Super steels, and do we really need them?

Popsickle

Popsickle

Joined
Jul 25, 2010
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So I just purchased an expensive knife with what some would label a lower quality steel in 154cm. It got me thinking.... are super steels really necessary in folding pocket knives?

Customs aside.... how many people actually use their sprint runs or special edition folders using super steels?
Wouldn’t some steels properties be wasted in a folder? An example would be 3v, cruwear, pd1, etc..... would you ever truly be able to see the ability of them in the folder platform? I guess I can see high edge wear steels like s90v, 20cv, m390, etc... but even then, does everyone have the ability to actually sharpen them correctly? Probably not.

I’m very interested in hearing other opinions on this. I’ve been with this hobby for about 7 years and come to the realization that a lot of the industry is over kill lol.
 
I use all my super steel knives. I wouldn't buy them if wasn't going to use them.

What we don't need is to jump onto every new bandwagon the second it's available or meltdown if a run sells out and we didn't get one.

The old super steels that are now passe' are still great.
 
Danke42 said:
I use all my super steel knives. I wouldn't buy them if wasn't going to use them.

What we don't need is to jump onto every new bandwagon the second it's available or meltdown if a run sells out and we didn't get one.

The old super steels that are now passe' are still great.
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I agree with everything you just said. There was a time where I tried to hunt down all the latest and greatest
 
I use all my knives and "need" is always going to be a no we don't need however I do believe that the super steels can and often do offer a lot of benefits that we do experience. If you live in a wetter climate or near sea water you could definitely see the benefits of having a steel with improved corrosion resistance. The person who frequently uses there knife even for basic task can see the benefit of better wear resistance/edge retention particularly if they lack the skill and/or tools to resharpen their own knives.
 
Answer is there already a thread on this.

It's up to the user. Yes for people who use them often. No for people who don't use them often enough.

It depends.

My answer will always be yes.
 
Popsickle said:
I agree with everything you just said. There was a time where I tried to hunt down all the latest and greatest
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The other thing about this is what makes a steel "super" ? Is it that it's everything to everyone or refined into one tiny niche? Super tough, super edge holding, super easy to sharpen, super not to rust, and so on.
 
Basically all my cutting tools are niche use, processing wood, to a greater or lesser degree. The plain Jane steels that I use predominantly, 1095 etc. fit my use intentions. Now if I was opening boxes all day.......................
 
I like my PM steels. Would I be content using 154cm or VG10? Sure I would. They're great steels for knives and they can do just about anything a super steel does. If I have a choice, though, I'd choose M390/XHP/204p/CruWear and so forth each and every time.

It really depends on what you want your knife to do. And that's one thing these super steels offer you, a specialized steel for a specialized knife. If you're cutting abrasive material all day long you want something with an increased wear resistance, just as you would if you had to beat on your knives all the time you'd want a tough steel that won't chip out.

The funny thing is I'd probably be content with AUS8 if I didn't try S30V, and I'd probably be content with S30V if I didn't find M390. It's really more of a want than a need. And I want better steels for my knives.
 
Me personally? No. But "we" encompasses everyone so I would say that "we" do need them. Or if not "really need" let's say that there are enough people who benefit from the qualities of improved steels to make it worth their existence.
 
are super steels really necessary in folding pocket knives?

.... how many people actually use their sprint runs or special edition folders using super steels?
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I do.
Every work day super steel alloys such as M4 and M390 make a very significant difference in how often I have to sharpen. Once a week or every two weeks compared to daily or every other day with more basic cutlery steels that are in many, many of my other knives.

steels like s90v, 20cv, m390, etc... but even then, does everyone have the ability to actually sharpen them correctly?
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Yes.
Super easy and very satisfying once one has the right stones for the alloy. Modern engineered stones or diamond plates make this task just like sharpening any other knife or edge tool.

Sounds like you need to do some catching up in the yellow "Stickies" threads that appear at the top of the Maintenance, Tinkering and Embellishment forum.
 
I think the best steel for a folder is hap40/m4 sandwiched between stainless. My pakkawood delica has become my daily edc for work. I sharpen it for all of a couple minutes every couple of weeks and I use the knife daily. I carried a sak for a long time and if I never had to cut cardboard I would be content as then it was the same sharpening schedule. The hap40 allows me to get all the use I want on whatever I want without an increase in maintenance time.

Break down and by a cheap diamond stone. ;)
 
For the vast majority of users, in the vast majority of pocket knife uses, super steels will make a negligible difference--unless you think sharpening a little less frequently is a mind-blowing difference. How often do most users sharpen any given pocket knife anyway? Most knives I see on the exchange have never been sharpened once, so it's hard to see how super steels would have made any difference . . .

The point of super steels in pocket knives is to find new and interesting ways to entice buyers of high-priced luxury items to buy more high-priced luxury items.
 
can I get by with s35vn - sure
BUT
M390 is so much better and holds its edge forever and is easy to sharpen and maintain so yeah I try to get M390/ZDP 189/3V/M4/Super Blue if it is possible.
 
evilgreg said:
For the vast majority of users, in the vast majority of pocket knife uses, super steels will make a negligible difference--unless you think sharpening a little less frequently is a mind-blowing difference. How often do most users sharpen any given pocket knife anyway? Most knives I see on the exchange have never been sharpened once, so it's hard to see how super steels would have made any difference . . .

The point of super steels in pocket knives is to find new and interesting ways to entice buyers of high-priced luxury items to buy more high-priced luxury items.
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This.
 
The best blade steel for a folder in unobtainium. It hasn't been made yet. There is no one best steel for all applications. That why we keep getting more and more "super steels." That, and because it's profitable to sell them. :)



Valyrian steel said:
Adamantium if i'm planning on attacking Wolverine from the X-men
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I generally say the same thing in all these threads:

I'm a big fan of m390, m4, etc. The steels with a high abrasion resistance. I'm also a big fan of older "super steels" though like D2 and 154CM. If the same knife is available in one of the older steels at a significantly reduced price when compared to the current cream of the crop, I'll save the cash and by yesterday's steel.
 
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