Looking to upgrade

T

Tacticaltimmy12

Joined
Jun 7, 2015
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So I've only used budget steels like 440c, 8cr13mov, 420hc, etc..., mainly because I haven't been able to afford anything better and also because of ease of sharpening. I'm finally looking to upgrade to a better steel. I'm looking for something that will hold an edge a lot longer like s30v, etc., but isn't horribly hard to sharpen. I was looking into a Benchmade 940 (love the design) but the $170-$180 price tag is a little much right now. Can anybody recommend something more budget friendly but that is a better steel?
Thanks guys,

Christian
 
I should also add that I'm not an expert at sharpening and I only freehand, I don't use fixed angle systems. I can get a near hair whittling edge on all my budget steel blades, so I'm competent. I just don't want something that's very hard to sharpen.
 
- Kershaw Link&Divident M390
- (Upcoming) Kershaw Natrix D2/Copper
- Steelwill Cut Jack D2
- Boker Lateralus D2
- Ontario Rat 1 / 2 D2/CF

Some random suggestions you can't really go wrong with.
 
I'd take some money now and buy some diamond sharpening stuff, then in a couple months pick up what you actually like rather than what you can fit into you budget right now.
 
In that price range I would look more at VG-10 & CPM-154 as the next step up. You can find some S30V, or better S35VN, but it is tough and will hit the higher point of your budget and will be tougher to sharpen than those other 2.
 
I have heard Buck's S30V is very well heat treated. Their knives also have good blade geometry. Might try them.

A knife that I love that holds a good edge, yet is easy to sharpen. Great action and good quality for the price. Real Steel's Sea Eagle. Great knife, great price!

Spyderco might be the way to go. Benchmade griptilian is getting up there in price, but very good knife.
 
Spyderco Delica/Endura (VG-10); Cold Steel American Lawman/Code 4 (CTS-XHP); Benchmade Grip/Mini Grip (154CM); Ontario Rat 1/2 (D2). There are many more options in your price range.
 
Cold steel, Kizer, Spyderco, should all have options for you.

I would probably go with Kizer for S35VN or Cold Steel for a longer wearing steel, if.you don't mind a back lock style of lock actuation.
 
GermanyChris said:
I'd take some money now and buy some diamond sharpening stuff, then in a couple months pick up what you actually like rather than what you can fit into you budget right now.
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That's not a bad idea. I generally prefer water stones or arkansas stones for sharpening, since diamonds are a little rough, but I can't argue that diamonds are the way to go for getting tough super steel under control.
 
try out a rat 1 or 2 in D2 steel. doesn't break the bank and get more performance than the other steel you mentioned.

cold steel xhp if available (they recently switched to s35vn) is also another high performance steel. cut tests show better than s35vn.

m390, 20cv, 204p are the same steels and would be a good alternative that performs very well in the current crop super steels. easier to sharpen than some. Kershaw has a budget knife in m390 recently.

what kind of sharpening stones and strops do you currently have?

diamond and CBN will be dramatically faster. SiC is not too shabby either.
 
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154CM from Benchmade would be a step up, in your price range, and it would fit your criteria of better edge holding than you have now and still be pretty easy to work with. D2 properly heat treated can be a beast to work with if you don't have the right kit, but there are quite a few choices in your budget using D2.

M390 is another high end steel that is still pretty easy to sharpen, but nothing comes to mind in your budget using M390 (or 20CV). As said above, Buck uses S30V in your price range and their HT is outstanding. It just may be a bit harder to work with than some other choices.

I assume you want a folder, but you didn't say. Also didn't say what size. Fixed blades are often going to be a bit less expensive than folders for the same materials if you want to go that route.
 
Tacticaltimmy12 said:
Really how hard is s30v to sharpen? I've heard everything from it's not bad to horror stories.
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I don't have any problem with it. I reset the knife's bevels on my Wicked Edge to 15 or 20 dps, whichever I want, and then touch it up on a SM or loaded strops.

A lot of other people have no trouble with it either. But some folks have stated that they have trouble with S30V, particularly if they aren't using higher end sharpening gear or are relatively inexperienced. It's just something to be aware of with that steel. It shouldn't put you off using S30V if you want a knife that comes with it. Eventually, you'll probably want to learn to work with it anyway since it's so popular with both hand makers and production companies.
 
:D Sweet ^^. I figured there were some out there... just didn't know what they were. Thanks for the "heads up!"
 
I have a Link in s35vn. I am not a big Kershaw fan, but that is a great knife.
Joe
 
Tacticaltimmy12 said:
That's not a bad idea. I generally prefer water stones or arkansas stones for sharpening, since diamonds are a little rough, but I can't argue that diamonds are the way to go for getting tough super steel under control.
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Try putting water with a little bit of dish soap on your diamond stones when using them. It’ll smooth them right out.
 
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