Steel Question

G

GottaBSharp

Joined
Dec 17, 2012
Messages
7
Good day all!

A little history first.
I started getting into sharpening as recently as this June (EP Pro) then immediaetly into kitchen cutlery. Sharpened my own hunting knives since mid 60's ( well I called them sharp anyway) and am starting to purchase the good stuff for my kitchen.

I've used the search function and haven't found the an answer that really answered my question.

If you could buy a kitchen knife in carbon or a good stainless (CPM154, M390 say) ,which way would you go for edge retention & cutting?

I've read Joe Talmadge's sticky even before I found you folks but I'm hoping for more insight from heavy/professional users like you.

This issue has probably been raised & I've read Killgar's "We were all new here once"...but this is the internet so let the beatings begin...:D.


GottaBSharp
 
For kitchen cutlery I'm enjoying my santoku in CPM-154. I don't slice anything abrasive with it so I don't see the need for a steel with more abrasion resistance, and for slicing meat and vegetables I like stainless so I'm very happy with it.
 
GottaBSharp said:
If you could buy a kitchen knife in carbon or a good stainless (CPM154, M390 say) ,which way would you go for edge retention & cutting?
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Stainless. CPM-154 and M390 are both excellent choices. You can get good carbon steel just as sharp a little more easily, but it won't stay sharp as long.
 
Eh, I don't like carbon knives for food, because of how they react with the food. Especially for acidic stuff...just yuck.
 
I would go with a custom done up in S90V but thats just me. Now that im done dreaming about knives I wont ever be able to afford a nice one in CPM-154 would be awesome in my eyes.
 
M390 will beat out CPM-154 edge retention wise. However CPM-154 is still a great steel and I love the edge it takes. It just seems to take a very fine edge. I don't know if you specifically were trying to decide between those two steels or just using them as examples. You could always go with S30V as well. There are a lot of good stainless steels out there right now. So there is plenty of variety. If you are looking to have a custom made, then I would speak with the maker as well to help you decide on a choice.
 
Steel 130

Your tag line pretty much sums up where I am.
Being an older guy , carbon was the only way to go back in the day for a good blade ,but in the past year I've been reading about powered metals and "super steels.
I like the Zen of sharpening and have always had to have an edge as sharp as it could be.
I won't mind re-sharpening any knife I get and wouldn't mind caring for it but I don't want to have to re-sharpen every other day because of a softness in the metal or extra large carbides falling out (i.e X50CrMoV15 , 440A/B/C etc.) Thank you Joe Talmadge:thumbup:
You people of this forum have a wealth of experience and knowledge using , making and just all around playing with different metal so I welcome any & all advice.

GottaBSharp

Gotta know what you don't know
 
James:

I've got Shapton Glass Stones (OEM, Chosera, Ken Schwartz's compounds+more) so ease of sharpening isn't an issue.

Even if'n it was ,I really like pushing a stone over metal...aahhhhhhh

GottaBSharp
 
GottaBSharp said:
James:

I've got Shapton Glass Stones (OEM, Chosera, Ken Schwartz's compounds+more) so ease of sharpening isn't an issue.

Even if'n it was ,I really like pushing a stone over metal...aahhhhhhh

GottaBSharp
Click to expand...

Ken Schwartz is the man! I love his kangaroo strop I have.
 
Fancier:

I have a 3 1/2" paring in CPM154 and.... dayem , I think it could marbles but I want to look at all the options.

Steel 130's tag says where I am...."In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few".


GottaBSharp
 
I grew up with carbon steel kitchen knives and grew to hate the smell they developed when interacting with foods. So stainless for me.

As already noted, most foodstuffs we cut are not terribly abrasive. Therefore any cutlery stainless at a decent hardness should last well if not abused. Stain resistance is very important to me. I like VG-10, but CPM 154 or M390 at Rc 60+ would be fantastic.
 
GottaBSharp said:
... ease of sharpening isn't an issue.

Even if'n it was ,I really like pushing a stone over metal...aahhhhhhh...
Click to expand...

Then the choice is clear :) This will sound like sacrilege to some people, but there's simply no reason to use carbon steel in a kitchen knife anymore unless you just plain like patina.
 
GottaBSharp said:
Steel:

Off Topic

Have you tried his Nano cloth? :eek: Awesome

GottaBSharp
Click to expand...
I have tried it with his CBN spray. I prefer the feel of the Kangaroo. The Nano cloth I had less response. I am sure it is all personal preference. But Ken is a stand up guy. I am still learning all the time, so I am far from an expert :) but I like that quote because it reminds me to continue seeking knowledge. I just had to do some work to an M390 blade and it sharpened up really well. Between the two steels you listed I don't think you can go wrong.
 
I had a smith make me a kitchen knife in 52100. I like it for the edge it takes with a 15 Dps bevel that I sharpen on a piece of sanding belt(that I made into a strop) that RichardJ gave me. Works pretty darn well for me.
 
I have a nice set of Soligen stainless steel knives that I bought several years ago for about $450. I keep them very sharp. I bought a set of 9 Old Hickory knives in a wooden butcher block holder at a local Goodwill store for $10 about 8 months ago. They are all "scary sharp" and are now my favorite knives for the kitchen. I bought them to learn how to use my paper wheels when I first got them. Love how sharp they can get, and how easy to keep them sharp with a quick turn on an old worn out steel. I hand wash and immediately dry them when done. They have yet to rust.

Omar
:rolleyes:
 
For edge retention in the kitchen, my best knife in this regard is the Yoshikane SKD (63-64 rc) hammered line.

My second best would be the semi-stainless used in the Konosuke HD blades, and the steel in the JCK CarboNext is at least above average for j-knives to me.

Also, take a look at the Gesshin Kagero line from JKI as they are made from a powdered steel that is meant for longer edge retention (probably similar to the Blazen series)
http://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/kitchen-knives/gesshin-kagero.html
 
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