A more appropriate title to this thread would be "A beginners guide to steel" or something similar. Not that it's a bad thing, per se, just that there's a lot more to knives than just the type of steel used.
I've been using (not collecting) knives since my first SAK when I was 10. To this day, I worry very little about blade steel when compared to how useful the knife is to me. Yes, I want a decent steel, but quality, ergos, blade style, etc. all matter just as much to me when picking a tool.
You could write pages on just scale materials alone. Or blade shape. Or lock types for folders... You get the idea.
And what about the newbie collector who may never use a majority of the knives he/she plans on purchasing? What makes a certain knife collectible and not another of similar quality or price? What intrinsic value does a maker's name add to a knife? Or how do you determine when an unknown up-and-coming smith has the potential to be a future collect able.
Not ragging on your post at all. But steel is just one part of the equation. It's like telling a newbie to guns all about calibers, but making no mention of revolvers vs. semis, or glossing over frame size and weight.
If I was gonna give a newbie user a bit of advice it would be this:
Whatever you think you want a knife for, be it an EDC folder, a fixed blade for camping, or just to stare at in a display case, spend a little money. Not blow the bank money, but the $40-$60 range will get you into a decent production knife, from a multitude of reputable brands.
If you can, put some in your hand, feel how they balance, how they fit your grip, how they open and close, and even just how the look to your eye. One will eventually just "call" to you. Don't overthink it, because in this price range, you can easily pick up another in a few weeks or months to start comparing what you do or don't like in knives. And chances are, your not gonna get total junk either. After a few of these, then you can start really thinking about spending $100 and up on a knife.
I've been using (not collecting) knives since my first SAK when I was 10. To this day, I worry very little about blade steel when compared to how useful the knife is to me. Yes, I want a decent steel, but quality, ergos, blade style, etc. all matter just as much to me when picking a tool.
You could write pages on just scale materials alone. Or blade shape. Or lock types for folders... You get the idea.
And what about the newbie collector who may never use a majority of the knives he/she plans on purchasing? What makes a certain knife collectible and not another of similar quality or price? What intrinsic value does a maker's name add to a knife? Or how do you determine when an unknown up-and-coming smith has the potential to be a future collect able.
Not ragging on your post at all. But steel is just one part of the equation. It's like telling a newbie to guns all about calibers, but making no mention of revolvers vs. semis, or glossing over frame size and weight.
If I was gonna give a newbie user a bit of advice it would be this:
Whatever you think you want a knife for, be it an EDC folder, a fixed blade for camping, or just to stare at in a display case, spend a little money. Not blow the bank money, but the $40-$60 range will get you into a decent production knife, from a multitude of reputable brands.
If you can, put some in your hand, feel how they balance, how they fit your grip, how they open and close, and even just how the look to your eye. One will eventually just "call" to you. Don't overthink it, because in this price range, you can easily pick up another in a few weeks or months to start comparing what you do or don't like in knives. And chances are, your not gonna get total junk either. After a few of these, then you can start really thinking about spending $100 and up on a knife.
. I come to realize some differences in steels a bit better only with the use and the maintenance (sharpening, stropping, etc.) of my different blades. Then I start to notice some differences in edge holding, for example, corrosion resistance, toughness, etc. I consider myself as an average user, I probably run 30-50 cuts per day with my folders and maybe more with my few fixed blades, when I take them on the trails and play "bushcrafter" 
. I dont work with my knives, Im more on the play around side. Someone will probably react on this 
, but I am not ashamed to say that I still dont find any appreciable difference in cutting performances, in my daily use, between e.g. my G. Sakai back-lock in ATS-34 and my Spyderco PM2 in S30V. I start to notice some minor differences in steel characteristics, maybe under a prolonged use (e.g. week/month long period) and some major ones only in the sharpening.
