Looking for easy(ish) to finish Stainless besides CPM145 or RWL 34

[Mike Fennessy]

I've been using O1 for years but I'm looking to start making some knives out of stainless. I've used CPM145 and love it because of the finish you can get but it's getting hard to find. I know RWL 34 is basically the same thing but it's even harder to find in the US.

What are some other stainless steels that aren't a pain to get a mirror finish on? I've done a lot of searching but don't have ANY first hand knowledge of using any other stainless steels, so even if you think what you know is obvious, I'd still love to hear it.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[SBuzek]

440-C will take a nice polish and make a good knife if Heatreated properly.
Stan

 

[cotdt]

AEB-L, 13C26, and 12C27 are very easy to grind and mirror polish. They are also affordable.

 

[Bruce Bump]

AEB-L, 13C26, and 12C27 are very easy to grind and mirror polish. They are also affordable.

The 13c26 is from Sandvik. It polishes like a swiss army knife steel. Maybe because it is Swiss Made. I just started using it for my slip joints and also 19c27.
Check out August issue of Blade magazine page 74 and 75. Dream Steel