Steel education

C

Convert

Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
72
Well guys, I've been doing some research on knives (trying to pick a new EDC), and I've noticed lots of different steel options. D2 tool steel, S30V, Sandvik 13C26, and 440A are the most common ones I've encountered. So, what to choose? I swear that I'm using the search function on the forum and getting nothing but an error screen every time I attempt to look. Also, my powers of Google-Fu seem to be a little lackluster as well, since I'm not turning much up on some of the newer steel varients.

So, what do you personally feel is the best steel for a simple, reliable EDC knife? I'm considering a Kershaw Cyclone or Blur, both of which are supposed to have Sandvik 13C26 surgical steel. Sounds fancy...but is it good? I don't plan on doing a whole lot of intense cutting with the knife, so I suppose that edge quality is more important than retention in whatever I choose. Any input would be vastly appreciated, as always.

This forum rocks, by the way. I'm learning more about knives in the three days I've been poking around here, than I have my whole life up to this point! What a great resource. :thumbup:
 
The Kershaw Cyclone and Blur are both good knives. But why dont you look at some Benchmades. Like the Grip in d2 or 154, skirmish or the Dejavoo which are both in s30v. Iam not sure of your price range, but the best production folder out there is probably the Chris Reeve Sebenza. Good luck on finding your new edc.

Bill
 
Bill, thanks for the reply. My price range right now is pretty modest at $75 or less (my second son is due in December, can't afford anything too extravagent). I've taken a look at Benchmade, SOG, KaBar, Cold Steel, among a few others...and I seem to come back to Kershaw. This is the first time I've ever purchased a decent knife, so I want something well made but nothing too crazy price wise. All of my current EDCs are cheapos...Frost, MTech, etc. One no-name auto that I have even says "USA" on the blade with no other markings...though I'm sure it was made in China, lol.
 
There are several models in the Spyderco line in your price range with either S30V or VG-10 steel. I find the VG-10 sharpens easily, takes a fine edge and holds it quite well in light to medium use. The Byrd line by Spyderco uses 8Cr13MoV steel which has properties similar to AUS-8, and the knives are great. They'd be a steal at twice the price.

Realistically, unless you use your knives as hard as I do, any decent steel with a good heat-treatment will probably work well for you. I personally stay away from 440A due to bad experiences in the past (I couldn't get it to hold an edge worth carrying), but that doesn't mean it is a bad steel, just that the knives I had were bad. I've heard some good things on the Sandvik 13C26 and Kershaw knives in general, but I have no personal experience with the steel. I have a few Kershaws, and they are good quality. I've heard that they have improved recently, so they should be a good choice.
 
there are quite a few knives that spring to mind that are well within your budget, to name a few
kershaw - had a couple and was quite please with the sandvik steel, storm, storm 2, leek,blackout etc
spyderco -- native, endura, delica to name a few great knives for the buck
case -- in a slipjoint pretty darn good knives
queen -- great knives using D2 steel
opinel -- great knives at a low price
crkt -- try to stay with one that uses aus 8, stay away from the 420j2 and the aus 4, even though i had an m-16 with aus 4 and it did pretty well considering the price.
buck -- 889,882,112,110 etc
just look around and see what you like.
don't forget to check the trade forums here you can usually get a deal.
good luck and let us know what you get.
 
Convert said:
Bill, thanks for the reply. My price range right now is pretty modest at $75 or less (my second son is due in December, can't afford anything too extravagent). I've taken a look at Benchmade, SOG, KaBar, Cold Steel, among a few others...and I seem to come back to Kershaw. This is the first time I've ever purchased a decent knife, so I want something well made but nothing too crazy price wise. All of my current EDCs are cheapos...Frost, MTech, etc. One no-name auto that I have even says "USA" on the blade with no other markings...though I'm sure it was made in China, lol.
Click to expand...

I would go with the BM Grip. I edc it every day, and it is a great all around knife. It also comes in 2 steels you can pick whichever fulfills your needs:d2 or 154 cm. You can pick it up on ebay for about $60.

