How do you decide which steel you'll use for a run of different knives? I know you've been using 10V lately and performs very well.
What are your thoughts between 4V and 10V ? Is one slightly better in your opinion in terms of staining, corrosion resistance, working with, popularity of a steel.
Personally, I'm more than happy that you use a variety of different steels. I wouldn't have so many of your knives if you used just one steel.
Have you ever made any small knives? Like a neck knife size. Or one smaller than the Personal EDC knife you make.
I do take into consideration when I start a knife what the intended uses might be. If there is possibility of really hard use I will choose 3V.
If I expect the knife to see a lot of use around water I would look toward S30V or S90V.
Or, if purely unbridled cutting and slicing is what I plan it will be made from THIN 10V.
Some of the time it is a steel that a customer has asked for and I will do a small batch with their knife as one.
However, a lot of times I don't think about it a lot and just make a few knives from whichever steel I want to use at that time.
Between 4V and 10V? These are very different performers.
4V will without a doubt stain quicker than 10V, and most any other steels for that matter.
I have said many times that I find it to be the perfect marriage between M4 and 3V.
4V will take a Screaming sharp edge like M4, but is has much of the toughness of 3V.
I have a small 4V machete that I am testing right now. Although it is thin and light the thin edge geometry is very stable in chopping.
But, I have not made a large knife from 10V yet to compare those characteristics. It is something I would like to do though.
4V can also be a pain to grind and finish, a little more so it seemed than previous 10V knives.
10V will definitely hold and edge longer, and my current 10V heat treat is giving me very respectable stain resistance, IMO.
I have made a couple small knives, 3 finger knives, or the like.
Not something I do much of because it is not something I like working with.
I, personally, do not like working with blades that have less than 4" handle.