Let's see. Right now the only super steels that I own are Elmax (absolutely love this) in a ZT 0551 and S30V in a Spyderco Millitary. Yes the Millie does everything I need it too, but the Elmax knife just far outperforms the S30V. Edge retention, wear resistence, you name it, and in my mind the Elmax wins hands down. Now some of the differences could be due to blade geometry, I don't know, I haven't really used enough different knives to have an informed opinion yet.
For me, the journey I have been taking in knife collecting has been not only in the acquiring of material thing (knives) but also one of knowledge. In the past 6 months I have gone from not being able to sharpen at all, to regularly having knives that can easily shave. The progression from simple steels, like no-named "Surgical Steel" found on Frost Cutlery knives, to high-end super steels, like my Elmax ZT 0551 has seemed like a natural progression. I've also learned to do many other things I couldn't before, because I didn't believe it was possible with the crappy Chinese knock-off knives that I had from Big 5, and I am soon going to start making my own knives. Why? Because that is what this hobby has been to me, a natural progression from the crappy steels, and all the stuff they couldn't do, to the super steels, and all the stuff they enable you to do.
I now realize though, that it may not be the super steel itself that allows the higher-end knives to outperform the $6 gas station knife, but the superior craftsmanship, engineering and the proper heat-treat that goes into the higher-end knives. I love my ZT 0551, it is my most favored knife in my EDC rotation at this point, and while the 0550 is the exact same with S35VN instead of elmax, I wouldn't trade it or replace it at all. It's not only the blade steel, it is also the knowledge that I have a knife that only about 1500 were made of. That I think is another part of the allure of super-steels, their limited availability. Yes, I know that you could get the Lion Spy from Spyderco, but it's not worth the $350 asking point to me, but it is to somebody, which is why it was made.
I may have gotten lost in my post, and I possibly may have not made my point, but the end message I have here is that for me, knife collecting is a journey of joy and knowledge. It is best shared with friends on this forums who understand our obsession, but it is also for me a singular journey outside of this board. One that where the lessons learned, must be learned from experience and experimentation, because reading about how "awesome" the 0551 was or watching a video on youtube, really doesn't encapsulate the experience and joy of owning and using this knife or any other knife for that matter.
Shit could happen. You could get in a car wreck today and have to cut yourself from your seatbelt. You could be on a plane, plane goes down and you search the cargo hold for your best knives for survival. You end up stranded in a forest and need some quality steel for survival.
IV.
You know, watching that part of Lost, where Locke whips out his briefcase of knives, is quite possibly what got me into this obsession. Your right, shit could happen.
