Knife testing

It depends on what qualities your looking for. toughness,edge holding, corrosion,
ease of sharpening, wear resistance different tests determine different qualities. It's not just the steel but how a maker performs heat treats and tempering. One makers 1095 may not be equal to another makers 1095. All makers have different therioes practices and secrets how they do this.
 
A simple evaluation of the whole knife would be:
1. See how easily it takes the kind of edge you want it to have.
2. See how well it holds the kind of edge you want it to have during "normal" (for you) cutting.
 
A simple but tough question. It seems in a proper test one would need the same knife (so to speak) but with different steels. You can test Ontario and Ka-bar D2 tool vs. high carbon 1095 steel in certain RAT and impact models. I've heard that 1095 takes and holds an edge better but D2 can take more abuse (bending and prying and resisting rust). There are so many knife steels out there and so many bladesmiths that with trade secrets and egotism clearly present in the industry one must decide for oneself. In other words, research the internet this way and try a few knives over time for yourself. I believe that non-stainless, high carbon steel (1095) takes and holds an edge better than any stainless. Crucible S30V is pricey but possibly compeditive with the 1095 while retaining stainless qualities. Damascus has a reputation for besting stainless under most any test. The only advantage of stainless that I'm aware of is it's resistance to rust and corrosion. This seems to be at a trade off to edge taking and holding. You can make a science out of anything but in the end the answer to your question is going to be religious or political or both. Too much money involved for a concencus on that answer. Am I all wet? Do I need a dose of chromium. I like this site
 
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