Steel preference.

shane45-1911 said:
Yes, I know. And Niolox is quite similar to D2.

I'm not sure of your point? Or even the intent of this thread? :)
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My guess would be that you said you avoid “designer steels” and stick with steels like CPM 154…

What makes the steels OP listed designer steels, and the ones you listed not? CPM154 is just as much a designer steel as RWL34 (both being powder metallurgy versions of similar steels, 154CM and ATS34).
 
shane45-1911 said:
Yes, I know. And Niolox is quite similar to D2.

I'm not sure of your point? Or even the intent of this thread? :)
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My point was that you said you wouldn't take any of the 4 steels OP asked about then said how you prefer extremely similar, almost identical steels ;) I don't know what the intent of the thread is either, but here we both are.
 
Swp321 said:
I think s35vn is a perfectly good steel and does most of the tasks I ask of it. Anything considered better than s35 would be a bonus to me
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Well said. I have used ZTs Elmax and S35VN more than anything. Plenty of edge retention for me, especially after a true sharpening I recently found out thanks to my wicked edge.

Supposedly they run it a bit soft (58/9-60) but it works for me. Holds an edge, isn’t chippy and rust resistant. 20CV/M390 knives often have thicker geometry to make up for the lack of toughness, so in my limited real world use, anything at or above SXXVN or Elmax edge retention-wise is plenty good.
But I’d certainly never kick 20CV or M390 out of bed. Till they get dull 😒 🤪
 
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Ilikesharpstuff said:
My point was that you said you wouldn't take any of the 4 steels OP asked about then said how you prefer extremely similar, almost identical steels ;) I don't know what the intent of the thread is either, but here we both are.
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Yes, that was kind of my point.

These steels are close enough to the "generic" steels we are all familiar with, that I don't see the point (or advantage) of seeking them out with the manufacturers or makers that use them (unless you really like a specific knife design in one of those flavors).
 
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shane45-1911 said:
Yes, I know. And Niolox is quite similar to D2.

I'm not sure of your point? Or even the intent of this thread? :)
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So basically he is asking which would be better for an edc knife: 14C28N, D2, CPM-154, and some other steel I’ve never heard of….out of those three, I would go with the cpm-154 (or RWL-34). D2 (or Niolox) would be a close second.

D2, when done right, can hold an edge better than CPM154. But there is too many variables with D2, like what country did it come from, who’s making the knife, are they heat treating it correctly, etc…
OKC does it well. Mine has been a workhorse and I work in a hot kitchen. No signs of rust, and I used it enough that if it said S30V on the blade I probably wouldn’t notice fwiw. But I’m just using it as an edc, not all-day cutting or testing.

And 14C28N is not that good. Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon tho, I have quite a few Kershaws in that steel, so maybe I should give it another shot….? The Leek, (14C28N, THIN blade stock) that I used seemed to hold an edge just ever so slightly better than the Amplitude in 8CR13MoV.
 
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Out of your list, I would pick RWL34.

For EDC, I think S35VN, Elmax, would be great. I mean, magnacut or Vanax would be better, but i don't want to pay hype money.
 
14C28N at 62 hrc would be my choice from what is listed, if it’s not ran hard I’m not really interested in any of the listed options.
 
jux t said:
He also said he doesn’t use his knives, so take any advice from him with a bag of salt.
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Hence why I care only, or at least primarily about edge retention. I've never lied about our hidden that. Not before and not here now.
 
Herr geiser said:
I think the type of steel is incredibly unimportant...

I like a small sebenza because it is well made and the right size and design to do everything i need

Crk could use any steel, from magnacut, to 440b, 80crv2, Don't really care... I'd still carry a small sebenza
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Hate the 3 I've had.
 
My EDC needs are met quite well with decent budget steels like 14C28N, N690, VG-10, or a good 9Cr18Mov.

Super steels generally provide more performance than I actually need. I'm not complaining or anything. That's awesome! It's just that the debate gets a lot more academic for me.

One thing that does matter to me is corrosion resistance. In the depth of summer when the temperature and humidity are both in the 90s, I sweat. My sweat easily spots D2 and unless I keep up with oiling after taking down a box, it's just not worth it. I've also occasionally spotted 8Cr and AUS-8. The magic number on Larrin's chart seems to be 7.5. For instance, I've carried an IWB fixed blade in S35VN through the worst of summer with reckless abandon.
 
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shane45-1911 said:
My EDC could see any number of cutting tasks over the course of the day - some mundane, others more intense.

Therefore, I want a well-rounded steel (jack of all trades, master of none) that has a good balance of toughness and edge retention. I tend to avoid designer-steels and stick with tried and true 154CM, CPM154, S35VN, VG10, AEB-L or ELMAX.
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CTS-XHP is my favorite steel, because of this. I know I can sharpen it, and that it can survive hitting a staple while cutting cardboard etc.

High edge retention steels are great for my M-F 9-5 where its occasional light use, and rotating my collection means I rarely need to do much more than ultra fine ceramic touch ups.

On the weekend, or whenever there's a chance I might be needing a little more toughness, I grab either my Spyderco Manix 2 in CTS-XHP or my Spyderco Gayle Bradley in CPM-M4.

I don't have anything in the steels you've listed, but I've heard good things about RWL34.
 
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