Question on steels

T

THG

Joined
May 18, 2008
Messages
3,644
Hey, I'm interested in purchasing a knife for daily cutting tasks... Just anything that might come up. Stuff can range from cardboard boxes to that plastic string used for weed whackers.

I'm looking at these three metals mainly:

VG-10 - Supposedly has high resistance to corrosion, can take a good edge, but doesn't keep an edge as long, correct?

D2 - Has medium resistance to corrosion, can take a decent edge, and can keep a good edge, yes?

S30V - Has good resistance to corrosion, can take a good edge, and can keep a good edge. How true is this "micro-chipping" thing?

Knives I am looking at:

Benchmade Kulgera (S30V) http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=11130

Benchmade McHenry Williams 710 (D2) http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=7582

Spyderco Endura 4 (VG-10) http://www.thebladeshop.com/Spyderco_Endura_4_Wave_Gray_FRN_Handle_ComboEdg_p/c10psgyw.htm

So which of these three do you think will best suit me in terms of the steel?

And also a random question: which lock is stronger between lock-back and Axis?

Thanks.
 
I own all steels and have never had any major problem with s30v chipping.
Its the best out of the 3 for a smaller sized blade. IMO
 
I have knives that I EDC in all 3 steels. My cutting chores range from cardboard/nylon strapping/computer wiring in a warehouse to gardening/trimming at home to fuzz sticks for campfires. All 3 have performed well for me. All blades are coated with Tuff-Glide the first time I use them.

S30V - Most of my current crop of knives are S30V now. No chipping issues at all with any of them and some of them are 18 months old now. A little more time consuming to sharpen but it does hold an edge very well and is very corrosion resistant. I've had them in the woods camping, in the warehouse working, and at the ocean (not in the water, though) and have had no issues. This is probably my favorite folder steel. I usually polish my S30V edges on Sharpmaker U/F stones and they get well beyond shaving sharp.

D2 & CPMD2 - I've used this one less than the other two. I have 4 folders in this steel, 2 BMs and 2 Spydercos. I'm more careful with this one, but I still have had no corrosion issues. It takes me more time than either of the others to sharpen to my satisfction and it seems to like a bit toothier edge than S30V and VG10. My Cabelas Grips are good workers and they hold an edge very well, I just don't polish them like I do S30V and VG10.

VG10 is probably the best all around steel in the bunch. I've done quite a bit with Spyderco's VG10 in Delicas and Caly 3s. It's is a great combination of toughness, corrosion resistance, edge holding, and ease of sharpeing. It's not the king in any of these areas, but it's a good solid performer in all of them. I polish my VG10 edges, too, and it will easily push cut and filet phone book pages. BTW, my Delica 4s (and Enduras, I'm sure) are extremely tough knives... almost bulletproof. I used one at work for years and even dropped it onto the concrete warehouse floor from up in the racks (10' up or more) with no harm done. I've had a VG10 D3 in the Atlantic underwater with no corrosion issues (Tuff-Glide bath when we got home).

Another steel that is a good all around folder steel is 154CM or CPM154. I think of it in the same way that I do VG10, a good performer with few issues.

HTH,
 
You've got good taste, all three are good knives.

Of the three I prefer the 710D2, a lot of knife but well designed, solid/comfortable workhorse that will hold it's value well if you ever decide to trade up/down later.
I prefer the thumbstuds and axis lock over the spydy's..

Oh yeah, keeps a great edge also.

-JMHO !! -Ron
 
The Top steels will perform very well. Do yourself a favor and have one of your knives sharpened by Tom Krein. That knife will be your best cutter. Lock-back and the Axis lock, I would say, are equal in strength. Have fun. :)
 
Great. Thanks for the info, guys. I think I'm going to go with the 930 Kulgera in S30V

dalefuller said:
I usually polish my S30V edges on Sharpmaker U/F stones and they get well beyond shaving sharp.
Click to expand...

Is that the Spyderco Sharpmaker you're talking about? What do you think of it?

Also, would you say that this is a good sharpener:

http://theconsumerlink.com/product_...HININGTECHNOLOGY&T1=TCL+ADELUXE&navStart=118&.

It's a DMT "Aligner." You can set your blade to a fixed angle and move it forward to sharpen. Is this any good?
 
Hi THG...

Yes, that's Spyderco's latest Sharpmaker with both 40 degree and 30 degree angles. I got a set of the ultrafine rods a while back and I use them to polish an edge after I get it sharpened on the medium or fine rods. If I touch up my blades once a week or so, I can often use only the U/F rods to restore the edge, sort of like stropping to restore an edge without doing any actual metal removal.

I have the Sharpmaker for frequent use, an Edge Pro Apex for rebeveling or fixing damaged edges, and a DMT Diafold (Duofold?) that I keep in a bag in my Jeep. It the green/white one with a fine diamond / ceramic combination.

I've never used DMT's Aligner so someone else will have to speak about it, but I like the Diafold that I have and I've liked the DMT benchstones that I've had in the past. DMT has an excellent reputation and a lot of fans here on the forums.

My personal experience has been that sharpening is as much about your technique as it is your gear. If you get good equipment and learn to use it, you're going to get good results whether you freehand or use a system. The key is to learn how to use the system you have and practice... practice... practice... practice. I like the Sharpmaker for it's simplicity and flexibility. If 30 degree or 40 degree angles don't suit you, you can flip the base over, lay the rods in two grooves side-by-side, and you have a workable benchstone that will let you freehand sharpen at any angle you want. And it all sets up and breaks down in under 30 seconds.
 
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You´ve made the best choice IMHO, to take the folder that pleaes you most. Steel grade is secondary between those three.

I think the Sharpmaker is something you can easiely live without. As with any other sharpening eqiupment.

Think about free hand sharpening and get a cheap knife to learn with.

A handful of different grit stones and you are able to do to blades whatever you like. It is not that difficult to keep an angle.

No Sharpmaker will take over the attention you have to pay.
 
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