Spyderco steel

[Weslhg]

Is it worth the extra money for the super blue steel? I am new to all of this knife stuff so any help would be great.

 

[Comeuppance]

Eh, that really depends on what you use your knives for and how often. Super Blue has great edge retention and can have a very high hardness, but is FAR more prone to oxidation (patina, rust) and damage from impacts (chipping) than most steels you might be familiar with at this stage.

I would, quite honestly, recommend going with the VG-10 or S30V version of whatever knife you are looking at, because you probably won't be able to appreciate the difference until you have quite a bit of experience with different steels.

Edit: S30V and VG-10 are much lower-maintenance, as well. Those are steels you can use and just put right back in your pocket with minimal care. Super blue needs to be regularly coated with oil or marine tuff-glide, and should be wiped off after use. Get a good sharpening system (NOT A PULL-THROUGH) and practice and learn - you'll find there are price ranges where steels are almost interchangeable as long as you can touch up an edge.

Basically:
$10-60: 8Cr13MoV, AUS8A
$60-120: 154CM, S30V, VG-10
$120-200: CPM-154, M4, Elmax, CTS-XHP
$200+: M390, CTS-204p, S90V, S110V

All of these steels have their own individual properties, but typically have such similar edge retention that you aren't likely to notice day-to-day. Don't get too caught up in the steels as long as the price is right for what you're getting, and remember that the blade shapes and grinds will affect the edge retention and cutting abilities - not to mention your satisfaction with the knife - typically much more than the steels will in any given price range.

 

[willc]

I think the extra cost for Super Blue well worth it for me.
The edges I get are super sharp with minimal effort.

I regularly carry carbon steel blades and am quite often getting wet at work, be it sweat or rain, and none of my blades have rusted away in the past 35 years of carrying.
Sure some stainless steels will give you similar performance to carbon steels but usually at a higher cost.

Also I believe the Super Blue sprints are all laminated so that is something to consider if worried about corrosion.

 

[PatrickKnight]

I think the extra cost for Super Blue well worth it for me.
The edges I get are super sharp with minimal effort.

I regularly carry carbon steel blades and am quite often getting wet at work, be it sweat or rain, and none of my blades have rusted away in the past 35 years of carrying.
Sure some stainless steels will give you similar performance to carbon steels but usually at a higher cost.

Also I believe the Super Blue sprints are all laminated so that is something to consider if worried about corrosion.

The Endura and Delica are laminated but the Caly sprints are not.

From my limited experience with the steel I really like Super Blue (carried a friends Caly 3 in it) but my choice for edc is still VG10 (I carry a Caly 3.5).

 

[Weslhg]

Eh, that really depends on what you use your knives for and how often. Super Blue has great edge retention and can have a very high hardness, but is FAR more prone to oxidation (patina, rust) and damage from impacts (chipping) than most steels you might be familiar with at this stage.

I would, quite honestly, recommend going with the VG-10 or S30V version of whatever knife you are looking at, because you probably won't be able to appreciate the difference until you have quite a bit of experience with different steels.

Edit: S30V and VG-10 are much lower-maintenance, as well. Those are steels you can use and just put right back in your pocket with minimal care. Super blue needs to be regularly coated with oil or marine tuff-glide, and should be wiped off after use. Get a good sharpening system (NOT A PULL-THROUGH) and practice and learn - you'll find there are price ranges where steels are almost interchangeable as long as you can touch up an edge.

Basically:
$10-60: 8Cr13MoV, AUS8A
$60-120: 154CM, S30V, VG-10
$120-200: CPM-154, M4, Elmax, CTS-XHP
$200+: M390, CTS-204p, S90V, S110V

All of these steels have their own individual properties, but typically have such similar edge retention that you aren't likely to notice day-to-day. Don't get too caught up in the steels as long as the price is right for what you're getting, and remember that the blade shapes and grinds will affect the edge retention and cutting abilities - not to mention your satisfaction with the knife - typically much more than the steels will in any given price range.

I have a Wicked Edge PP2.

How is the edge retention on the VG10?

 

[Stays Sharp]

With the WE youre unstoppable! VG10 retention is suffiecient for daily tasks prob in 154cm's class.

VG10 and SB r very easy to sharpen.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Check out Joe Talmadge's Knife Steel FAQ: http://www.zknives.com/knives/articles/knifesteelfaq.shtml. It's the most comprehensive collection of data on the subject that I've found.

 

[Weslhg]

Thank you all for the help. It sounds like the VG-10 is what would be best for me right now.

 

[Cereal_killer]

Don't forget that all the super blue knives are "sprint runs" so it's not like your only paying more for the steel upgrade, your also paying a little extra for the limited edition/exclusivity however they will also retain their value better on the secondary market (especially if kept LNIB).