New to Knives - Blade Steel Recommendations?

C

Concertslover

Joined
Oct 20, 2014
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I have yet to purchase my first blade. As a matter of fact, I have not even decided between folder or fixed blade knife yet. I am curious though if I should look for like a minimum blade steel type for functional use. I recently read a relative chart comparing many different types of material. Would you suggest edge retention as the primary need or some other factor? Thanks for any advice.
 
Aus8/Aus8a is a great "starter" steel and I still use several knives with this proven Japanese Steel. Also there are tons of awesome knives available in Aus8. I wouldn't worry about edge retention as the "super steels" take a lot of skill to sharpen. Aus8 doesn't hold an edge forever but sharpens up very quickly. Get a double sided sharpener with a coarse side and a finer side, and watch some youtube videos to learn basic technique. I recommend the Worksharp pictured below as it has coarse, fine, ceramic, leather All in one. It also has 20 degree guides to keep you consistent with the grind angle.

Folder: Ontario Rat 1 or Cold Steel Mini Recon 1
Fixed: Cold Steel SRK or SOG Seal Pup Elite.




 
Yea Aus8 is good and can get really sharp but I have found that the 8Cr13MoV steel in a lot of Kershaw budget knives is also a good starting steel. It is easy to sharpen and holds an edge alright for every day use. If you want to spend a little more, the VG-10 that Spyderco uses is my favorite steel right now. Its not a super steel but it is very rust resistant, can get shaving sharp and is really easy to maintain. I am by no means an expert on steels like some of the people on here are or claim to be but thats just my opinion! Good luck on your first purchase and let us know what you decide on getting!!
 
What is your budget and what will you be using the knife for? AUS8 and 8cr13mov are respectable steels, but if you're cutting carpet all day then I'd recommend something that's a lot more abrasion resistant than those two, or even VG10 for that matter. If you're just looking for a daily carry for basic tasks a Spyderco Delica or Endura or, if you prefer American made, Kershaw Skyline or Blur are all very good performers for not a lot of coin. If you're looking for harder or more specialized use let us know and we can give your more feedback and better recommendations.

Edit: Since you're asking about steel, the Delica and Endura are made with VG10 and the base model Skyline and Blur use 14c28n.
 
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To address your question more directly, I generally won't go below 420HC for blade steel. Above that line, pretty much anything will handle my day-to-day tasks and if I need to do extended cutting I can usually plan for it and grab something with better wear resistance.
 
singularity35 said:
I suggest a knife that fits.your needs. Steel choice is also secondary to the design.
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Welcome. Singularity nailed it. The design of the blade, and how that design lets the blade do the tasks you want it to do is WAY more important at this point. Right now, the steel that any respected maker used will be more than fine.

So... the big questions you need to answer for us are:

1) fixed or folding?
2) what do you want to do with your knife?
3) how much do you want to spend?

Think about and answer those, and we can help you out.

Worry about steel later.
 
If this is your first knife ever, may I humbly suggest a Victorinox Alox. They come in a variey of styles and colors to suit your needs. They are not intimidating to non-knife people. They are also a great first multitool. They are light and unobtrusive in the pocket. And they are high quality knives that you will keep forever.

As you use this knife you will get a better idea of what you want in your next knife. Even when you move on to full blown knife addiction, you will always have your pluckly Alox around to remind you of how you got started. Trust me, even when you end up with >$500 higher end knives, the Alox is still a wonderfully useful knife to have.
 
I agree...don't get hung up on steel at this point. Find a knife you like that fits your purposes. If you start obsessing over steel this early in the game you may find the hobby to be less enjoyable overall.

Steel can easily become a 'head' thing---and most don't even realize it when it happens. Your steel knowledge and familiarity will come with time. There is much more to a knife than the type of steel stamped on the blade.

A guideline: If you really like a knife, buy it---even if it's 440 steel. I usually use AUS-8 as a "minimum" steel quality. Most steels will probably sharpen nicely for about anything you'd want to do. IMO steel should be related to PURPOSE more than anything.
 
