Steel preference.

Sisyfos said:
14C28N
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This one for toughness , but I've no experience with the others listed .

I think you have to consider many factors to predict a knife's performance , besides just the steel formula hype .

You also need to define what the most common uses will be for the knife , and the environs of use .
 
AUS-8 and above.
A lot depends on the heat treatment.
Not a big fan of tool steels, too much effort for the edge I get.
 
tony281sc2 said:
... 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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14C28N has been part of my life since my first Leek about twenty years ago. I'd say it's pretty good. It is stainless enough to resist Kershaw's pro-rust bead-blast. 😜 It's tough enough that I'd choose it on purpose in a large custom fixed blade. The edge retention doesn't compare to some of the modern stars but is it bad?

Despite Larrin's usually excellent ratings, the average edge retention for this steel in production knives is consistently and noticeably better than what I get from 8Cr13Mov. Heck, it can be better than some of the Chinese D2 out there. It's at that level where it does what I ask of it without disappointing me. Pairing adequate edge retention with those other properties can be pretty attractive at the right price. It generally does swim in or around the budget pool. 🤷‍♂️

Perhaps someone with a better understanding of production can talk about the next thing but I feel like it is either easier to get into that adequate performance range or just doesn't suffer as much from a cheaper heat treatment. For instance, cheap knives in D2 tend to fall way short of their nominal rating but cheap knives in 14C28N are usually at least "okay".
 
Chronovore said:
14C28N has been part of my life since my first Leek about twenty years ago. I'd say it's pretty good. It is stainless enough to resist Kershaw's pro-rust bead-blast. 😜 It's tough enough that I'd choose it on purpose in a large custom fixed blade. The edge retention doesn't compare to some of the modern stars but is it bad?

Despite Larrin's usually excellent ratings, the average edge retention for this steel in production knives is consistently and noticeably better than what I get from 8Cr13Mov. Heck, it can be better than some of the Chinese D2 out there. It's at that level where it does what I ask of it without disappointing me. Pairing adequate edge retention with those other properties can be pretty attractive at the right price. It generally does swim in or around the budget pool. 🤷‍♂️

Perhaps someone with a better understanding of production can talk about the next thing but I feel like it is either easier to get into that adequate performance range or just doesn't suffer as much from a cheaper heat treatment. For instance, cheap knives in D2 tend to fall way short of their nominal rating but cheap knives in 14C28N are usually at least "okay".
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Well one problem is that he didn’t mention the knife he wants to get or the size.. but for EDC, you wouldn’t take CPM154 (edit:meant RWL) over the others? I would. But that’s because D2 is harder to sharpen, it’s not stainless and like you said, the performance can be all over the place. But I 100% would choose CPM154 over 14C anytime. I’ve had much better luck with kershaws Cpm-154 (launch), and even their N690, which is close to VG-10 (on a “Dash”)
 
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Sisyfos said:
May i ask members preference for the steel of a folding EDC knife ? 14C28N , Niolox , Rwl34 or suminagashi ? Thanks
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My opinion is that I tend to care a lot more about the quality of the knife and blade shape or size for the particular task, than the steel it's made from. I'm okay with well hardened 440C if I really like the knife, even though that's blasphemy for some folks. Most steels we have nowadays are WAY better than what our ancestors used to have who fought battles and survived the wilderness with them. And certainly better than obsidian or bronze blades. We just tend to carry them around for self defense, use them for hunting and fishing, and camping fun. most modern steels will do well for survival tasks as long as you don't abuse them and understand their limitations. They aren't pry bars, probably don't use a knife as a hard chopper if you want it to survive, and don't ride it hard and put it away wet for no reason.
 
tony281sc2 said:
Well one problem is that he didn’t mention the knife he wants to get or the size.. but for EDC, you wouldn’t take CPM154 (edit:meant RWL) over the others? I would. But that’s because D2 is harder to sharpen, it’s not stainless and like you said, the performance can be all over the place. But I 100% would choose CPM154 over 14C anytime. I’ve had much better luck with kershaws Cpm-154 (launch), and even their N690, which is close to VG-10 (on a “Dash”)
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I don't have any experience with CPM154.

