Supersteels. Do we really need 'em?

Metalhed2434 said:
How exactly is this voiding the warranty? Not looking to stir the pot, I legitimately just don't see what the issue is.

Thanks
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Ever read Medfords warranty? Basically everything one might do with a knife voids it.
 
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Last I read, it said not to throw the knife, disassemble it, or lubricate it. Didn't say anything about rinsing it with water or using it to chop wood.

But I see your point, not looking to start an argument. I just wanted to be sure I wasn't missing anything in those photos!
 
After using my knife more harshly as of late I'm sick of chipping CPM-S30v. I'm moving to the likes of Maxamet and "lesser grade" stainless.
 
DukeNukem1977 said:
I'm so happy with them right now that I sold all my knives which were made of premium supersteels. S110V spyderco paramili, s90v benchmade 940-1 osborne, zdp189 dragonfly, custom from a polish knifemaker from vanadis 75, another custom in rex121, m4 mili...those are just examples, I had many many more. (Yes, I was spending thousands of bucks per year on knives) Yes, I sold them all, due to lack of opportunites to benefit for such high grade steels. I never have or had to cut high abrasive materials. I mostly use my knifes for preparing food, cutting cloth, strings, opening packs with bottles. Since years I hadn't the opportunity to test full edge retention potential of any of my premium steel knives. I was sharpening already sharp knives because of boredom. In my case all of those fantastic materials were just a gear masturbation.
"IN MY CASE" - please keep this in mind before getting offended.
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being in Europe, look for blades made of 1.2519(110WCrV5) tool steel. it excels at high hardness Rc64-65 very thin grinds <10dps. Most of the supersteels you mention were developed for cutting tools(drill bits, mills, broaches, blades for turning tires into mulch), cold forging or for processing plastics and ceramics.
sharpeners like Wicked Edge look like they would work ok, but all my kitchen blades are less than 10dps, WE only goes to 15dps.
 
scott.livesey said:
being in Europe, look for blades made of 1.2519(110WCrV5) tool steel. it excels at high hardness Rc64-65 very thin grinds <10dps. Most of the supersteels you mention were developed for cutting tools(drill bits, mills, broaches, blades for turning tires into mulch), cold forging or for processing plastics and ceramics.
sharpeners like Wicked Edge look like they would work ok, but all my kitchen blades are less than 10dps, WE only goes to 15dps.
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Wicked Edge sells an adaptor that allows you to sharpen down to 10 dps. It's expensive, but you can do it.
https://wickededgeusa.com/collectio...apters/products/wicked-edge-low-angle-adapter
 
I stopped caring about the alphabet soup of blade steels about ten years ago. As long as its well made and i cant scoop up the steel with a spoon, I'm cool, i can sharpen. It's literally the last thing I look at if I bother to check at all, with the exception of swords.
 
Mo2 said:
Yea those are art knives (as ugly as they are). Not used for cutting.
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You know, I just realized that as you were typing these words, I was likely using a Medford to cut things at work.
How odd is that, that I was proving you wrong as you typed it, but didn't know? :D
 
stabman said:
You know, I just realized that as you were typing these words, I was likely using a Medford to cut things at work.
How odd is that, that I was proving you wrong as you typed it, but didn't know? :D
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Take an apple and see how clean it will slice it with that Medford.

Anything that's sharp can actually cut. So I guess I ment slice... Which is a function of the knife. A Medford is more like a sharp wedge or sharp prybar
 
Mo2 said:
Take an apple and see how clean it will slice it with that Medford.
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The French guy at work DID borrow my Medford Marauder in the lunchroom to cut his apple!
He normally uses a knife his grandfather gave him, but he forgot it that day.

It cut the apple, but not gracefully.
Still, he was able to cut it and eat it. :thumbsup:

My Spyderco Military would have cut it more nicely, but I felt like carrying the Marauder that day, so that was the knife I had on hand to lend. :)
 
bring this one back from the dead...

I'm also a fan of not blowing hundreds of $ on some new fangled super steel. I get it, but I just have too strong a value component built into my thought process.

Recent reading has brought me to a few great contenders for value steel for a knife (in my case, I like high toughness also, but 3v is much too expensive)

So, it's down to :
sleipner
14c28n
vg10 (used to cost more, but it's down in price these days)
154cm (same thing...)

in all of these steels you can get a quality knife for under $100
of course, heat treat is important so I dislike going to complete no-name-chinese makers... but these days they have really good QC

of these, the 'newer' ones are sleip and 14c28n both are fairly highly regarded but it's difficult to find toughness values


so, which would you choose as your EDC/multi-use/outdoor type?

(ah sorry I forgot to include the 'generic' low cost Chinese steels, like 9cr18mov or even 7cr17)
 
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scott.livesey said:
being in Europe, look for blades made of 1.2519(110WCrV5) tool steel. it excels at high hardness Rc64-65 very thin grinds <10dps. Most of the supersteels you mention were developed for cutting tools(drill bits, mills, broaches, blades for turning tires into mulch), cold forging or for processing plastics and ceramics.
sharpeners like Wicked Edge look like they would work ok, but all my kitchen blades are less than 10dps, WE only goes to 15dps.
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People will be amazed how much these simple alloy outcut so called "super steel" at those low degree angle... Most high alloy steel don't do very well on these type of geometry.
 
Sometimes less is more. I do prefer stainless steels for my pocket knives and, as CM stated 440C is fine, as is AUS-8, 154CM, ATS-34, VG-10 and other steels that, at one time were "super." I have knives in all of those steels and they suit me just fine, thank you.

For many of my uses, I am so spoiled with H-1 that it's hard to not have it swimming, diving, snorkeling, fishing, etc - but that is a special application steel IMO.

In fixed blades I like the carbon steels like 1095/1095 CroVan (loves me my Beckers), 52100, SK5, etc., etc. - all well performing forgiving easy to maintain blades.

Some of these alphabet soup new fangled "Super Steels" are kind of like a very small, two seat sports car - interesting and fun until you have to live with it day in and day out and then they're not all they're cracked up to be. Nothing wrong with them - just not the be all/end all once thought.
 
This beautiful combination of Brend and Randall is 440C... And will likely kick the A2 TG out of my collection.

IMG_20180216_123157_981.jpg
 
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