Newbie needs HELP here. what type of steel do I need for my knives?

J

Jdawson01

Joined
Apr 30, 2016
Messages
9
Hey folks, so I'm completely new to the world of knives. I've been researching different types of steel for different purposes of knives and I'm still lost. I'm looking at getting 3 knives, each for a different purpose and I'm not sure what type of steel I need for each knife. The first knife would be an EDC knife used for anything from boxes, to (hopefully never needed) self defense. The second knife would be a survival knife, much like a ka-bar for wood cutting, chopping, etc. The last knife would be a skinning knife for deer and hogs. I'm looking at higher end knives and so far I've seen quite a few types of steel that seem appealing (i.e. d2 steel, aus-8, 1095, etc). Can anyone point a newbie like me in the right direction for each type of knife? Thanks in advance.
 
Last edited:
Welcome man.

For EDC steel type isn't a big deal in my eyes but I personally love s35vn/s30v, vg10, or even just plain old 440c. Even 8cr works well for light use. For a camp/woods knife, 1095 is always a solid choice.

I don't hunt, so can't chime in on a skinning knife from experience but d2 would be a good steel for the application.

More important than steel type, is blade grinds, and heat treat though!

good luck with your search.
 
That's what I was figuring so far. Aside from the edc which will take mild-medium abuse. I want a semi durable steel for that application.
 
Welcome!
Well we can definitely give you some advice, but what price range are you looking at for each category? Also what blade sizes do think you'd prefer?
 
Ya I think a price range and more specific sizes will help get some suggestions for specific knives.
But as for steels you can find a lot of edc knives that are more than suitable in a lot of knives. I like spyderco(s30v or s35v)for edc, or a traditional style pocket knife.
Woods(survival) knife I like 1095 or A2 generally.
Skinning knife is 1095 all the time every time.
You will be amazed at the options once you get more specific. Ask lots and you will be amazed at the amount of knowledge these guys have to offer.
 
Agreed price limits are needed

For a new knife guy anything by some of the big makers will suit you
I'd look for one with a kick butt warranty (I don't know how you use your knives)

For your edc make sure you know your local knife laws since you'll be carrying it .

I can recommend anything from spyderco , benchmade (usa class) I haven't personally had an Emerson but wouldn't be afraid too their just dated to me. :)

I like big folders for edc. Zt 452, BM bedlam ,onslaught , spyderco military and catcherman ect.
But lately I have been carrying a smaller sheeple friendly knife as well (or friendlier lol)

As far as the kabar I don't recommend it as a survival knife way better tools out there .
it will work and is iconic. But not the best tool for survival and bushcraft


Like I said we need price range to help their are thousands of knives out there that will fill the roles you are looking for
 
Oh yea as a noob you really wont.notice.much difference in steel because you don't have much past experience to compare it to .

All knife steels have the potential to do their intended job very well as long as they are heat treated correctly.

For a noob stainless will be easier for you to maintain. If you have a little diligence a carbon blade will be fine as well (easier to sharpen for most noob s except d2 lol)

That's going to be the biggest difference a noob will notice is that one's rusts easier then the other and some are harder to sharpen or get ect

My favorite carbon steels are anything with a good heat treat plus 1095 1086
D2,02 (stainless ish) 52100

Stainless are
Old school ats 34 (yea I know )
154 cm
Cpm 154
S30v

Just got my first cpm d2 blade very anxious to try it out
S35v
Tons more
 
Well i had a nice reply typed out, then i goofed and deleted it.
Let me try again.

To break it down, the biggest category for steels is stainless or non stainless (often called carbon steel). For EDC, most people choose stainless for ease of maintenance and edge holding. If you decided you want a carbon steel, your options are going to mainly consist of traditional pattern knives, and the steel is most commonly going to be 1095.

440C and Aus8 are what i consider to be the "basic stainless", meaning that they arent the best, but they certainly function fine. They used to be the best steels, and they still perform and can be great, but they are overshadowed by better steels. S30V has become extremely common (you could argue that it is the new "basic steel"), but for good reason- it holds an edge well, is relatively easy to sharpen, and it very stain resistant. It is probably the most common steel in modern knives just from observation. 154CM is another great steel, used by Benchmade. When you start to talk about S35V, M4, Elmax, etc, you start to get into the "super steel" category. These are more expensive steels that excel in edge holding, toughness, stain resistance, etc.

