I hate super steels- please reccomend me a manufacturer of super soft steel

[Twindog]

That may well be true. But I got my Spyderfco V sticks and anything that don't sharpen on that (or fit those two angles that come with it) is not for me. If the blade is a soft steel it will re profile quickly anyway.

I generally sharpen my super steels at 30 degrees inclusive. It's easy to keep them sharp with the Sharpmaker's 40-degree setting, basically making a microbevel. Softer steels do sharpen more easily, but super steels are easy to keep sharp with a microbevel -- and they hold an edge much, much longer and can hold a more acute edge than softer steels for better cutting performance.

***

Hardness is not the exact same thing as wear resistance, as just noted, but steel alloys run harder will usually have better wear resistance than the same alloy run softer, as long as the edge geometry is suited to the cutting task.

Hardness is closely related to strength, the ability of the steel to resist rolling or deformation. So any steel alloy run harder will have better wear resistance and greater strength than a softer steel of the same alloy. But the softer steel is likely to be tougher, meaning it's less likely to chip or break.

 

[B34NS]

B34NS, I think this is a mis-characterization of the OPs post.

It's not a matter of not wanting to maintain old-school steels. He specifically said he wants to maintain them but in a different way than you and many other prefer. He prefers frequent small touch ups and he's not alone in this - this is pretty much the standard in whittling and carving circles and also among many professional meat cutters and chefs. Not all, but many.

We both know the mulberry bush we're about to start chasing heffelumps around so I'll try to stand down.

But I'm wondering if you and Ankerson and the others who see no difference in the ease of sharpening between higher carbide steels and fine carbide steels have spent so long with the higher carbide steels that you've lost your "feel" for the fine carbide steels. I find a noticeable difference between 420HC/12C27/1095 and 440C and this is with diamond stones. I wonder if this discussion is something like trying to taste light scotch after a round of Wild Turkey 101 and everybody's tongue (or in this case, hands) is off kilter?

I understand where you're coming from Pinnah. OP mentioned H-1, to which Ankerson replied with some experience in handling 420J, a great example to compare. I personally carry an affordable N680 folder. I'm not critiscising anyone's technique, just saying it funny to hear OP say that they are willing to try different steels, but not different sharpening mediums or best practices. Which is more cost effective to replace?