For beginners, I suggect 8cr13mov, AUS8, or 440c. They hold decent edges, are good steels for edc and are easy to sharpen / easy to learn to sharpen on. But once you get the hang of it, you'll want to get into better steels.

As for fixed blade vs folding blade. It depends what you want the knife for. Do you want to baton wood, and use it for heavy duty tasks? Or do you want something to carry at all times to open boxes, cut through cordage and any other minor task.

If you want to split wood and abuse a knife while completing really heavy duty jobs, I suggest a fixed blade with 1095 carbon steel. Kabar and esee are pretty good places to start.

If you want a knife to carry around in public in your pocket, then get a folding blade with elmax, 154cm, vg10, s30v, s35vn or something similar. People say Elmax chips, but hve never experienced chipping in my Kershaw blur and I've had it about a year
 
s110v.. I was unaware that there were other steels.. I'll have to look into it.
 
Honestly, the only steels I've ever noticed being "bad" were things like 3crmov. Everything else has been completely usable. That said, I don't own any "high end" steels.

I'd be more worried about what you want the knife to do, and what budget you have. Once you find the type and price range, then look at what is available. From there you can start trying to decide which of the available steels in the available models that fit your requirements better fits your needs.

And honestly, many knives in the same price ranges, meant for the same type of use feature really similar steels anyway. So while the number of steels out there might be mind boggling, you'll end up learning the basics of just a handful of what is out there.

Good luck :).
 
Like what others have said, knowing more about what you want to do with your knife and a budget would help a whole lot.
 
I hope Concertslover doesn't mind me jumping in, but I'm also a newbie with a similar set of questions.

I'm looking for a fixed blade, skinning knife for small game. It would get quite a bit of use, so some semblance of decent edge retention would be preferred. And a shorter blade of around 3 inches or less for navigating through "tight corners" so-to-speak would be nice too.
 
dejard said:
I hope Concertslover doesn't mind me jumping in, but I'm also a newbie with a similar set of questions.

I'm looking for a fixed blade, skinning knife for small game. It would get quite a bit of use, so some semblance of decent edge retention would be preferred. And a shorter blade of around 3 inches or less for navigating through "tight corners" so-to-speak would be nice too.
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You may want to start a new thread, as your question could be easily overlooked. That said, take a look at the A.G. Russell Bird and Trout in either ATS-34 or D2. D2 will give you better edge retention, but is only semi-stainless so it will require more care.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
You may want to start a new thread, as your question could be easily overlooked. That said, take a look at the A.G. Russell Bird and Trout in either ATS-34 or D2. D2 will give you better edge retention, but is only semi-stainless so it will require more care.
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Thank you, Insipid Moniker. Much appreciated.
 
Thanks for the input and yes I agree that I have decisions to make before steel becomes the issue. I just thought that choice being personal for the actual knife it would be a good first post question to ask what you guys thought of certain steels when it came to knives and if there were any that ought to be avoided. I appreciate the advice.
 
Hanover Fiste said:
If this is your first knife ever, may I humbly suggest a Victorinox Alox. They come in a variey of styles and colors to suit your needs. They are not intimidating to non-knife people. They are also a great first multitool. They are light and unobtrusive in the pocket. And they are high quality knives that you will keep forever.

As you use this knife you will get a better idea of what you want in your next knife. Even when you move on to full blown knife addiction, you will always have your pluckly Alox around to remind you of how you got started. Trust me, even when you end up with >$500 higher end knives, the Alox is still a wonderfully useful knife to have.
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I have to second this. No matter what else you get, there will always be a need for a decent folder in your collection. Working in the office? An Alox knife will meet the task. Out on a date? Once again, a Vic Alox fits the bill. Traveling? You guessed it. Any Alox knife is great to carry when you are on the road. You will never find a knife better to travel with. Super easy to sharpen too.

I would suggest the Victorinox Pioneer series or maybe the Cadet model. Swiss soldiers were issued a knife based upon the Alox Pioneer from 1962-2008. If you want the military version, look online for a Victorinox "Soldier" or a Wenger "Standard Issue". A well proven design from a well respected company.

Please let us know what you end up with.
 
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