Now, you might just ask "Why wouldnt i just jump to the super steel immediately?", and my answer would be that although those steels are wonderful, the increase in performance between a super steel and S30V can actually be pretty small. I think as a beginner you probably would not be able to discern between one or the other, so i think it would be smarter to start with the cheaper option. So, if i had to advise you, id suggest finding a blade you like in S30V for EDC, it will be cheaper, easier to get, and probably a good "base" steel for you to start with.

For a survival knife, the only choice used to be a good carbon steel. However, the stainless steels today have become alot tougher than they used to, and so there has been an increase in stainless steel survival knives. I still prefer carbon steels, and for this i would suggest you go with either D2, O1, or 1095. These are three very common steels that can be found in many different styles of knife. For all around survival, i would look into a drop point or a spearpoint, these are simply very versatile shapes that will serve you better than a clip point, as on the kabar. there are also super steels in carbon, such as 3V, but for your uses i think it would be better to start with one of the more common steels.

Finally, for a skinning knife, you might prefer stainless for its edge holding ability, Really, for this activity the steel doesnt have to be a certain type, just go for what you like. Edge retention is probably the biggest thing to look at. Id suggest an upswept blade shape, such as the schrade sharpfinger, or you could look for an older Marbles Woodcraft knife online. They make wonderful skinning blades.

I hope this helps some, anybody who is more knowledgeable on steels can add to it:thumbup:
 
Teppojutsu said:
Oh yea as a noob you really wont.notice.much difference in steel because you don't have much past experience to compare it to .

All knife steels have the potential to do their intended job very well as long as they are heat treated correctly.

For a noob stainless will be easier for you to maintain. If you have a little diligence a carbon blade will be fine as well (easier to sharpen for most noob s except d2 lol)

That's going to be the biggest difference a noob will notice is that one's rusts easier then the other and some are harder to sharpen or get ect

My favorite carbon steels are anything with a good heat treat plus 1095 1086
D2,02 (stainless ish) 52100

Stainless are
Old school ats 34 (yea I know )
154 cm
Cpm 154
S30v

Just got my first cpm d2 blade very anxious to try it out
S35v
Tons more
Click to expand...

I have a knife from a maker in ats34 as my fishing knife, freaking sweet steel IMO.

I forgot d2 is a PITA to sharpen, not very newbie friendly.

vg10 is easy to sharpen. check out the spyderco delica.

1095 is also easy to sharpen, would be a great choice for a woods knife and a skinner.
 
Agreed some of my most.loved knives from my child hood where 440c and ats 34 (sorry I'm an 80s kid lol) though there is a LLLOOOTT of junk made with those steels .

I have turned fully serrated spydercos into plain edges from about 10 years of hard use and daily or weekly touch up sharpening :)

Sorry I didnt.mention elmax or pd-1 , m4 or any of the "other super steels" as
I figured a noob would be too hung up on the name lol :)
I do love my 0560 in elmax
 
I am certainly no expert and do not hold myself out to be a metallurgist but have been using knives for quite a long time in similar if not identical functions as you describe so allow me to share some basic experience based thoughts.

EDC folder reside much of the time in a humid even somewhat caustic environment, your pocket. I prefer stainless steel for pocket knives and, depending on what I'm doing or anticipating to be doing have a 154 steel (Emerson 154 CM), VG-10 (Spyderco) or AUS-8 (various). 154 steels are fine if not dated but if you want to carry an Emerson, that's what it will be. VG-10 has served me very well as has AUS-8, especially considering the price point of many knives that use AUS-8. I can beat the tar out of my AUS-8 RAT 1s or CS Voyagers without fear of damaging an "investment" and, if a folder is lost or stolen (greatest threat to an EDC folder) a $30 loss is easier to take than a $300 loss. All of the steels that I mentioned in this paragraph are not difficult to sharpen. That's important to me. I also have folders in CPM S35VN (Sebenza), M2 (BM 710) and H1 which is not, IMO, a general use SS but I am around and/or in salt water so much, I put up with its idiosyncrasies in exchange for the corrosion resistance and reasonable price. These latter knives, at least to me, are not general purpose EDC knives but, again, for me, are sort of special purpose. Likewise with my Adamas in D2; really like the knife and the steel ... for that knife.

