Super steels, and do we really need them?

stabman said:
I made a couple of stone axes.
Used one to chop down a small tree...pain in the ass. ;)
Switched to a steel one, and it was SO much better I almost cried with joy. :D

Our ancestors would sing songs of exultation for years on end to have even low-grade steel, as opposed to stone or bone.
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Yep, having cut some stuff with obsidian blades, both ready made and self knapped, I can tell you that our ancestors who lived many thousands of years ago would have seen a 420J2 blade as miraculous. :thumbsup: I still appreciate the historical aspects of Stone Age implements, but man...:D

The question of need has been answered already. Some of us do and some don't, I'm just glad we have the option. :thumbsup:
 
Kreyzhorse said:
Today's super steel is tomorrow's budget steel. Okay, it isn't that bad, but but I think the newer steels have hit the point of dimishing returns for most of us. The hype is easy to buy into, but after being there and back, these days I'm happy with VG 10 and try not to get to concerned with super steels.
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Cts xhp cost is the same as 440c atm. It's all about how much supply is around. If it's plenty. Hence why m390 and S35vn is getting really cheap now. Cause demand is high and supplies are plentiful. Spyderco is bringing maxamet to market in larger supplies and using plastic handles, and making it regular production... Hence bringing down prices. Tbo the machining maxamet and heat treating it is expensive in comparison to other steel. It probably won't catch on as popular as say M390.

If the same was done for rex121 that could be easily obtained for less than it costs now.
 
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I like my super steels. In the knives that I carry and use I have S110V, S90V, Cruwear and M4. I would like to have Maxamet but so far has been impossible to find. I carry larger knives because they are easier to hold on to and easier to use for hard cutting tasks. I see people asking for supersteels in tiny knives like Delica and so forth. I don't see how you can cut enough with one of those to make use of a super steel.
 
I'm waiting for the steel that's super and smart enough to cut everything but me !
 
I don't consider myself a "steel snob", but I must admit the folders in my collection that have M390 (and the equivalent CTS204P) have made me a big fan with their overall performance. Oh, and my Wicked Edge pretty much doesn't care what the steel is.
 
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I cut a Granny Smith apple almost daily with S110V...apples are highly corrosive and that kind of use will definitely leave its mark on lesser steels. Also the skins are pretty bad on the edge and the high vanadium steel bites into the surface nicely.
 
interested discussion.

I agree that some steels cutting longer or being more abrasive resistant are cool. At some point diminishing returns start to play into everything
 
G. Scott H. said:
....The question of need has been answered already. Some of us do and some don't, I'm just glad we have the option. :thumbsup:
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Well, I don't know if "really need" has been sufficiently addressed. The fact that the cutlery industry uses many steels with the newer ones called "super steels" is a good thing for me. I personally don't really need super steels, but I'm glad that choices are available. The impact of better steels is that it raises the bar for lower cost knives.
 
John_0917 said:
I cut a Granny Smith apple almost daily with S110V...apples are highly corrosive and that kind of use will definitely leave its mark on lesser steels. Also the skins are pretty bad on the edge and the high vanadium steel bites into the surface nicely.
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Can't tell if you're being serious. I cut and eat two granny smiths every day and I'm just shaking my head.
 
Razor said:
I want a steel that you never have to sharpen?
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There are knives that you never have to sharpen! They are usually quite expensive and are generally referred to as "safe queens".:D

Seriously though, for centuries humans have been in pursuit of "Excalibur"! That super strong, super tough, better than anything that has ever existed before steel. People love to believe they have something special, or the "best" for a perceived advantage over others. But really that's what has driven progress to the point we're at today. These super steels that the knife industry has developed could ultimately lead to new and important developments in materials and applications outside of the cutlery industry as well!

So do we need them? Probably not for pocket knives or camping knives, But as we move out into outer space in the future and develop new technologies in industry and science, then most likely yes!
 
I edc'ed Spyderco Tenacious for several months.

The knife itself was great. Ergonomics, weight, everything... Very high quality. Except its Chinese steel. I got rid of it because the steel performance was very low. After that I try to get something with a nice supersteel. I liked Manix Maxamet, had to sell it. Now I bought Native in S110V, I hope I'll enjoy the knife and the steel, it is still on its way.

So, I believe there is difference in steels, even for smaller seldom used EDC knives.
 
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I really like the new super stainless steels. M390 (Bradford) and COS (Fällkniven) are my jam currently. That being said I also love SR-101 and good old 1095....so
 
I don´t need them - so I don´t buy them.

I´m happy with my 1095, C75 and O1 ... if it comes to carbon steel.

I´m also happy with my 440C, VG10 and S30V and yes... even 420HC ... if it comes to stainless steel - steels of bigger carbides.

If a user sees an advantage in a S110 or something like that - I´m fine with his/hers decision.

But I like to use knives I can easily sharpen on the bottom of a coffee mug or even a stone I find in a stream. Stroping with the leather belt... work is done!
I don´t want to carry a diamond hone set with me when I´m on a journey or out in the field.

So maintaining easily is my way to go... and careful use. Cutting with a carbon steel blade on a ceramic blade will ruin the edge rather fast, for example.
 
As a fixed blade knife maker, I don't really have an opinion on folders with super steel blades. For fixed blades, however, please consider this. I make skinners, filet, and kitchen cutlery. I use M390 for the skinners and filet knives for a very specific reason. Skinning deer, elk, and moose is often done just before or at dusk, because that is when they are out. Those animals often have mud, rocks and debris in their fur. Who wants to stop 2 or 3 times to touch up their knife when you are trying to get it done before dark? Same with filet knives. If you are lucky enough to fish for reds in the Kenai River you may have 3 or 4 fish per person to filet at the end of the day. After watching my brother- in- law stop between each fish to touch up his Dexter Russell, I made him a M390 blade. Now, he does 30 or 40 fish before taking 1 swipe on each side of a ceramic rod. My prototype kitchen knives are made of M390 hardened to Rc60. I sharpen them once a year before I take them to a knife show for customers to try out. I swipe each side on a ceramic stick when necessary, about every 3-4 weeks.

My point is, if you are not someone who enjoys sharpening knives for its own sake, there is a very good reason for super steels.

Tim
 
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