Steel Snobs: Your favorite steels?

My favorite is S35VN. For me it has the right balance of hardness & toughness, plus it's easy to sharpen. I have one in S45 & it seems to hold an edge a little longer. I haven't done any scientific studies. It's just what I've observed from my general use.
 
Recently I’ve been carrying the Spyderco GB2 in CPM Cru wear. Ive been very impressed. I find I prefer a tougher steel run a little hard. I hate micro chipping. For my uses it seems that I dont need crazy high abrasion resistance, but more toughness and while I dont mind a patina, I prefer a moderate level of corrosion resistance.

That being said Spyderco’s S30V has served me perfectly fine for years in a folder.

For a general fixed blade, CPM 3V is my choice.

Ultimately I will use anything if I like the design of the knife.

Ive got 1095, CPM 3V, CPM Cruwear, CPM M4, LC200N, S90V, S110V, Rex 45, 52100, D2, S35VN, S30V, 420, M390, 14C28N, 154CM and probably some others I cant remember
 
S90V for me. Perfect balance of excellent edge retention and corrosion resistance.
 
I don't have a favorite, but really like Magnacut, S90V and M390.

If I like the knife, I buy it regardless of the steel. I've ended up with way more M390 than anything else with this approach.
 
My favorites In order: Elmax, Magnacut, M390, and my off the wall flavor I really like is ATS-34
 
Super steels, plain old stainless steels (especially Sandvik's 12C27 and Buck's 420HC), tool steels (M4, 3V), high carbon steels, I pretty much like them all as long as they cut.
 
Cementite said:
HiSpeed LoDrag M4

That said, I also like whatever stainless Buck Knives uses...I've found it to be real easy to sharpen very sharp and it seems to hold an edge through a reasonable amount of abuse.
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I pretty much settled on carrying one of my Chris Reeve knives for every day carry, but the past couple months I've thrown the Buck 110 & 112 into the mix. Buck's 420HC certainly isn't a one of the latest super steel flavors of the month, but it holds an edge just fine & when it gets dull, it takes no time at all to get a screaming sharp edge with w few passes on the Sharpmaker.
 
The M4 Spyderco Endura exclusive at Blade HQ is something a cheapskate could come to love.

Tough, good edge retention, patinas gracefully.

It's going away, so I wouldn't wait.
 
I guess my needs never really grew beyond what S30/35VN can provide. Reliable, bendy and easy to sharpen. Between a Sebenza and whatever a SAK is made of I don’t carry anything high speed steel-wise. I guess Magnacut feels closest to 30/35 to me so I gravitate towards that if offered a choice. I don’t like sharpening S45VN so I avoid it. My 2 cents.
 
Lots of good steels that I like, especially for knives set up for specialty work.

But my favorite steel is Vanax. Josh rebladed by EDC Benchmade Rukus 610 in Vanax, and Bluntcut made a chef's knife out of .065 inch stock Vanax. Wonderful steel. Good balance between toughness and strength. Fine grained, so easy to take a killer edge. Holds a good edge for a long while. And stainless to the max.

I use both these knives every day. They are old friends.
 
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