Once we go to fixed blades, I want more ruggedness, less chance of chipping from impacts, more forgiveness from hard use (abuse) and, of course, ease of sharpening. Oh, and I don't like to spend an awful lot of money for user knives. Hence, I am a huge fan of the Becker Knife and Tool line-up. As mentioned by others in this thread, 1095 is great for these uses (millions of lawn mower blades can't all be wrong) and the added Chromium and Vanadium, along with KaBar's heat treat make for a very useful, reliable and affordable outdoorsman's blade. BK&T doesn't have an absolute monopoly on this category but the handles Becker designed for his larger sized knives lend themselves to longer use sessions without fatigue or discomfort;p and the warranty/CS is outstanding. 1095 is rugged, forgiving, affordable and, in case I forgot to mention, easy to sharpen. Sure they require more maintenance if you prefer to avoid patine but I'm careful to almost always wipe with either mineral oil or vasoline and always always dry carefully before stowing. I do mot store my knives long term in leather sheaths.

As for the skinner, that depends to some extent on where and how/where you intend to do you skinning. When skinning, I am usually not far from sharpening apparatus. When I skin, I have, at the very least, a butcher's steel with me - oftentimes a stone or fine diamond rod or more. The task is so much easier with a sharp edge. I've used a variety of knives for skinning but have gotten the best results, for me - under my circumstances as described, from 1095/1095CroVan, A2 (Chris Reeves One Piece Range "Skinner/Ubejane" and 52100, usually older in Marbles knives in the case of the latter. If I were without sharpening stuff and longer edge retention were a concern, D2 or one of the new Super Steels would be one of my top choice and, if straying from "carbon steel" in this function, D2 is about as far as I would stray notwithstanding the apparent better performance and edge retention of the alphabetical/numeric and catchy named Super Steels.

I've field dressed, skinned and/or filleted all manner of critters (fowl, fur and fin) as well as hundreds of deer - many with a Buck 110 or Buck fixed blades. My trusty Busse Basic #7 has done amazing work in short order on elk and mule deer and a Victorinox was once placed into service to field dress a whitetail though I did wind up leaving a corner of my thumb somewhere up around the esophagus of that deer.:eek:

As for good steels that have been time tested and time honored versus "super steels" only you can decide if the incremental difference in performance, which apparently really does exist, is worth the extra money and oftentimes extra hassle sharpening. I like to keep my edges keen which involves frequent dressing of the edge rather than infrequent grinding sessions.

All of this is only my admittedly old school thoughts based upon my experiences. YMMV.

Happy hunting!
 
Last edited:
Wow I didn't expect so many great replies so fast, thank you all. To help with some of the questions I would like my budget to stay under $200-250 per knife. The EDC knife I want to be a fixed blade and stand out looks wise also as well as be functional, so far I've found borka blades to be BY FAR my favorite, however the price tag on borka blades is insane. As for the survival style knife, I want something larger similar to a bowie that can also be multi function (I.e. have a serrated edge for sawing) and durable enough for wood cutting, and plenty of abuse, again this price tag would preferably be below 200-250. The skinning knife I want something small and ergonomic that holds a sharp edge for a long time. I'm not worried about a blade that's tough to sharpen, I can get proper sharpening stones etc and figure that out, however for the skinning knife I would prefer to stay around $100 (that sounds reasonable for a knife with a 2-2 1/2 inch blade.) I am former military and collect a lot of guns and AR's, I just want these knives to last yearssss as long as they are well taken care of so high end durability is appealing to me.
 
Just as a side note, serrations aren't for sawing, they are good for rope, cord and fibrous materials and provide more cutting edge per blade length. In all serious, no sarcasm whatsoever intended, for sawing wood, get a saw. Lightweight, inexpensive folding saws abound and are handy ... much better than a blade - serrated or not.

