The Best Knife Steel??

Awesome article, thanks for posting the link. I knew the "chop a chainsaw out of wood" would come up in the next week or so somewhere. Was always afraid of rusting knives, maintaining knives, sharpening knives, etc. Using my Fiddlebacks change that for me, although I do have an affinity for the production models......
 
Cool article! I like seeing all of the different thought and justifications for the various steels.

Thanks for sharing this Andy.
 
I wasn't expecting any sort of concensus or anything but 10 different answers from the 11 people asked? I expect I am like most and find that the overall knife and blade geometry are more important than the steel used, assuming a basic quality steel and heat treat. The obvious exception would be if you were using it for something like saltwater fishing.

Fun read. :thumbsup:
 
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I didn't expect any consistency. Imagine how blade steel spoiled we are today. Go back 100 years and you had two kinds of steel. Good steel and bad steel. Today there are so many great blade steels and with no consistency of process shop to shop, how could we agree on steels. We're all wading through blade steel options, and doing our own thing. I liked that everyone had an honest choice to pick. What a time to be alive.
 
Great article, thanks for putting up the link.

I had always carried folders before discovering Fiddleback Forge knives. Most of the folders I have are in S35vn, S30v or 154CM. I do really like those steels and always have had good luck with them. I have noticed though that the O1 and A2 steel in my Fiddleback knives are much easier to sharpen and keep sharp than the above mentioned stainless steels. I really like the patina that the carbon steels produce to.
 
What a cool article! That was super informative and really interesting to see the different points of view of such a diverse group of knife makers.
Thanks Andy!
 
Then at Blade Show you will never be board.
 
"But I also love being able to see a patina of memories develop on the steel." Who says things like this anymore? I'm as guilty as anyone of coveting [the myth of] a pristine thing. A Fiddleback Forge blade in this case. I'm recovering quickly from that now, after hanging around this forum and having a few [several few] 01 and A2 blades of my own. Nice article Andy
 
Cool article Andy.

For folders I prefer S35VN, CPM154 and other stainless steels. For my bushcraft knives O1 followed by A2 cause of ease of sharpening. For lookers A2 stands out due to the awesome spalting it takes.
 
Love this article! Now we will have something to link to the million times this question comes up!
 
Interesting article Andy. There's an old folk song from the '50s - Belafonte mebbe - that went something like "It was clear as mud and it covered the ground. The confusion made me head go round"

I get there's a lot of "belief" that goes into knife steel selection. I wonder about guys buying multiples of a knife brand/model that have different steels as some sort of collecting rationale or those that talk about their favorite, (best) steel that they've ever used for EDC/box cutting, but have never cut up a critter in the boonies or hacked out a campsite. ( I'm a cynic).

But I wonder..., do makers have their own rationale that has more to do with capital investment in heat treating process and familiarity with a process that works for them, rather than the ability to finance or learn something new, that would truly provide a benefit to customers - but they don't say that. Your own, "Ill never make another 3V Knife..." while Bark River fiddles away, comes to mind.
 
Hey Tom. The ability to properly heat treat, and to have confidence in a heat treat process is a factor. Process plays a big part also. For example, Bark River doesn't do any pre-heat treat grinding, or drilling, or profiling. They have their blanks machined to that point. They also don't do the heat treat. That is outsourced as well so these aren't factors in their decisions. Additionally, their grinding process is much different with very different goals. The big difference is the mind of Mike Stewart, which knows more about knives, steel, and business than me. I'm blessed to call him a friend, and to be able to bounce ideas off of him, but there is no comparison when it comes to knife related knowledge.

I think a properly heat treated blade is a benefit to the customer. I don't buy that a 3V blade would benefit any customer better.
 
Great article Andy. I love how you included some romanticism of knife making into your comments and added some rational behind why you have zeroed in on A2. I've owned many knives in many different steels and while I've had eventual success in sharpening them all if they needed it, I've found myself gravitating towards those steels I can most easily and readily get back to hair shaving sharpness. Let's be real, most of our knives if cared for properly should only need touch up. For those worked harder, don't you want the blade to get back to optimal functionality as quickly and easily as possible? I did appreciate how each maker gravitates towards certain steels based on their philosophies, customer base and how they intend for their knives to be used. Having the opportunity to meet a number of the guys in the article you could almost take a good guess at which maker picked which steel. BTW, who in their right mind would use a Fiddleback to chop a stuck chainsaw blade out of a tree?
 
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