I'm also new to 154CM, which has more recently gone mainstream with some of the Chinese manufacturers. Having its use spread out between a few different knives competing for pocket time means I still don't have much of an opinion on it. At least on paper, it's a welcome replacement for D2 in the sub-$100 zone. I'd prefer a higher hedge on corrosion but I don't expect it to be in the problem zone like D2. I look forward to more use over time with a few of those knives.

I've been happy with N690. Like 14C28N, it has been adequate for my needs.
 
Chronovore said:
I don't have any experience with CPM154.

I'm also new to 154CM, which has more recently gone mainstream with some of the Chinese manufacturers. Having its use spread out between a few different knives competing for pocket time means I still don't have much of an opinion on it. At least on paper, it's a welcome replacement for D2 in the sub-$100 zone. I'd prefer a higher hedge on corrosion but I don't expect it to be in the problem zone like D2. I look forward to more use over time with a few of those knives.

I've been happy with N690. Like 14C28N, it has been adequate for my needs.
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I don’t know the chart numbers off the top of my head, but I have never heard of anyone w/ corrosion issues with the 154-family of steels.
Even D2 is not too bad in that department. I’d say as long as you don’t spend your days on a boat in the ocean you won’t have a problem with the 154
 
tony281sc2 said:
I don’t know the chart numbers off the top of my head, but I have never heard of anyone w/ corrosion issues with the 154-family of steels.
Even D2 is not too bad in that department. I’d say as long as you don’t spend your days on a boat in the ocean you won’t have a problem with the 154
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Funny you mention that, those are the only two tool grade (well at least D2 is) hard semi-stainless steels, and I like them both a lot, that I've NEVER seen any corrosion problems with.

I think some Chinese manufacturers are trying to hoax D2 a lot right now. And I'm sure they're doing 154CM, but I don't look for that one.
 
From the ones you mentioned, 14C28N is my favorite budget steel. I love what Kershaw does with it. I don't have any other knives with the others you listed. My second favorite budget steel would be VG10.
As far as folders go, I like M4, S90V & SG2 the most. Fixed blades would be a completely different story.
 
Sisyfos said:
May i ask members preference for the steel of a folding EDC knife ? 14C28N , Niolox , Rwl34 or suminagashi ? Thanks
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Sounds like you may be in Europe with those steels. What will this knife be used for?

In a Kitchen knife, especially like a paring knife or similar style, 14C28N or AUS-10. Why? Great corrosion resistance and easy RESHARPENING!

In a field knife, Niolox and RWL34 seem to be better choices overall.

Suminagashi is a great option for a knife that needs a little flair for showy occasions! I generally think of it with Japanese Gyuto and with a good core steel for the application.
 
S30V, S45V, S90V, M390, and perhaps any Damascus with a really cool pattern...
 
Sid Post said:
Sounds like you may be in Europe with those steels. What will this knife be used for?

In a Kitchen knife, especially like a paring knife or similar style, 14C28N or AUS-10. Why? Great corrosion resistance and easy RESHARPENING!

In a field knife, Niolox and RWL34 seem to be better choices overall.

Suminagashi is a great option for a knife that needs a little flair for showy occasions! I generally think of it with Japanese Gyuto and with a good core steel for the application.
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Yes I am in Europe.
 
Sid Post said:
Sounds like you may be in Europe with those steels. What will this knife be used for?

In a Kitchen knife, especially like a paring knife or similar style, 14C28N or AUS-10. Why? Great corrosion resistance and easy RESHARPENING!

In a field knife, Niolox and RWL34 seem to be better choices overall.

Suminagashi is a great option for a knife that needs a little flair for showy occasions! I generally think of it with Japanese Gyuto and with a good core steel for the application.
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I'm taking it by a field knife you mean something that will need to be a little tougher?

If so 14c28n is much tougher than Niolox or Rwl34 and is not that far off re edge retention (grind and HT being equal). We don't see anywhere near enough larger blades in 14c28n.
 
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