Super steel opinions

V

Vlade

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Feb 8, 2020
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I have come to the realization that having super steel is not all that. I have knives with 20 CV I have knives with magna cut and I have knives with ordinary 420 HC AUS8 AUS10a. 440c CtsBD1.

Curiosity killed the cat, I'm not disappointed I just have my own opinions that I would like to share. The first problem that I've encountered is sharpening the super steels are very hard. Even with diamond Stones they're very hard to get sharp. And then when you finally do eventually get them Sharp they do not hold up as advertised. Nowadays I'm looking for more budget-minded steel. When they do get dull you can sharpen them fairly easy. So what is your opinion on super steals or are they just hype. Some members here had worn me prior to my purchasing these steels. but I guess I was thick headed. In my usage they also dull just as fast as any other knife. PS I wasn't sure where to post this I was thinking of posting it in the embellishment forum but I'm sure someone will change it if need be. Thanks in advance fellas what is your take on super steels?
 
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I had a Cold Steel in Aus8 that suffered a half-moon deflection while I was chopping small branches. I now use a Vanax blade that is thinner -- 15 dps and 15 thousandths behind the edge -- and never suffers damage doing the same thing.

With such a thin edge, it is a breeze to respharpen. It holds an edge much longer than Aus8, and the steel is so fine-grained that the newly sharpened edge is super keen. And it is virtually rustproof.

Depending on your use and skill, regular steels are just fine. But for certain challenging uses, super steels can really shine.
 
Love tool steels. They all work really well for me. M4 is my fav but always willing to try something new.

I use a sharpmaker to maintain them but I do have the CBN rods too for the more exotic materials.
 
I use a work Sharp guided sharpening system with diamond Stones. They still a hump to sharpen. I'm not too sure if it's worth the work
 
1095 is my favorite steel of all. CPM154 is my favorite stainless steel. I specifically do not like AUS8 as Cold Steel issued it (which is unfortunate as I'm drawn to getting an Espada XL in AUS10).

I need a keen edge in the morning and a quick touch up in the evening. Harder edges are better than soft, but I can live just fine with an 440C on a Buck 110.

I suspect the market is saturated with ordinary steel blades such as 1095 and 440 and any future success will be built on convincing the punters of their need to upgrade to the Next Big Thing. At 56 years old, I'm pretty settled and my knife buying moratorium is still intact at two years now. New steels just don't make me sit up and take notice.

Zieg
 
I think it boils down to what you are looking for...
I have found that Toughness out ranks edge retention but as "Danke42" stated Can't beat M4 for an all around Tool Steel, but it will rust on you...!

The (2) knives I carry most compared below:
(1) PM2 in M4
(2) SHF in S35VN

0-10 Ten being Best:
3
 
Being a knife, MT and SAK enthusiast, I see the argument from both side.

Supersteel is a never ending chase in itself, I still remembered those days when S30V first came out, how it was the be-all end-all supersteel and now I doubt anyone would call it the same.

Funny with all our steel tech advancement, it is not like the materials we are cutting are getting any tougher. It is not like deers have grown triple in size, tree fibers are growing twice as dense, envelop is made of steel now, or card board box are an inch thick now.

Don't get me wrong, I still have my appreciation for supersteel for what it is. But to me, it is just what I wanted, but ordinary 'budget' steel is probably all I needed.
 
Crag the Brewer said:
If you think sharpening them is hard...?

Try making one. WOW, I'll spend a couple days sometimes getting the grinds just right.
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Oh wow I bet you really work hard trying to make one of them. Do a lot of customers requests super steel?
 
Yeah blame the steel and not your skills !

I think it’s amazing that some folks can have such poor performance while others have excellent performance using the same exact steel. There is a reason why things happen the way they do and it’s up to each individual to determine what the reason is.
 
The Zieg said:
1095 is my favorite steel of all. CPM154 is my favorite stainless steel. I specifically do not like AUS8 as Cold Steel issued it (which is unfortunate as I'm drawn to getting an Espada XL in AUS10).

I need a keen edge in the morning and a quick touch up in the evening. Harder edges are better than soft, but I can live just fine with an 440C on a Buck 110.

I suspect the market is saturated with ordinary steel blades such as 1095 and 440 and any future success will be built on convincing the punters of their need to upgrade to the Next Big Thing. At 56 years old, I'm pretty settled and my knife buying moratorium is still intact at two years now. New steels just don't make me sit up and take notice.

Zieg
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I too am a big fan of 1095. It simply can't be beat . I have a Bowie knife made out of it. And it by far is the sharpest knife that I have.
 
