So many different steels

Landshark99

Landshark99

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Jan 19, 2007
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901
Just did an inventory and noticed I have folding knives in 28 different steels, fixed knives in 11 steels and kitchen knives in 18 steels. I have 4 steels which show up in the folders and fixed. Just one steel in all three types, VG-10. There is the exception of Damascus which without know the steels used to make them, it would difficult to claim they are one steel or another
I found this interesting, where is everybody else at, do you have just a few different ones or like me quite a few
 
Do you have anything with BG42? That might be my favorite steel in a folder.

I have been on a crusade to find the best game processing knife that holds an edge through an elk. The S90v Altitude won't...but the bigger Saddle Mountain skinner also S90v will. A S30v blade was close to the S90v and chips less.

Pictured are the Readers Digest version of my hunting knives- leaving out about 15 I didn't use much. The old Buck 110 my dad gave me about 45 years ago has done at least 200 animals- mostly hogs.

I have 2 that I'm going to test; Cru wear from Spyderco....and Magna Cut from White River knives....
Edit- the site won't post a pic of my knives from my computer....I will link the White River Hunter...
White river knives
 
beendare said:
Do you have anything with BG42? That might be my favorite steel in a folder.

I have been on a crusade to find the best game processing knife that holds an edge through an elk. The S90v Altitude won't...but the bigger Saddle Mountain skinner also S90v will. A S30v blade was close to the S90v and chips less.

Pictured are the Readers Digest version of my hunting knives- leaving out about 15 I didn't use much. The old Buck 110 my dad gave me about 45 years ago has done at least 200 animals- mostly hogs.

I have 2 that I'm going to test; Cru wear from Spyderco....and Magna Cut from White River knives....
Edit- the site won't post a pic of my knives from my computer....I will link the White River Hunter...
White river knives
Click to expand...
I have BG-42 in a kitchen knife
 
Realizing some are almost the same here is a list as to how they are labled
Folder Steels
154-CM,CPM-M4, MAXMET, S90V,CPM-3V, CPM-154, CPM-20CV, S-110V, ELMAX, AR-RPM9, ATS-34, CTS-XHP, RWL-34, M390, M398, MAGNACUT, D2, S30V, S45VN, S35VN, Damascus, VANAX, LC200N, Vg-10, ZDP-189, 440A, Nitro-V, PM60, Damascus

Fixed Steels
N690, CPM-M4, ELMAX, CPM-3V, 3G, VG10, OU-31, 5160, 80CRV2, INFI, 1075

Kitchen Steels
Acoto440, Aogami Super 3, BG-42, Blue #1/Aogami #1/ Ao-Ko, Blue #2, Cowry X, Damascus, Hap40, R-2/SG2, S1, R-2/SG2, SKD, Sandvik19C27, Swedish Carbon, Vg-10,
White # 1, White # 2, Misc SS
 
I own few steels.

In folders:
8Cr13MoV
Aus10A
S35VN

Though I have owned maybe four times as many as that since I started buying knives, which isn't that much, given our era.

In customs that I have made, and kept for myself (that are still in my possession):
15N20
AEB-L
CPM 3V

I own other knives like my department store kitchen knife set, but they never get used, and I couldn't really tell you what they are anyway. If I had to guess, 420 of some kind, which, frankly, I can make work just fine for me with a little selective material removal. I reground the main knife in that set and used it exclusively, until I made myself a couple .06" 15N20 kitchen blades, which I love.
 
Steels I no longer possess (in the order they popped into my head):
LC200N aka Z-FiNit
14C28N
S30V
S110V
H1
CTS-XHP
AUS8A
M2
K390
VG10
VG1
440C
420J (pretty sure that's what my Canadian Tire Outbound knife was, it was super tough and seemed basically rustproof)
5Cr13MoV
CTS-204P
MagnaCut (how did I only remember this now: probably because I never had a production knife with it, only knives I made)
Which reminds me:
80CrV2
5160
1095
1084

And good ol "probably 1080ish" sawmill blade steel.


Ope, then the Cold Steel machetes in 1055 too.

ETA: Poor D2, can’t for yet you!

ETA: SR101

ETA: Cruwear

ETA: 9Cr14M0V and 9Cr18MoV

ETA: ZDP-189

ETA: 420HC (because I literally have one Buck knife!) - oops this one is supposed to go in the other post... oh well

ETA: Elmax
 
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5160, INFI, 420HC, AEBL, 1080, 1095, 440C and Damascus is what i own currently. I like almost all of them though!
 
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I'm of the "what steel is is blade made of? *Checks stamp on tang/side* ...oh yeah." variety. I will say that I sometimes will weigh the COST of a knife compared to a rival made with a "higher end" steel. However, I have nearly no loyalty to any steel currently.

If you make me pick a favorite, I would say Cruwear simply because I like how it behaves when I sharpen it, and Benchmade does a good job of keeping the edge thin.
 
Okay, I'm going to see if I can do this from memory. It helps that I have a fairly small collection.

MagnaCut
S45VN
M390
Elmax
VG-10
CPM-20CV
14C28N
D2
S30V
8Cr13MoV
H1
S35VN
AUS10
Undisclosed stainless (SAK, Case, etc.)

I couldn't quite do it from memory, had to look up three of them. Might have forgotten a couple, too -- but in any case, it's more than I would have guessed!
 
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