I need opinions please.

Sawce

Sawce

Joined
Jan 10, 2009
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147
I'm fairly new to knives, I've always had them but now i've come to appreciate them more and want to invest in a nicer knife. I know what I like as far as design but its a bit confusing on what type of metal to use....

I would like to be able to use this knife at work on a regular basis. Some of the things I do are cutting cardboard, vinyl, rope, tape, twine and wood. Im not a great knife sharpener but am getting better so as long as I can use a diamond wet stone to sharpen. Some steels I have been looking at include A-2, D-2, SV30, ZDP-189, 154-CM.

Please give me some advice on what the some of the appropriate steels for my situation might be. Thank you in advance.
 
D-2 is pretty good as a high-wear steel. It has good edge holding compared to many other steels. It will sharpen on diamond stones, but takes more time due to the wear resistance and high hardness of the steel. On the other hand, you get an edge that lasts a longer time than cheaper steels.

ZDP-189 is the new wonder steel of the industry lately. It has a higher hardness than D-2 (D2 is like 59-62 with ZDP in the range of 65). It will probably be a pain to sharpen, but I am sure has good edge holding. I have never owned a knife in this steel. Cost is high on this steel

S30V is also a high end steel that is very popular. It is supposed to be really good, but I have heard some complaints about sharpening it. Also a fairly high cost.

Mostly what I have found is that carbon steel like Case CV or 1095 will tend to take a very good edge quickly, will cut very well for a fairly good time, but will lose an edge quicker than higher end stainless steels and, of course, offers little rust resistance. It's main advantages are ease of sharpening and a very keen edge. Lower end stainless steels like 420HC, 440A, AUS6 are easy to sharpen but often have very low edge holding. Their main advantages are low cost and high rust resistance. Higher end stainless steels (S30V, 154CM, VG10) offer a mix of characteristics including good to excellent edge holding, medium rust resistance, and a variety of levels of ease of sharpening. Tools steels like D2 are sort-of like a mix of carbon steel and higher end stainless steels in nature. High-edge holding with limited rust resistance, but better so than carbon steel.

Hope this helps some.
 
Sawce said:
I'm fairly new to knives, I've always had them but now i've come to appreciate them more and want to invest in a nicer knife. I know what I like as far as design but its a bit confusing on what type of metal to use....

I would like to be able to use this knife at work on a regular basis. Some of the things I do are cutting cardboard, vinyl, rope, tape, twine and wood. Im not a great knife sharpener but am getting better so as long as I can use a diamond wet stone to sharpen. Some steels I have been looking at include A-2, D-2, SV30, ZDP-189, 154-CM.

Please give me some advice on what the some of the appropriate steels for my situation might be. Thank you in advance.
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I would look at S30V and 154CM as good steels that are relatively easy to sharpen on regular stones and a snap with diamonds. If you want, this link will give you some good info on steel.

Oh yes, welcome to the forums!
 
You have a good cross-section of cutting tasks there, I'd opt for A2 good edge holder and not hard to sharpen BUT rusts if not cared for or 154 stainless which is easy use/maintenance but does not rust.

What knives are you planning on?
 
Welcome to the forums!

CPM D-2 and ZDP-189 are excellent steels. A little harder to sharpen than S30V, which is also great for the tasks you described.

As for a custom (handmade) knife, great idea! Take a look at Dan Koster's page here, or www.kosterknives.com.

I was lucky enough to grab this one from him and I love it. It is his first prototype of this line, but he offers some great small fixed blades. You can read more about it here. If you are interested in skeletonized knives, the RAT Izula and Becker Necker are nice easy to carry knives. Check out the Makers section of the forum. Lots of great knives there.

kosteredc.jpg
 
IIRC, it was around $ 165, but it came with a custom hand made drop loop leather sheath and a kydex sheath. As I mentioned, they're still in development. He is up to v.4 now. I had v.2 and v.3 for a while for testing/feedback. There's a thread on his sub that talks about the passaround he is doing on v.2, 3 and 4. You can get good feedback from everyone that has tested them.

If you want something quicker, he makes a karda that he will put slabs on. Its a very nice knife. Also look at the RAT Izula and the Becker Necker. Both of these makers have subs here.
 
Sawce said:
I'm fairly new to knives, I've always had them but now i've come to appreciate them more and want to invest in a nicer knife. I know what I like as far as design but its a bit confusing on what type of metal to use....

I would like to be able to use this knife at work on a regular basis. Some of the things I do are cutting cardboard, vinyl, rope, tape, twine and wood. Im not a great knife sharpener but am getting better so as long as I can use a diamond wet stone to sharpen. Some steels I have been looking at include A-2, D-2, SV30, ZDP-189, 154-CM.

Please give me some advice on what the some of the appropriate steels for my situation might be. Thank you in advance.
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My recommendation - Dozier's D2 (not just any but from Dozier) - so far clear winner for cutting. Or ZDP189 if you need stainless.

Here my tests of different stee edge holding on 200 cuts of manila rope (1/2" thick):

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=589139

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Anything with VG-10 will be just right for you, in terms of toughness, edge retention, stain resistance, and especially cost. I tend to prefer Spyderco designs with this steel.
 
Please give price range as well as typical tasks: cutting, slicing, push-cutting, chopping, etc .

Personally, for city EDC, I've found 154CM, VG-10, and S30V to be much more than adequate to my needs, though I've had the most luck with getting really sharp edges with VG-10 with minimal effort.
My Spyderco Delica 3 can shave hairs lengthwise, and that only happened after like 2 years of owning knives and after the bevel conformed to my particular "angle" of sharpening. Frankly, I suck at freehand sharpening, but that's what I typically do.
These days I usually just use 320 or 600 grit and convex the secondary bevel, then polish/strop with rough leather or finer grit sandpaper.
 
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If you need best steel - Dozier D2 or ZDP 189.
If you need "good enough" - any from your list will work.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
senoBDEC said:
Please give price range as well as typical tasks: cutting, slicing, push-cutting, chopping, etc .

Personally, for city EDC, I've found 154CM, VG-10, and S30V to be much more than adequate to my needs, though I've had the most luck with getting really sharp edges with VG-10 with minimal effort.
My Spyderco Delica 3 can shave hairs lengthwise, and that only happened after like 2 years of owning knives and after the bevel conformed to my particular "angle" of sharpening. Frankly, I suck at freehand sharpening, but that's what I typically do.
These days I usually just use 320 or 600 grit and convex the secondary bevel, then polish/strop with rough leather or finer grit sandpaper.
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I plan to do all of the above tasks with this knife. It will be my sidekick. As far as price range I can't really go much higher than $200
 
If you are going to do chopping you need hatchet. Good cutter is opposite to good chopper.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
I'd definitely recommend an Emerson if it's a folder your after. I collect and use knives but I'm pretty inept at sharpening. I find the Emerson blades pretty easy to keep sharp with a ceramic rod.

My favourite is the Emerson CQC12 Comrade but all the knives in his range seem decent.

MAVBKK
 
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