it, but that's about as much as I read into it. I'm sure that once I've got the same amount of steels under my belt as the rest of you, I probably won't care.

The rest of the time, if I need to do something I might use one of my knives with a nicer steel if say, it's a really abrasive cutting task. No sense in using my 440 knives if the S30V blade will do the same job just as well?

 

[elkins45]

That could be interesting.....

I know I would test them and rank them like I am currently doing, but then I have tons of cutting data to look at so it wouldn't be too hard.

What I think would be really interesting is just asking people to rank order them in terms or edge retention and then compare the results to each other and to the 'expected' ranking. It might add some data to the arguments about whose testing regimen is most accurate.

 

[Peter Parker]

Well heat treated 420HC or 6A and up and I'm good to go! I like and use a wide variety!

 

[Krull]

If you guys talk of using a higher end knife......since I got my Benchmade 755 MPR I've cut:

Cardboard.
Onions.
Kielbasa sausage.
Meats of all kinds.
Pizza.
Plastic.
Tried to cut a tag off a gun (tried because I found the center was high grade wire!~crud,hadda use my folding pliers)
All kinds of mail.

As you can see my knives get used on any and everything that I come across,it's a knife you are supposed to cut with it

 

[yobbos1]

Steels are interesting to me for how they perform based on the grind and the heat treat.
Example a Douk-Douk made from X75 or whatever will cut like crazy and hold a good edge because of the temper and grind. Make a big fat tactical tanto out of the same stuff and it would likely be garbage.
There are low end steels that I don't like due to edge-holding issues and high end super steels I'm not really a fan of due to difficulty sharpening in the field.
Most properly made mid-range steels suit me fine if made well.

 

[znapschatz]

IMO fine steel is like fine wine or whiskey. Yeah you can still get drunk on the cheap stuff but its gonna taste foul going down and you're really going to have a sore head the next day. Somehow when you're drinking quality booze, the whole experience of getting hammered is that much more pleasant...

It's been a long time since my last, but frankly, I couldn't much tell the difference between a Chivas Regal or a Ripple hangover. Actually, my usual booze was somewhere between these extremes. I was too young to be a connoisseur of either liquor or the awful headaches. Sorry for missing out, but I just didn't stay with it long enough .

I believe after a few years of buying and trying knives, you can EASILY tell the difference between quality and inferior steels. I personally prefer knives that dont have to be sharpened all that often. I dont really enjoy the experience of sharpening a knife. Its a bit nerve-wracking. I always think I'm going to screw it up. So if I can buy steel that doesnt need to sharpened that often, I'm all for it.

That's where I'm in luck. I enjoy sharpening knives, finding the procedure a simple minded way of relaxing with just enough of a challenge to make it interesting. So far, I haven't messed anything up beyond fixing, and with some years of experience, never have to be concerned about that. After all, it isn't brain surgery.

Plus the experience of cutting with a fine steel is much like that of sipping a fine bourbon. Just so much more pleasurable.

To me, a really sharp blade is deeply satisfying, but I lack the ability to tell one from another by how they feel when cutting. Sharp is sharp. Maybe it's just as well; I get to not spend so much (more) money on the Chivas Regals of knifehood. I love your imagery, though.

 

[Ankerson]

What I think would be really interesting is just asking people to rank order them in terms or edge retention and then compare the results to each other and to the 'expected' ranking. It might add some data to the arguments about whose testing regimen is most accurate.

The problem is that people would have to do enough cutting to really start to see the differences and have a reliable method of testing.

It has to be repeatable and with the same media and the results have to be repeatable using the same blades. If you can't get the same result using the same blade then the test method isn't reliable. (I can and do and I check my method with known test blades)

When I test I really don't care what steels do what, I just cut and they fall were they are.

That way I know I have good data and information for everyone that's not bias.

 

[nightman]

I used to not care as much about the type of steel that was used in a blade, as long as the knife was well built. Now I am more interested in the edge holding ability of the newer and better steels.

 

[Spoutz]

as logn as the steel is attached to a wellmade knife I really dont care. I like tru-sharp, cv, leek steel (dont remember the long number), anything like that. I really dont mind my steel.

 

[A.P.F.]

On a 1-10 scale of importance, I would have to say that for me, steel ranks about a six. Comfort, function and appearance are far more important in my books.

 

[singularity35]

The problem is that people would have to do enough cutting to really start to see the differences and have a reliable method of testing.

It has to be repeatable and with the same media and the results have to be repeatable using the same blades. If you can't get the same result using the same blade then the test method isn't reliable. (I can and do and I check my method with known test blades)

When I test I really don't care what steels do what, I just cut and they fall were they are.

