Ideal fixed blade steel?

JDX said:
I said it's boring because it's all I see. You're not going to buy a bunch of the same type of shoe. (Weird example, but whatever). Which is why I asked this question.
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.... 1095 is more like the common leather used in shoes, it's proven, it's tough, it works. NOW buying the same shoe over and over is akin to buying the same knife over and over again, not the same steel. Heat treatment variations can make 1095 really good or really bad, just like cheap and expensive leather shoes.
 
Well......if you think you HAVE TO baton...you're probably wrong......and if you're going
to do it anyhow....use nothing harder than your forehead......Beyond that, the best one
is whatever you have with you....
 
I use mostly 1095, A2, 5160 and 80CVR2 for my non-stainless blades, and can't say anything bad about them.
 
Essentially there are two camps for knives like this either carbon steel or stainless, however I think there should be other factors such as New cpm steels, old standbys and laminates. Have had and used all types and am now firmly in the laminated camp. I have a cold steel outdoorsman which impressed the shit out of me when I got it like ten years ago I believe. It was and is still the sharpest friggin knife I have ever come across still to this day. It's san mai blade certainly made a believer of me. Still goes in my pack every time out. Now for last two years I've been using a Fallkniven volcano which is a beautiful knife,pretty DAMN sharp and feels and works amazing for me. I also carry the fallkniven juni around my neck with a ballchain. The juni has 3g steel and holds its edge better than anything I've ever used. The volcano has cobalt laminated steel and while not as long lasting as the juni's edge it takes a long while before you feel like it's crapping out on you. Given the choice, I would not venture into mother nature's living room without at least one of three I mentioned and since I do have the choice I take all three plus a roselli axe and an auto or a flipper. Never have too many knives on me for my liking. Good luck with your search, that's half the enjoyment
 
80CVR2 and 3v are showing up a lot and there is a reason for that IMO! At least in the carbon world.

I also like CPM154, S35VN, ATS34 in stainless. Have had reasonable good experiences with VG10 as well.
 
Ideal Steel?

Within one's price range - Everyone has a different idea of how much is too much.
One's preference of edge retention - Stays sharp long enough that one can tolerate having to resharpen again.
One's idea of strength - Some say 440C is plenty strong, some say 1095 is the way to go, while others must have the latest super steel forged from a dying star that fell into mt doom.
 
DAVE_M said:
Ideal Steel?

Within one's price range - Everyone has a different idea of how much is too much.
One's preference of edge retention - Stays sharp long enough that one can tolerate having to resharpen again.
One's idea of strength - Some say 440C is plenty strong, some say 1095 is the way to go, while others must have the latest super steel forged from a dying star that fell into mt doom.
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price range ...and biases. I'm taking your point on your 440c for instance. It gets a pretty undeserved bad rap in some cases (a lot of times based on other steels from a bad company or china which are marked "440" but arent the same AT ALL) I've used it for over 15 years and not had a problem, including batonning, chopping and some other pretty rough work besides. this steel has actually impressed me a lot over the years for what is considered "not too tough" and the only reason i use others in some cases is other people's biases of it. It's all relative... like saying "which MMA fighter is tougher" Sure, some are tougher than others, but if you had to fight one, i guarantee all are way tougher than you'll need in most cases.
 
n7titan said:
.... 1095 is more like the common leather used in shoes, it's proven, it's tough, it works. NOW buying the same shoe over and over is akin to buying the same knife over and over again, not the same steel. Heat treatment variations can make 1095 really good or really bad, just like cheap and expensive leather shoes.
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To expand on this analogy, you could say the OP thinks cow leather is boring and wants not a new model of shoe, but a shoe made of a different (possibly better) kind of leather. In that case I would say elk hide all day! :)
 
Mecha said:
To expand on this analogy, you could say the OP thinks cow leather is boring and wants not a new model of shoe, but a shoe made of a different (possibly better) kind of leather. In that case I would say elk hide all day! :)
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nah... Im gonna go out on a limb here and say that someone would take an already existing type of leather, and do their own proprietary tanning on it and then market it as a new "super leather" that only exists in their cobbler shop, and it's better than all the other leathers that you can get out there for your shoes. they would likely get a huge following of people who think that no other leather comes close... like a legend of sorts.
 
1095 works, and if heat treat was done correctly, it will stay sharp, and be easier to sharpen in the field if needed. I too am also trying other carbon steels such as a2, 01, L6, 52100, and some d2. 01 so far has been the one I use the most. My sharpening skills are lacking, so a steel that will keep an edge and yet is forgiving to my efforts is great, until I become more proficient. The super steels will hold an edge forever, but when it comes to sharpening it later, it can be a bear (my opinion only). Again, it also can depend on the user's experience. So I say, any well heat treated steel, and combined to the experience of the user have to be considered.
 
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Revolverrodger said:
Rusty this is an interesting marketing ploy that would get people hooked on for INFInity
;)
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or at least V times as long as if it were just marketed as another more plain steel... something catchy like "leather V" ...sorry, working on my roman numerals for school.
 
W2
1084
1085/SK5
1095
O-1
A2
52100
5160
L6
3V
Cruwear/PD#1/Z wear
4V/Vandis 4E
Cruforge

Lots of other good ones
 
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