What is more important when considering a new knife; handle material or steel?

What is more important when considering a new knife; handle material or steel?

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farcry33

farcry33

Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
157
Hello,

I did a quick search and couldn't find a thread that asked this specific question. I'm curious what bladeforum members use as deciding factors when choosing a new knife. Is handle material more important or is steel choice more important?

I thought this would be an interesting general discussion on what others prefer. I see a ton of knives using cheap handle material and then the newest steels. Then they're knives that have great handle materials (some high end pieces) but use not the latest and greatest steel. I know steels very on your specific use but who would complain if you had an super steel just to cut paper with. lol

Add pictures of your personal knife preference. :thumbsup::cool:
 
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Do you think an ''older super steel'' with good ergonomics/construction can beat a newer super steel knife with bad ergonomics/construction?
 
I genuinly feel as though this isn't a black and white answer. When I am looking fora knife, naturally I am looking for a nice performing steel (keeping in mind the company producing it and their procedures for their heat treat of it ideally). However when you start getting into higher quality steels? You see a much less significant increase in performance relative to its peers. Where-as with handle material, it largely comes down not to the material, but how the material was worked with. Texturing, shaping, etc. However different materials do have different value in different regions when it boils down to it.

I am not taking a knife with steel liners to go diving. Nor am I taking a steel which are labile when it comes to rust. However more attention is typically placed on blade steel, for the exact reason I stated in the prior sentence. Steel to suit the purpose, handle material and ergonomics to meet preference. Handle material is far more prone to personal opinion.
 
^ 100% a knife that is uncomfortably designed or worse poorly put together will not be desirable (to me anyway) just because it is made in the latest steel.

"Older" super steels work just as good as they ever did and often every steel has their own advantages when compared to another steel.
 
Steel, of course. Becoming familiar with varying alloys of stainless and high carbon tool steels framed within specific geometries is fun :)
 
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Steel is very important and the other thing I usually look for is consistent sharp edges. Not going to name companies here but I really don't understand why certain makers leave the ricasso flat/thicker than the rest of the edge. I think that ruins a great knife with great steel.
 
To piggy back of Marcinek, when I buy/make a knife, the most important thing to me is the thickness of the spine and the geometry from there to the edge, for the job the knife is designed to do. A solid heat treat would be a very close 2nd, followed by good overall shape/handle ergonomics, and then steel selection. Steel selection and overall shape/handle ergos getting almost the same amount of consideration.
 
samuraistuart said:
Not at all. What do you mean by that, if I may ask?
Click to expand...

Well, you don't want to put a 15 degree bevel on a softer steel. My opinion of course, but I understand what he meant. You can have a flat grind knife with a lesser steel cut better than a super steel that has a bad geometry.
 
The first attribute I look for is appearance. If it is a fugly knife, I don't really care about the steel or scales.
If a knife looks super sweet, I'll go from there with steel & scales.
Joe
 
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