Thanks
Bill
 
Convert, I suspect you and I might define "a simple, reliable EDC knife" differently. But please allow this old fart to make a suggestion to further your steel education. Do a Google search for "Douk-Douk" and study the few entries you will find there. A Douk-Douk is about as dirt-simple and reliable as a pocketknife can be, not to mention being easy to carry. These unique knives are made in France just as they have been since the 1920s. They are made of good, simple, well-ground carbon steel, and they consist of only five parts, the blade, the handle, a spring, a shackle (lanyard attach point), and the two rivets that hold it together. No, you don't need stainless steel unless maybe you are using your knife in saltwater every day. A drop of oil now and then is a wonderful thing. It's cheap, too. In addition to www.szaboinc.com (click on Edged, big download of strange, expensive blades, Douks are at the bottom), you can buy Douks from both Lee Valley Tools and Garrett Wade. If you order one, and I hope you will, get the original or "medium" size. It fits my hand the best, being about 4 inches long when closed. No, it doesn't lock. It doesn't have to with that strong spring it has. If you think you just have to have a locking blade, check out the Mercator K55 cat knives from Germany. Similar construction and simplicity.

An excellent companion to one of the above would be a Swiss Army Knife (SAK) made by Victorinox. I suggest the Farmer, the Pioneer, or the Soldier in that order. Go to www.eknifeworks.com and enter Victorinox in their search box. All models are extremely well made from stainless steel, but those with Alox handles (solid aluminum) are the sturdiest I believe.

Thus ends my short tutorial on simple, reliable EDC knives. :D
 
Bill, found this one on e-bay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Benchmade-Gript...ryZ73531QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Looks like a pretty nice knife. Is BM's "glass filled Noryl GTX" better than your garden variety GFN, or is it just BM's version of it? Also, I've heard alot of great things about the Axis locking mechanism, although I've never handled one. What is so great about it?

Thanks for your patenience everyone...pretty steep learning curve for me, and with lots of options come lots of questions. Bear with me. ;)
 
Dr. Mudd -

Thanks for that link! Although not exactly what I'm looking for as far my personal preferences for an EDC knife would go, I can certainly appreciate the simplicity and what seems like excellent craftsmanship that goes into those Douk-Douks. I most definitely will pick up one of them. Probably two or three, so I can give them to my sons when they are old enough.

Much thanks to the "old fart" for turning the "young guy" (24) on to such a cool little piece! :)

Edit - Just ordered one from Lee Valley. Thanks again! Hopefully the wife won't see that purchase on top of the other knife I plan on buying...
 
I have a Cold Steel Recon 1, a Pro-Lite and a Night Force with 440A and they're some of the sharpest knives I have. I have four or five others with ATS-34 blades. I also have a still new CRKT Wasp with AUS110 and many knives with AUS8 and VG1.

All of them fall easily within the "highly acceptable" range, but I detest 420, 420J and AUS4 steels and feel they should be limited to liners and reinforcement. I've seen some 420 and AUS6 knives that have been okay, but the 440A holds up much better than I thought it would. It does dull faster than a premium steel would, but Cold Steel's cardboard cutting test seem to accurately show that it's tremendously underrated. Many of my Cold Steel knives have serrations, so it's difficult to tell how they fare because none of them has ever been or needed sharpening. All my AUS8 blades without serrations have held up well and resharpened easily

One knife I'm a bit disappointed with, and it's not steel, but the chisel grind, is CRKT's M-series. They're not only difficult to sharpen, they're impossible to get ultra sharp. Blades come out of the box so-so and when they need resharpening, they can never get anywhere near as sharp as my V-grind knives (even other Columbia River knives).
 
Check out the AG Russell featherlite folder. 3 1/8 inch blade of ats-34 at less than $50. Buck 110 is also a classic and has withstood the test of time. Buck does 420HC right.
 
Just to go back to your original question on steels--
Any of those steels you mentioned are capable of being made into a fine knife blade. 440A is the lowest tech, S30V is one of the higher, but--the heat treatment of the steel, and the 'feel' of the knife in the hand are more important for edc light use knives.
I also like stainless because my pocket carry knives do get sweat-stained.
I would also rate appearance quite highly.
My recommendation would be to identify the style of knife you want, then buy that style from a well-known and respected maker, and you'll likely get a knife that will satisfy you.
Of course whether you remain satisfied depends on your level of knife addiction.
Welcome to BladeForums.
Greg
 
I am not sure what the steel is but My Kershaw Blackout is a great knife. About 50-60 bucks.
 
Convert, after you play with that Douk-Douk you have on the way, you might just become a Douk convert, too. :D

By the way, use Blade Forums search function to read more comments on these Douks and Mercators.
 
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