What do you want in a steel?

Pete1977

Pete1977

Joined
Apr 15, 2002
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what do you look for in a blade steel.

do you want a low price? edge retention? ease of resharpening? stain or corrosion resistance?

I prefer edge retention, followed by ease of resharpening in my knives, because sometimes I use them for long periods when I am away from a sharpening device or even a stone. the best they get sometimes is a quick stropping, and then sharpening when I get home.

pete
 
My first priority is edge retention, then comes corrosion resistance and toughness. It's funny, my last two purchases were a custom in CPMS90V @ $355.00, with edge retention almost on par with CPM10V (which I have as well), and four different Frosts in three different steels; Carbon, Stainless, and Triflex @ $44.00. I'm far from a "steel snob", and while I don't mind paying the additional price for the outstanding performance found in the new "super steels", I still enjoy experimenting with the "lesser grades" of steel as well.

Is there ONE perfect knife? I'm still looking for it..........;)
 
I'd like edge retention with ease of sharpening.

For example: BM's M2. It keeps an edge pretty well, but I find it easy to sharpen (no annoying super burr, I can feel it as I sharpen). I really need to try this steel from someone else.
 
I need a steel that has a good edge retention yet is still fairly easy to get razor sharp. It should also be pretty tough (not to brittle) and finally, if it has good corrosion resistance that is always a plus.
 
I think it's impossible to point to one thing, since if anything is too far out of balance, the steel doesn't work. However, I've made it my latest mission to see if I can change the minds of you "edge retention" folks. Don't get me wrong, I love edge retention, but there's something I've come to think of as more important for me.

More and more what I love is performance. Given two steels sharpened at 18 degrees per side, sure, I'd pick the one with the better edge retention. The thing is, they're both sharpened at 18 degrees per side, and as far as cutting performance -- the main mission of the knife in the first place -- they will perform identically, except that one will last a bit longer than the other. What if one of those knives had properties that let me sharpen it down to 10 degrees per side, where it would let me outcut the 18-degree-per-side knife by many to one. Ultimately, isn't cutting better what it's all about?

So, I look for performance. By that I mean, I look for the steel that lets me get the highest-performance (usually means lowest-angle) edge, without losing its edge through cracking, indenting, abrading away too quickly. Given one knife that can outcut another by 10-to-1 (that is, I can do in one cut what it takes the other to do in 10, which is easily possible by reducing the angle), but loses its edge a bit more quickly, I'll take the performer, every time -- and the fact is, so would most of you guys who are saying edge retention is your top desire!

So, ultimate cutting performance with reasonable edge retention -- ultimate edge retention not required -- is my goal. That means whatever combination of strength, toughness, and abrasion resistance is applicable to the particular job this particular knife is meant for, and that changes based on the knife. It also means that I personally am responsible for ensuring that I sharpen at the best angle to bring the cutting performance out.
 
I would find it hard pressed to argue that if you could sharpen a steel to that much finer an edge that it wouldn't have better edge retention, if you bring the other one down and it cracks apart/deforms, then I would argue that is lower edge retention.

The main problem is people equating wear resistance to edge retention which is too simplistic, strength, toughness and corrosion resistance are all factors as yo noted in the FAQ. As well, in general as you increase these properties, and the maker knows how to take advantage of them by modifing the geometry, you should also get better ease of sharpening.

The problem is that many don't and grind blades out of radically different steels to the exact same profile, that is obviously horribly flawed. It should also be obvious that the optimal steel for a fillet knife and an axe should not be the same, and using one for the other is likely to give pretty poor indications of the steel's abilities.

In general I don't think you can say a steel has good edge retention or ease of sharpening, it depends on the application. S90V has excellent edge retention for cuttinh abrasive materials, and with a grind like Phil Wilson's, rehsarpening is easy. However make a big tactical chopper out of it and the edge retention and ease of sharpening is horrible.

I want a steel which will allow the knife it is used in to have the minimal profile necessary so as to maintain the highest level of cutting ability and to keep that profile for as long as possible resisting the wear, corrosion, deformation and fracture encountered during use. As a maker you would also want things like ease of machining, responce to hardening, consistency, etc. .

-Cliff
 
I don't mind having to take care of a blade steel. In fact, I actually like it when it turns colors with use. What I love is a blade that takes a wickedly, insanely sharp edge and holds it. Most quality high carbon tool steels fit into this catagory, as well as a few of the top stainlesses. What I don't like, is to have to resharpen my blade everytime I use it to open a box or similar use.
 
As I sit here I've got a Boker slipjoint in one pocket, with 1095 carbon steel, and my mini skirmish in the other, with S30V of course.

However, I must confess a fondness for steels like AUS 8 due to toughness and ease of sharpening. I also like my Buck 110's and 112's with the 420HC for the same reason. I've also got a chinese slipjoint with 440A and although it doesn't hold an edge for very long, a few swipes on a sharpening steel is all it takes to bring it back to razor sharpness, and I dig that.

I also like to eat at Denny's.
 
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