Lesknife said:
Yeah blame the steel and not your skills !

I think it’s amazing that some folks can have such poor performance while others have excellent performance using the same exact steel. There is a reason why things happen the way they do and it’s up to each individual to determine what the reason is.
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Oh I could be wrong I'm not perfect and maybe I'm not looking at things correctly. However I do take accountability for my actions. Thank you for your understanding
 
I can’t imagine what your use is where you’ve found 420HC (2/10 in edge retention) holds an edge as well as 20CV. (7/10 in edge retention)

Maybe the 20CV wasn’t really sharp to begin with. As you say, it’s harder to sharpen, but if you’re having a hard time sharpening it with diamond media then you’re doing it wrong; not holding the angle steady enough or not going until it’s properly sharp.

Remember too that pressing harder with diamond media doesn’t speed it up; it just scrapes the diamonds off faster.

I have a couple super steel knives and their edge retention is AMAZING. (Maxamet @ 10/10, 20CV and K390 @ 9/10)
 
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I wonder if you're demanding a higher level of sharpness than most people... A few people have run tests and come to the same conclusion: Every steel loses a razor sharp edge and goes from "razor sharp" to "moderately sharp" at the same speed, but steels with higher edge retention take much longer to go from "moderately sharp" to "dull" than more basic steels. That's why in applications where people demand "razor sharp," you see more basic steels that can easily be brought back to that edge. In custom straight razors, O1 is the gold standard. Chefs who like to get really tricky with their knife skills often gravitate towards Hitachi blue steel in the east and 52100 in the west. Whittlers using traditional knives like 1095, or 154cm if stainless.
 
Smaug said:
I can’t imagine what your use is where you’ve found 420HC (2/10 in edge retention) holds an edge as well as 20CV. (7/10 in edge retention)

Maybe the 20CV wasn’t really sharp to begin with. As you say, it’s harder to sharpen, but if you’re having a hard time sharpening it with diamond media then you’re doing it wrong; not holding the angle steady enough or not going until it’s properly sharp.

Remember too that pressing harder with diamond media doesn’t speed it up; it just scrapes the diamonds off faster.

I have a couple super steel knives and their edge retention is AMAZING. (Maxamet @ 10/10, 20CV and K399 @ 9/10)
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I could use some new stones come to think of it. I get them sharp where they could shave you. Most of my cutting involves the heavy duty nylon rope that's yellow in color. Most of my other cutting is cardboard so it'll fit in the trash can. And other odds and ends around the house mostly cuz I don't work anymore. I don't know I just don't know anymore.
 
Smaug said:
I can’t imagine what your use is where you’ve found 420HC (2/10 in edge retention) holds an edge as well as 20CV. (7/10 in edge retention)

Maybe the 20CV wasn’t really sharp to begin with. As you say, it’s harder to sharpen, but if you’re having a hard time sharpening it with diamond media then you’re doing it wrong; not holding the angle steady enough or not going until it’s properly sharp.

Remember too that pressing harder with diamond media doesn’t speed it up; it just scrapes the diamonds off faster.

I have a couple super steel knives and their edge retention is AMAZING. (Maxamet @ 10/10, 20CV and K399 @ 9/10)
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The thick 1 in nylon rope the kind that's yellow. I had to cut a bunch of it for the hurricane season. I had to strap down my roof because I didn't want it to blow off again. It's thousands to fix
 
It can also be how you use the knife or your technique at cutting. I’ve learned that using a push type cut rather than a slashing type cut will reduce the amount of wear on the apex and still be just as effective if not better.
For instance if you are cutting bags of salt or other abrasive products and use a deep slashing style to cut the bag it is also running the sharpened apex though the abrasive as well and will dull it much quicker. Try setting the bag upright so the material is away from the top portion of the bag and cut on the bag there. And that’s just one type of instance where the technique can dull a knife quickly and there are many other ways that can dull it just as much.
 
Perhaps there's a bunch of nasty crap mixed in with your yellow nylon rope. That stuff's kind of a pain to work with too, atleast the kind that I've used. But if it's hurricane season and grit is blowing in the air and catching in the strands of the rope, that'd dull a knife much faster. But yea I was also about to bring up what Tsujigiri Tsujigiri just said. Perhaps it's because the 20cv is losing it's razor-sharp edge and you're thinking that's it, the rest of the edge is about to decompose like 1095 or 420hc would, however that working edge is usually reported to stick around much longer on most super steels. Try getting them both to the best edge of your ability, and then cutting with both until you can barely cut that yellow nylon rope anymore. I think that's where you'll see the difference. If you do it, please let us know what you find.
 
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