If you want to be in the $200 - $250 range for your heavy use field knife I would really suggest a Becker BK9 AND a BK2 (1/4" shorter beast of a knife!) or a BK10. Another two blade under your budget combo for tough field usage would be a BK 21 or BK 4 fro your chopper/lopper wood splitter and a smaller Becker such as a BK2 (1/4" beast) a BK10 (similar but thinner) or a BK7 is may not excel at any particular task but is a very useful size/shape/weight arrangement.

A pair of Beckers will service your field needs for a lifetime given care and reasonableness of tough use. If you are good at shopping the internet, any of the two Becker combos I suggested would be under $250 with perhaps enough left over to get you a Becker "Tweener" or in-between size blade (BK 15, 16 or 17) as well. Going even smaller, the BK11, worn around the neck with ranger bands and a little push button light under the band (cut piece of bicycle inner tube) is a very, very handy knife with a unique handle that according to what I have been told can use to open a beer bottle. :rolleyes::cool:

I know it sounds like I am really pushing you towards Becker for your field knife so I should disclose that I have not pecuniary interest whatsoever but have become a fan given their value, durability and design. Then there's Ethan Becker - a man who stands behind his product, has considerable time in the woods and is an all around class act.

Again, Happy hunting!
 
Jdawson01 said:
Hey folks, so I'm completely new to the world of knives. I've been researching different types of steel for different purposes of knives and I'm still lost. I'm looking at getting 3 knives, each for a different purpose and I'm not sure what type of steel I need for each knife. The first knife would be an EDC knife used for anything from boxes, to (hopefully never needed) self defense. The second knife would be a survival knife, much like a ka-bar for wood cutting, chopping, etc. The last knife would be a skinning knife for deer and hogs. I'm looking at higher end knives and so far I've seen quite a few types of steel that seem appealing (i.e. d2 steel, aus-8, 1095, etc). Can anyone point a newbie like me in the right direction for each type of knife? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

For you being new....steel doesn't matter much as long as you get a good, name brand knife.

And there is no point whatsoever starting with high end knives. It's a waste of your money.

And forget about self defense with a knife. It's like taking into account how well your knife will take a lightning strike. Wasting your time.

Get a Spyderco Delica or Benchmade Griptian as a "modern" folder.

Get a Victorinox SAK. I'd suggest a Super Tinker or Alox Farmer depending on your needs.

Get the classic USMC Kabar.

And you are set with 3 great knives in great working steels.

Use them, then maybe start thinking about steels and other minutiae. You may find you are completely satisfied with those 3. Many, many here are.
 
For a folder look at the Hk axis. For survival go for a Becker or an Ontario rat fixed blade and a folding saw. For skinning any skinning knife will do hell some use a Swiss Army knife for skinning. Buy a cheap mtech folding knife as well to practice sharpening.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I notice this is in Shop Talk... are you planning on making these knives? Are they gonna be custom made knives? Or are you just looking for production knives?

At any rate, it sounds like you're just looking for some quality knives. Personally, I wouldn't get too hung up on any specific type of steel for the listed roles. As long as it's a semi-decent steel that you can effectively sharpen, you should fine. The best steel in the world is useless if you can't sharpen it. The other question is how well you want to take care of it. If you go with a carbon steel like 1095, for instance, you'll want to keep it clean, oil it from time to time, and expect a patina from use. Stainless steels need cared for as well, but are a bit more forgiving.

As or the self defense role, I'll agree with marcinek. Not only is the chance you'll need to defend your life (hopefully) slim to none for most people, but choosing a knife would probably be my absolute last resort. There are many much more reasonable and effective options for that role.

Survival/Woods knife: Again, steel isn't super critical, as long as you can sharpen it. If you're planning on felling trees and processing wood all day, I'd pack a saw and/or an axe before I brought a knife. No single knife is going to do EVERYTHING as well as a dedicated tool would, and everybody has different techniques and preferences for what a "survival" or "bushcrafting" knife should look like.

Skinning/hunting: Again, sharpen-ability is the main thing here. Obviously you probably don't want a sword, but not a little pen knife either. Probably something with a little belly and an up-swept point, and a decent grip for when it gets slick with blood and guts. I've seen guys use almost anything for skinning/dressing animals. It's probably as much a technique and preference thing as the "survival" knife.

Given your budget, I'd say you have a pretty good chance of finding something you like in any category.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top