Pick your favorite steel for a custom build

J

JimJones

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Jul 19, 2017
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Hello
I’m getting my first custom and i have a choice between the following steels
N690
CTSB90
S35vn
ZFinit
CTS-XHP
M390
AEB-L
B75P
20CV
I spent a sometime on Google doing a little research but figured i would put out a post and see what everybody thinks mostly because i don’t have the time or the desire to do PhD level research in this matter

I’m tempted to go with the m390 just because of its popularity on the forums but from the brief reading i did on this subject some people were saying that AEB- L takes a laser beam like edge and is easier to sharpen than the "super" steels but it seems like this steel is more popular for kitchen knives. I have never sharpened any of these steels so i have no personal experience.


So what do you guys say what would you pick and why? And if you had the opportunity to spec the heat treat what would you spec?

The knife will be a EDC folder
 
From my (limited) experience I love 20cv in an EDC blade. It's pretty tough, VERY wear resistant, and very resistant to corrosion...I dont find it too difficult to sharpen but YMMV.
 
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JimJones said:
CTS-XHP
M390
. . .
20CV
Click to expand...

would all be in my wheel house . . . love these (no diff between M390 and 20CV; I don't have any 20CV)

Heat treat more important than the steel for the most part and edge geometry may be even more important than heat treat (as long as it is in the ball park).
e.g., of my two Benchmades in M390, one a 710 and one a Ritter Griptillan, the Grip is very noticeably superior because the behind the edge is much thinner (holds that edge longer too partly due to geometry).

Heat treat spec ?
For me the harder the better but . . .
don't cut wire ties.
 
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I really like S35VN so would lean towards that. That being said, I’d really like to give CTS-XHP a try.
 
That's quite an odd list of steels to be a choice for a custom knife. Something like N690 or AEB-L is worlds apart from M390 or 20CV.

I'd go with M390 or 20CV (identical steels, just different brands) at around 62 HRC. Just note it'll require some relatively good sharpening equipment to get a good edge.
 
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M390/20cv or XHP

M390/20cv...tough for a super steel, very corrosion resistant, great edge retention, not bad to sharpen for a super steel. Imo, most well balanced super steel

XHP..... takes screaming edge easily and holds it well. Easy to sharpen.
 
For smaller knives, M390/20CV(same thing, or so close they are EDC indistinguishable) is very hard to beat!! If I could only choose 2 steels to have/use for the rest of my life, it would be 20CV/M390 for smaller blades and CPM 3V for larger blades.

Aeb L is awesome when the heat treatment and blade geometry are good. Performs like a simple carbon steel, but is stainless. It holds a good edge, but not as good as M390/20CV, but is easier to sharpen/touch up and does get laser sharp like you heard. I would say it is more user friendly, if you are still learning to sharpen. Z-Finit is similar, acts like 52100 carbon steel, but VERY stainless. It is user friendly. I have some larger knives in it because of it's toughness, but if I wanted a smaller blade, I would go with Aeb L over it.

If you are decent at sharpening, go with M390. It is an incredible all around stainless steel, especially for a folder! Very good toughness, corrosion resistance, edge holding, ease of sharpening, edge stability, etc.

S35VN is another good all around steel. Easier to sharpen than M390/20CV.

Xhp is pretty awesome!

I have been wanting to try B75P, seems like a great steel.

All the other steels mentioned are fantastic! You can not go wrong with any of them. Heat treatment specs vary quite a bit! But to keep things simple, most ppl look at HRC, and for all the ones I mentioned, I would go 60-61 HRC for an all around EDC folder.
 
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Even though M390 and 20CV should be identical, I've had the best experience with 20CV. I'd go for 61-62HRC. You should also look at Z-Finit which is LC200N iirc.
 
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B75P is powder steel BG42. Good stuff and I'd take this or M390/20CV if I wanted stainless. Next up would be S35Vn, then XHP. AEB-L has not impressed me. If I want 52100 I'll take it , not a stainless steel that isn't all that stainless nor all that wear resistant. S35Vn is a solid choice all around and has very good, balanced attributes for the "premium/Super steel" category. It's almost as wear resistant as M390 but tougher. I have no experience with Z finit. No experience with CTS B90 ( pretty close to 440C) and don't feel any need to.

To be honest though if I was going custom I'd take none of the above. CPM Cruwear/PD#1/Z wear at rc 62-63 ( folder). Next choice would be 4V at the same hardness.
 
trevitrace said:
Not on the list. Do you have an opinion based on the question asked?
Click to expand...
Thought I read the op, but I guess I didn't.
Not familiar with any of the steels listed because that's not my area of interest, but people are always talking about the s35 one so I guess I'd be most inclined to want to try it out over the others.
 
Edc folder.... easy.... m390 with a decent heat treatment.

It's relatively easy to sharpen. Can get it to a screaming sharp edge. Holds a working edge for a while.

Makes for a hell of a slicer.
 
I own knives in N690 (custom friction), S35VN (several factory), ZFinit (Spydiechef, LC200N), CTS-XHP (Southard Tolk), and M390/20CV (ZT 770CF).

I would probably ask the maker for a recommendation first.

Otherwise, I would go for M390/20CV, as it sharpens easily, takes a very keep edge, and keeps it well. CTS-XHP is kinda similar and would be an alternative for me.

If rust resistance is the priority, ZFinit (LC200N) would be the first choice. It also sharpens easily and takes a very keen edge.

For sharpening, I find N690 the easiest among the above options.
 
Research the maker more than the steel since you haven’t mentioned who that is. See if you can find reviews on knives that others have received. Opinions from owners will tell you whether the heat treat, geometry and overall design of the knife is good, bad or exceptional. I highly doubt a maker worth his gold will offer a steel he can’t make perform to it’s expected level.
Talk to the maker about your expectations, sharpening experience and go from there. From the list you provided, I’ve read good things about them all except CTS-B90, don’t remember reading anything about that steel.
 
I’ll just assume good heat treat and proper edge geometry here. What is you sharpening ability like? Will you use it enough to need sharpening? How often? In my experience S35vn and Ctsxhp are quite easy to sharpen. The 20cv and m390 as far as I’m aware are same steel from different companies, (I have a knife in both)and are more difficult to sharpen but hold their edges longer. Edc means different things to dif people but I’ll assume packages, food prep, light yard work and for this just about any on your list should be fine really so it perhaps boils down to is there a price difference? Does that matter to you? Which steel sounds the most impressive when you’re showing it off?
 
M390 and CTS-XHP would be my top choices. M390 for myself, XHP for you. If sharpen-ability and keen edges are a big concern for you, XHP is a great choice. M390 isn't actually that difficult to sharpen, but it is tougher than some others. The wear resistance it has more than makes up for that tiny flaw though, haha.

The big plus for both of those steels is that they're very corrosion resistant(less maintenance).
 
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