Steel(s) to Avoid

WadeF said:
I figured this was the CASE. Haha. :P

That's a shame since they make a lot of attractive looking slip joints.
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I have a few CVs from case and I like that steel. Unfortunately 99% of their beautiful SJs are made with 'Tru-sharp'.

I only have one "tru-sharp" stockman. I'd say it's in the same league as Vic SAK steel, but just a hair below in hardness. Of coarse it takes a high polish, so it's perfect for a 'pretty' knife. I can get it very sharp and it's easy to do so, it just doesn't stay that way for very long (good thing it has three blades ;) ).

I wouldn't completely avoid "Tru-sharp", there are much worse steels out there.
 
That's what's odd. Looking at the RCs, Case and Vic both use 420HC at 55-57 RC. But, Vics hold an edge significantly longer.
 
allenC said:
I would recommend you avoid AUS-6, 420, and 440A.

All the rest are okay.
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I'm with Allen on this one. Also, after a certain price point, say around 70 or 80 dollars, unless you're in love with the design, you can do better than AUS8.


Edit: some, but certainly not all, of the good steels to look for:

stainless: VG10, 154CM, S30v, S60v, S90v, ATS34, D2(only semi-stainless), 440C can be very good, ZDP189 is going to be hot in the near future

Non stainless: 01, 52100, INFI, CPM 3v, A2, M2, L6, S7, 1095, 5150, 0170-6c is pretty good, then there's the whole subject of damascii. This list could go on and on.
 
Sword and Shield said:
That's what's odd. Looking at the RCs, Case and Vic both use 420HC at 55-57 RC. But, Vics hold an edge significantly longer.
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Vics do seem to stay sharp longer, but maybe it's just a matter of blade geometry?
 
Planterz said:
Then there's CMP420V, better known as S30V, which is a top-of-the-line knife steel. Don't avoid that one. ;)
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You "CPM420V, better known as S90V"

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Sword and Shield said:
That's what's odd. Looking at the RCs, Case and Vic both use 420HC at 55-57 RC. But, Vics hold an edge significantly longer.
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Wrong. IIRC, Victorinox uses 1.4111 (German steel designation AFAIK), which is kinda similar to 440A.
 
Nobody mentioned N690 and Sandvik 12C27 as good steels yet. Have a look at this chart, the crappy steels like 420J2 have ungodly low amount of carbon in them - there are few alloys with very little carbon that make great blades for specific purposes, but these contain huge quantities of other important elements such as nickel, molybdenum, cobalt or tungsten which 420J2 doesn't. Most steels listed in that chart make fine blade for its specific purpose (rust resistance, blade hardness, ease of sharpening, etc.).
 
Quiet Storm said:
Wrong. IIRC, Victorinox uses 1.4111 (German steel designation AFAIK), which is kinda similar to 440A.
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Doesn't Victorinox use 12C27?
 
There's a lot of steel snobbery, but it really comes down to your application and the company that ground and heat treated the blade. For example, AUS6 is often put down, however many including myself have good luck with the CRKT and spyderco versions. Same with tru-sharp from Case. There are complaints, but many also find it a servicable steel that won't rust in your sweaty pocket, but it will dull quicker than others. However, it also sharpens up great with minimal effort. A knife in D2 maybe better than 420 on paper, but if you sweat and you're going to have the blade in your pocket, or forget to clean off your blade, you'd be better of with Buck 420HC.
 
Dalko said:
Doesn't Victorinox use 12C27?
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1.4111 is fairly similar to that, too.

Edit: sorry guys, I was mistaken. Victorinox uses 1.4110. 1.4111 is a much better steel, it's similar to 440C.
 
Benchmade has some excellent 440C. I have subpar experience with this steel in other knives however.

For the sub-80/90$ price range you can be looking at:

AUS-8
440C

$100+ you want

154 CM
ATS-34
BG-42
S30V
VG-10
D2
M2
 
I think there's nothing wrong at all with 440C. It's a "cover all bases" steel, good edge-holding, good resharpenability, good resistance to corrosion, good toughness. It has neither particular strengths nor does it exhibit any weaknesses.
 
I agree with Quiet Storm. I have an older Queen Steel (440C) trapper and an A.G. Russell stockman in 440C. Both are outstanding pocketknives.

ayzianboy, your price schedules seem high. There are lots of knives out there with the steels mentioned at considerably lower prices ...
 
I have a Combat Elite CQB it has a 440C-OS steel blade. It has been heat treated to its fullest extent and I would compare it to my ATS-34 on my Buck/Strider 880 sp. I will say the CQB takes a much better edge. :D
 
It all depends on the price point of the knife and it's intended uses. I have no problems with Gerber's "crap" 400/surgical steels because they are on knives which can be had for $10-$20 in most cases. The little LST that lives in my wallet takes a wicked edge and holds it reasonably well. I mean, for ten bucks waddaya want? My personal favorite in steel is ATS 34 but when I abuse an edge knowingly I reach for a knife that's edge can be easily restored. Some of these cheaper steels have another advantage in that the edges can be bevelled easily to the user's preference. Much as I have enjoyed my VG 10 Endura, when the factory edge was completely worn away from hard use and sharpening it was never "quite right" again. My 110 on the other hand seems to come back to a perfect edge over and over again year in year out.
 
Don't forget that knives were made for centuries out of the 1095 and when all is said and done, it is the best. The only reason that knifemakers started looking for something else and came up with this bewildering array of stainless--actually stain less--steels is that, of course, 1095 rusts. If you can live with a little tarnish, stay with the 1095, it is the original and still the best.
 
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