Steel question

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matt_b89

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Dec 30, 2012
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Hey guys. I'm relatively new to knives, but am learning pretty quickly. I know the basics about a lot of the general steels, but am having a tough time finding what would be perfect for me. I'm looking for a steel that is easily sharpened. I'll gladly sacrifice some wear resistance for the ability to get razor sharp and quickly. I'm also looking for steel that isn't going to chip and can tolerate some lateral stress...hard use types. I know about a lot of the tool steels, but have never used them and don't know if they're easily sharpened or not. My favorite steel I've used at this time is 14c because it gets extremely sharp very easily. I haven't really thumped on it though because its in my leek which isn't a very tough folder anyways so I guess Im looking for something comparable to that, but maybe a step up? Thanks
 
Well there's vg10 (a good deal of spyderco knives use it) 1095 (used by a wide range of company's) 8cr13mov (used by kershaw, spyderco ect) I'm no steel guru just some that come to mind.
 
these are all steels I've heard of...just never used them. I've only really used cheaper steels. I got a Camillus beast in vg10 but when I took it out of the box there was something broken and it won't lock up so I got a hunk of a good metal and it's useless.
 
Fixed or folding? Making or looking to buy?

If the second, you are specifying ease of sharpening and toughness. Knives to fit your specs are often made of 5160, L7, or 3V. 1095 done the right way will do (It was developed for plows and harrows, and they encounter rocks.).

It comes down to the skill of the maker and the geometry. Look for reviews that did things to knives you want the knives to be able to survive.
 
8cr13mov is a good budget steel so if your looking to get bang for your buck knives with this should sharpen easily and be fairly durable.

VG10 is probably better but also costs more so it just depends on the price point you're looking at. You can get into a VG-10 Knife for around $50-$60 which is still very affordable but you can get knives as low as $15 with 8cr13mov. If neither is too expensive then you probably just want to get a VG-10 knife but you can't go wrong with a 8cr13mov either if you find one you really like. Personally, I think most steels are good for general use but I'd probably avoid anything with 420. Most of the other steels work fine for general use though you get better performance with the premium steels.

I know I have a buck 110 with 440HC and that blade holds up very well and is easy to sharpen so I think unless it's a work knife even 440HC will probably work.
 
AUS8-A, tough, easy to maintain, affordable. My favorite of the budget steels.
 
i'm in the same boat. i'm relatively new to knives as well....for three years i haven't left the house without one, but now i'm into collecting them and learning as much as i can about them. but honestly i have the hardest time retaining information these days and learning about steels is hard for me. trying to remember all the letters and numbers and which is better than others and why makes my brain hurt. i'm trying tho! haha
 
AUS-8 is one of the easiest steel to sharpen, and sharpens quick to boot.

The only downside to AUS-8 is in moist/wet climates its much easier for rust spots to begin to form.

If you clean/take care if your knives really well then it diminishes the chances for rusting.

But you can find some great AUS-8 blades for great prices.
 
well im looking at more of the super steels. I'm willing to drop a little more coin than my usual 50 bucks for a knife since I want to start collecting them. vg10, s30v, d2, m4, zdp, 154cm, etc. these are what im looking at. which are the easiest to sharpen of these steels?
 
AUS8-A and 8Cr13MoV fit your description of easily sharpened and taking a great edge. However, I personally don't feel either of them is a step up from 14C28N. The Sandvik would be my choice out of the three, and you might consider looking at a knife that's a little beefier than the Leek to give it a workout. Above the 14C, VG-10 and CPM-154 might work for you.
 
matt_b89 said:
well im looking at more of the super steels. I'm willing to drop a little more coin than my usual 50 bucks for a knife since I want to start collecting them. vg10, s30v, d2, m4, zdp, 154cm, etc. these are what im looking at. which are the easiest to sharpen of these steels?
Click to expand...

My experience: easiest to the hardest: VG-10, CPM-154, S30V, M4, D2 then ZDP-189
 
SPXTrader: I assume you trade SPX? I trade vol for a fund.

I didn't want to start a new thread. Is CPM 3V overkill for a EDC folder?
 
AUS-8 takes a razor edge with almost no work, and I have never heard it chipping. VG-10 takes a great edge with little work, but I have heard it chipping if the edge is take down for sharpness (I think it may chip when you close in on 20 inclusive). A great option for price, edge retention, and wear resistance is 440C. It is arguably the best lower end steel out there. Böker frequently uses 440C in their Plus line, and you pretty much can't go wrong with any of those knives.
 
I would stick with 14C28N, but get a knife that can take a beating, like a Skyline for example. I'm not joking or anything, but I'm in the midst of trying to chop down an eleven inch tree (long story) with a Fixed Bladed Skyline. I chopped for a good 21 minutes, and went inside and did some paper testing, and It's still sharp. It still slices through paper like there was no tomorrow. I even have the video to prove that I was chopping.
 
devgru66 said:
SPXTrader: I assume you trade SPX? I trade vol for a fund.

I didn't want to start a new thread. Is CPM 3V overkill for a EDC folder?
Click to expand...

traded the big spoos a few years back. been in energy futes since 2010, mostly crude and RBOB.

CPM3V is a great steel, and I don't think its overkill at all.
 
Cool. I traded crack, natty and other stuff for Millennium back in 2008.
 
I get a fine edge easiest with AUS-8. 8cr13mov is essentially the same steel. The few Buck blades I've sharpened in 420HC were a pleasure to sharpen as well.
 
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