That way I know I have good data and information for everyone that's not bias.

I think I understand what Elkins45 is saying. In most people's usage, people would not be able to differentiate between the reasonble quality steels. Some people(like you, for instance Jim) may be able to tell after testing or exhaustive use. Some like knifenut1013 may be able to tell by how steels feel on the stones. Probably not all have the ability to test(properly) or the capacity to discern the results.

 

[Ankerson]

I think I understand what Elkins45 is saying. In most people's usage, people would not be able to differentiate between the reasonble quality steels. Some people(like you, for instance Jim) may be able to tell after testing or exhaustive use. Some like knifenut1013 may be able to tell by how steels feel on the stones. Probably not all have the ability to test(properly) or the capacity to discern the results.

I know what he ment and I tend to agree to a point, if the steels are close in performance then most people wouldn't beable to tell the difference in daily use.

 

[The Mastiff]

Steel is important enough to me that I admit to buying knives I didn't really care for just to try the steel. The reality of the steel's performance rarely lives up to my expectations and it's not always due to "hype".

Some of my favorite steels are Super Blue, 52100, O-1, W2, White steel, Vascowear, 3V, 10V, and a few others.

The High speed steels are some of my favorites as well. CPM M4, and M2 are wonderful steels. They are able to do everything I like well . I suppose if I had to live with one steel for all uses for the rest of my life I'd take M4.

I've never been much of a stainless guy but I do have respect for some of the stainless steels. Lately I've been comparing and learning 390PM, and Elmax. Between the two I can get a better, more savage edge with 390PM while Elmax will take lower angles for such a high alloy, high vanadium steel.

BG42 has always been a favorite. I'm really looking forward to the Powder steel version of it that will be used by Spyderco in an upcoming sprint. I have high hopes for it. I also like VG10, S30V at RC 60-61, CPM 154 at RC 61-62.

The sandvik steels take nice edges very easily. Aus 6 will sharpen about as easy as any stainless.

For monster wear resistant stainless steels I'll take S110V. I like it better than S90V, S125V, and S60V, all of which I have knives in. The only problem noted is the s110V is not near full hardness in either and it doesn't get full potential from the steel. I have a custom on order that should correct that, joining my others.

The edges I get with these may last forever but my real favorites are the Tungsten containing steels. Super blue and vascowear are two examples. They seem to sharpen up to a savage, tearing edge very easily. They last pretty well too.

Joe

 

[knarfeng]

I think it would be an interesting experiment to make a full set of Spyderco mules identically handled and sharpened but with the steel identifier polished off. Give them to a variety of steel snobs and ask them to identify which steel is which and/or rank them by cutting performance.

I'll bet the results would be all over the place. A lot of steel snobbery is based more on the blade marking than actual performance, IMO.

A lot of "steel excitement" may indeed be based on the marking. A lot of folks don't use their knives enough to notice the performance difference. Pair that up with the fact that alloy is not the top factor in knife performance and you end up with a lot of fellas who get over-excited about alloys.

However, I test alloy cutting performance. I also use my knives for tough chores. There are significant differences in alloy performance which I also notice when I use them.

So you need to differentiate between those who actually do perceive the difference in performance and those who just get excited.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=641279
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=769447
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=792540

 

[22-rimfire]

I am no steel snob. It wasn't very long ago that if the knife was not made by Case, I probably wasn't interested in it. We know that Case uses essentially a medium grade of steel from a knife perspective. Steel was the last thing I looked at. It was fit and finish and name and reputation primarily steering my choices. It still does to a large degree.

I chose a couple Queen knives because they were made in D2 steel. But also the fit and finish is quite good which is what you would expect for a medium high priced factory folder. I learned about D2 from Bob Dozier's blades.

I tended to avoid 1095 or 1085 steel believing it was essentially what machetes are made from and most machetes do not hold an edge long. No RATs or ESEE knives for me at first. But the heat treat is very important and there is no way to judge the heat treat other than using and sharpening the blade as far as I'm concerned. So now I have an ESEE blade.

So steel matters some. I am more likely to base my choice on the brand and in what country the knife was made over the type of steel used. I figure Case or Queen must know what they are doing or they'd go out of business or become essentiall like the Frost Cutlery knives.

 

[kinskibrain]

I enjoy using a high quality steel. As I am rather fond of Fallkniven I am sold on their 3G steel which I use in the TK4 and the TK2. Other powder steels are also of interrest. But sure, I'm ok with my Vic Pioneer too.