What are your go-to knife steels?

[not2sharp]

So do we pay a premium for fancy steels in order to avoid sharpening, or is it that we enjoy sharpening so much that we want steels that take 5x as long to hone an edge?

n2s

 

[Eli Chaps]

So do we pay a premium for fancy steels in order to avoid sharpening, or is it that we enjoy sharpening so much that we want steels that take 5x as long to hone an edge?

n2s

If you have the right tools, they don't really take any longer.

 

[vjb.knife]

If you have the right tools, they don't really take any longer.

Ditto.

 

[MarkN86]

So do we pay a premium for fancy steels in order to avoid sharpening, or is it that we enjoy sharpening so much that we want steels that take 5x as long to hone an edge?

n2s

I think there probably are some people who don't sharpen and don't want to have it done for them as frequently. It's hard to imagine being an enthusiast and not having at least a little interest in sharpening, but it depends on the person and the knife I suppose.

Sharpening is part of maintenance, even if you aren't good at it you'll probably do better than some of the factory grinds I've encountered.

 

[comis]

The steel is usually the last criteria that I look for. Design, ergonomics, overall quality, maker’s reputation and warranty are far more important to me then the chemical composition of their raw blade material.

N2s

My first thoughts when I see the title, and can't say it any better. If a manufacturer is responsible enough for the proper heat treat and QC, even 420 can do wonder.

 

[Edm1]

S-35vn and M4 are my current go to.

 

[bdmicarta]

M4 and S110V are the steels that I like the best, these cover most of my EDC rotation. I'm interested in adding some Rex45 and K390.

 

[mph57]

Pretty basic here....

1. Fixed blade hunting knife: O-1
2. Back up for my fixed blade hunting knife (Buck 110): 420HC
3. Camillus pocket knife from the 1970s/80s: 1095

I worked on a cattle ranch in Nevada growing up in the 1970s and then did the military for 20+ years after that. I never really needed anything more robust than what those knives had back then...certainly don't need anything more robust now!

 

[Skar]

Yes knife steel is important to me.

I want to know that I'm buying a well made product with different and higher end materials.

Right now I really like D2.

 

[knarfeng]

1) Are knife steels an essential criteria in selecting your next purchase?

2) Which steels are your favorite?

3) Are budget and high-end steels important in your collection?

1) Sometimes. I have knives that were purchased because I wanted to try a particular blade steel.

2) Pretty much all of them. Anything with more than 0.45% Carbon. They're all good for something. It depends on if the designer has paired an appropriate steel with designed purpose of the knife, as well as the rest of the knife design. It also depends on the manufacturer's ability to heat treat the steel to bring the most out of it.

3) "Oh we got both kinds. We got Country AND Western."
means, "Yes."

I like to try different blade alloys, but at the end of the day it's the knife as a whole that interests me. The blade alloy is one part of the design. But it's only a part.

 

[DangerZone98]

So do we pay a premium for fancy steels in order to avoid sharpening, or is it that we enjoy sharpening so much that we want steels that take 5x as long to hone an edge?

n2s

Holy schmokes, I honestly never thought of it that way, hahaha.

I can’t speak for others, but I suppose I’m human and therefore still vulnerable to the idea of “pride of ownership.” It’s nice to own things that have S110V and Maxamet stamped on them, even if I don’t strictly need them.