Under $50 - What is your favorite blade steel?

I like spydercos 8cr. Holds an edge reasonably well and will take a very good edge. Bucks 420 is probably my favorite.i actually prefer these compared to the super steels. I have knives with s30v, cts xhp, have had others with things like s35vn.great thing about knives today, there's truly something for everybody. Just a little hard to navigate through due to so much choice
 
EatingSarma said:
Chinese D2 in general seems to be different, in the past it was simply worse, but today, seeing experiences of many people, and my own experience - I can say it's a really good steel.

RealSteel sells their knives for cheap, and people definitely aren't scared to abuse them, lots of reviewers or people commenting on youtube say they're their go-to beaters as they wouldn't cry a lot over them if they broke or got lost...

So I'm surprised I'm not seeing a lot of comments about D2 being brittle or Chinese D2 being bad, considering numbers of these people that bought these and what they use them for.

I guess it all comes down to manufacturer individually.
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I am tempted to try the Sorrow one day. Anyways, I am glad folks are enjoying their D2 fixed blades and that they are serving others well.
I thankfully have the choice to buy my fixed blades in other steels I feel are better suited to my tastes than D2.
Wishing you a happy Sunday.
 
JAF1973 said:
I am tempted to try the Sorrow one day. Anyways, I am glad folks are enjoying their D2 fixed blades and that they are serving others well.
I thankfully have the choice to buy my fixed blades in other steels I feel are better suited to my tastes than D2.
Wishing you a happy Sunday.
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Thank you kind sir!

I actually sold one of my knives to buy Sorrow after seeing performance of the one my friend has.

I'm currently waiting for it 😄
 
I'm partial to D2 in budget knives. There can also be some excellent deals on the secondary for s30v and s35vn (and likely others) if you keep an eye out. I grabbed a lightly used Kershaw Blur in s30v for under $50 several months back.
 
The trick to D2 is to keep it sharp. I have never had it chip or experienced corrosion issues. I have a Civivi with a D2 blade and I can touch it up easily on my Sharpmaker. Otherwise, Spydercos Byrd series knives in 8cr13mov are definitely worth a look.
 
I'll be another that has had positive experiences with Chinese D2. Not chippy in the least, though I'm not pushing 20° inclusive edges on them either! That may have something to do with it.

My favourite budget steel found under $50 has got to be 14C28N, though. Very, very nice durability, even if the edge retention isn't exactly amazing.

Years ago, a Kershaw Skyline was my go-to work knife. The deep hollow grind combined with the 14C28N was fantastic for the majority of cutting chores, though looking back I probably was oversharpening for the type of cutting I needed to do. I had a better experience with the Blur (same steel), I attribute that to having moved onto a better sharpening system.
 
To me, the key words are '...under $50.' Chinese D2, under $50, is a crap shoot, in my opinion. I don't have a problem with D2, even Chinese D2. Done properly, it can be a great steel. But, done properly, it's usually going to cost you more than $50.
My EDC folder for the last couple of years has been a Ruike P108, in 14C28N. Cost me $35.

I can work with any decent steel. It's usually just a matter of adjusting either my sharpening style, or cutting technique.
 
The_Iron_Joe said:
I'll be another that has had positive experiences with Chinese D2. Not chippy in the least, though I'm not pushing 20° inclusive edges on them either! That may have something to do with it.

My favourite budget steel found under $50 has got to be 14C28N, though. Very, very nice durability, even if the edge retention isn't exactly amazing.

Years ago, a Kershaw Skyline was my go-to work knife. The deep hollow grind combined with the 14C28N was fantastic for the majority of cutting chores, though looking back I probably was oversharpening for the type of cutting I needed to do. I had a better experience with the Blur (same steel), I attribute that to having moved onto a better sharpening system.
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Exactly my experience with my Sandvic Skyline. I also gave it much smaller edge angle, that’s why it didn’t hold edge very well but the steel is great and takes very sharp edge.
‘How do you guys know if it’s a Chinese D2 or other… ? I got plenty of D2, marked as Bohler brand steel/blades and I do trust the manufacturer that they are using the right steel but how you’re determine if the steel is Chinese and not something else when it isn’t marked ?
 
EatingSarma said:
I know several people who own and use RealSteel Bushcrafter in D2.
They even baton with it regularly and there's no issues, despite scandi grind.

I recently had experience with RealSteel Sorrow and it's also a large D2 fixed blade that really impressed me.

Chinese D2 seems to have better toughness than other D2 I have handled. Like, no micro chipping or edge damage even after cutting into a bone several times, cutting cartilages and so on.

I guess it also depends if you're getting a D2 knife from a well known Chinese brand, or some company most never heard of.
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Real Steel seems to have pretty dang good heat treating according to the cut tests I've seen 👍. I just bought a Real Steel Pukko folder in M390 to give them a whirl.
 
POCEH KOCEB said:
How do you guys know if it’s a Chinese D2 or other… ? I got plenty of D2, marked as Bohler brand steel/blades and I do trust the manufacturer that they are using the right steel but how you’re determine if the steel is Chinese and not something else when it isn’t marked ?
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You can't know that, but if your knives work well for you, does it really matter who made the steel?
The_Iron_Joe said:
I'll be another that has had positive experiences with Chinese D2. Not chippy in the least, though I'm not pushing 20° inclusive edges on them either! That may have something to do
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My friend's sorrow came with really thin edge at 20° (maybe even less) out of the box, after cutting into bones several time during deboning meat - the edge was still sharp and had no damage.
Do that with AUS8 at same edge geometry and you'll have instant spots that reflect light...

My guess is that RealSteel either perfected their HT or made tweaks to their D2 composition (or maybe both).

If a large company like them uses some steel for wide variety of knives - it really pays off to make some tweaks to both, HT and steel composition while keeping prices low, which is in this case what the OP is after.
LimpCroissant said:
Real Steel seems to have pretty dang good heat treating according to the cut tests I've seen 👍. I just bought a Real Steel Pukko folder in M390 to give them a whirl.
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Same here, lots of people swear by them here, and I just ordered one too, after handling my friend's knife and seeing how it performs while he uses it.

From sheath and performance to fit and finish - it's hard to beat them for the price.

So yeah, OP might want to give them a look...
 
EatingSarma said:
You can't know that, but if your knives work well for you, does it really matter who made the steel?

My friend's sorrow came with really thin edge at 20° (maybe even less) out of the box, after cutting into bones several time during deboning meat - the edge was still sharp and had no damage.
Do that with AUS8 at same edge geometry and you'll have instant spots that reflect light...

My guess is that RealSteel either perfected their HT or made tweaks to their D2 composition (or maybe both).

If a large company like them uses some steel for wide variety of knives - it really pays off to make some tweaks to both, HT and steel composition while keeping prices low, which is in this case what the OP is after.

Same here, lots of people swear by them here, and I just ordered one too, after handling my friend's knife and seeing how it performs while he uses it.

From sheath and performance to fit and finish - it's hard to beat them for the price.

So yeah, OP might want to give them a look...
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That's good to hear that you're friends Real Steel seams like a quality piece.
 
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