Want a *real* super steel blade help me choose between...

I guess what I have learned here is that any of these steels with the proper HT and really good edge geometry can perform better than we need 99.9% of the time, and hold that edge longer then we need.

The last variable for me, how easy to get that great edge back. I think I have that figured out.

Really good thread....
 
KennyB said:
Well, just my opinion, but I would lower your expectations. No steel is going to cut lots of abrasive materials and still shave well. That's why people started making straight razors dedicated for shaving their face, and knives for cutting stuff. Likewise, no straight razor is gonna last long cutting cardboard or rope. Just the way it is, super steels don't offer any "magic" that change this, they just offer slightly better performance over other steels.

I have a nice custom in ELMAX treated to 62 HRC and it holds an edge so much longer than my similar knives in 1095, but it's not like I can cut up any reasonable amount of material and then go shave arm hair or any other hair off with it effortlessly, and it has a very accute edge angle. I think shaving is a misleading thing anyway, I've taken some pretty dulled and "smoothed" edges with literally no bite and stropped them until I could shave hair with them, but it doesn't mean they were as good at cutting any thing as they were before...

With that being said, steels that are higher in hardness and/or carbide formers like vanadium are going to hold a working edge for much longer than simpler steels like 1095, 440*, and other types that are just basically carbon and iron. It's the carbide formers and other alloying elements that really make "super steels" perform better in any one area, and you need to pay attention to which of these alloying elements is the "key" feature because some steels are more "super" in one area than the other, toughness vs wear-resistance, etc. I haven't got to try a whole lot myself, and to be honest have no interest in spending heaps of money in trying out different ones because so far if I could venture a guess with the different ones I have tried it really doesn't make a whole lot of difference in keeping that really super-refined edge. Sure some steels will keep cutting stuff for longer, but if you expect any steel to "not dull" you're going to be sorely disappointed. Then on top of that, there's the other factor of heat-treatment; it doesn't really matter if you have a terrific steel that's supposed to have excellent wear resistance, if the manufacturer/maker has ran it at a hardness level that isn't optimal to the steel. This happens a lot with some of the better steels out there... One reason why getting a custom is so often recommended, manufacturers just don't want to run blades at higher hardness levels for production knives without also running them for higher cost.

Long story short... You're on the short road to driving yourself crazy. If you want to try the actual knives more power to you, but don't expect the steel to make miracles.
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+1 on this,I got burned out on chasing these non-existent ,hold their edge forever, super steels about a year ago, got rid of some real grails and am now just as content with lower grade steels which most of the time take keener edges ,but require more frequent touch ups.just my .02 ¢
 
BITEME said:
+1 on this,I got burned out on chasing these non-existent ,hold their edge forever, super steels about a year ago, got rid of some real grails and am now just as content with lower grade steels which most of the time take keener edges ,but require more frequent touch ups.just my .02 ¢
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For me, the line with something that has a hight Chromium content (Stainless) is CPM-154/154CM.
I find it has all the variables fairly evened out for a general EDC.

As far as a High Carbon goes, the sky is the limit, so 3V, I get a tough as hell steel that I can do whatever I want with and, I can strop back to an ultra sharp edge...
 
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