Throw in your Ringer, best steel/maker combos

007 Agent ZZero

007 Agent ZZero

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Jan 23, 2006
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It’s my hope that this thread will become something that old dogs and greenhorns can come back to or start from. Like many of you I have been collecting for over 10 years. In that time I have come across blades which were made of steel treated to excellence in a pattern that was interesting. This combination is what I search for and if I am lucky enough, I am able to keep.

Now the caveat, this is not a perspective thread on the end all be all knife or example of prime excellence in every pattern. This should be a running list of makers who have mastered their steels and consistently deliver in their wares. Also given this is meant to be accessible let’s not give examples which are unattainable or significantly expensive($1k+?). Personal experience should drive these suggestions.

Getting the ball rolling with

Dozier and D2, it really is so good you wonder if you have really seen what D2 could do before

ESEE 1095, outstanding with lots of pattern choices

Siegle 5160, pricey but absolutely outstanding

Spyderco VG10/Maxamet/Cruwear, didn’t like VG10 until I had a Spyderco in it, Maxamet/Cruwear both set the standard in my mind for a super performing folder steel

Carothers Delta 3V, tougher than Chinese algebra in patterns that cut and cut.

Swamp Rat, SR101 (52100 proprietary), tough and holds a great edge. This is why I love 52100.
 
Ontarios D2
It has held up really well in my Rat 1. Edge retention is on par with knives I have in PM “super” steels, and the corrosion resistance isn’t as bad as a lot make it out to be. I’m sure the satin finish helps with that.
That’s a hard one to beat for the money IMO
 
Off the top of my head, from what I have actually used/own.

Buck- 420 & s30v are great
ESEE- 1095 is good & s35vn is great
Becker/K-bar- i prefer their 1095 over ESEE
Spyderco- cts-xhp & H1/lc200n for water use
LT Wright- O1 and A2 have been good to me
Ontario- aus-8
Cold Steel- aus-8

Edit to add:

I’ve been using a Wachtman Knife & Tool Eddy 2 in 80crv and so far I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

I would really like to try Carothers d3v and Busse’s sr-101 at some point.
 
I won't repost steels already listed above even though there are some of my favorites in that list. I have to add Spyderco's K390. It absolutely will cut and slice things all day and night. If I had to pick a steel for cutting meat and caping heavy and dirty fur such as found on Moose, Bears, hogs, etc. it would be K390. It's worth the extra work it takes to keep it from rusting and pitting . I like it for slicing up beef and venison for jerky too and with a 400 to 600 grit edge it is my favorite at that. I prefer something else for prying or batoning through joints if that is how you do it.
 
Kunwu’s M390. I haven’t had a chance to use their Vanax or Elmax, but I owned an original Tao in M390 and cut cardboard and zip ties for a year without dulling the toothy working edge. The previous owner had also used it. That thing just stayed sharp, unlike others in M390…
 
Not sure if I understand the point of this thread, but here it goes:

When I was looking for a belt knife for our son, a new Marine about to deploy to Iraq in 2004, I bought him a bunch of knives because I had no Idea of just what he would need or what was "good". My criteria were in the realm of good reputation, specification, design etc. I was looking for a serious working tool for a warfighter about to go into inactive war zone.

I bought a Randall fighter based on reputation, legend and lore alone ( 440 family stainless)

I bought an Ek dagger based on its history, shear ruggedness of construction and aggressive design (High carbon chrome vanadium)

I bought a modernized Ka Bar version based on history and lore (D-2)

And finally, I got him a Chris Reeve Green Beret because it was Epoxy coated in a non-reflective finish over what sounded to me like an advanced high-performance alloy, S30V.

The Lt took both the Randall Made and the CRK to Iraq in 2004. Both were carried for extended periods at separate times and saw action at Fallujah or Ramadi anong other actions.

What he took on his next deployment? The CRK Green Beret, because it seemed more durable and rugged. . . a matter of confidence.

So, there it is : CRK Green Beret in whatever they are making them with at the time; S35VN, Magnicut . . .whatever is the next high performance steel formulation.

I may have missedthe point, so please be gentle.
 
There's something to be said about a "happy medium," and I've found my Spyderco S30V stuff from the last ~15 years ago to fit very nicely into that category. It doesn't chip with my usage, it's very easy to get hair-popping sharp with basic (<$100 USD) sharpening tools, and I have no signs of rusting, tarnishing, or discoloration on any of my Taichung or Golden, CO knives. I spent 3 years cutting straps off of lumber bundles in the early 2010's (including some with hidden metal reinforcements), and my trusty PM2 is still holding as strong as the day I got it.

I personally prefer it to my "nicer" super-steels, including 20CV, S110V, and CRK S45VN.

I also have to throw in honorable mention to Spyderco US S90V, those little sprint Para 3 lightweights with S90V are killers, and easier than expected to maintain. Takes me an extra ~10 mins to get it to the same sharpness as S30V in my experience, but holds an edge... ~30% longer maybe?
 
Rob Simonich and his Talonite knives come to mind.

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