What is your favorite knife steel and why?

I'm with Keith. For stainless, VG-10 (although AUS-8 is darned good; for carbon, well, I have knives in 52100 (Marble's), Carbon V (CS, of course), 1095 (Colorado Cutlery), 1084 (Grohmann... probably), whatever Boker uses in its King Kutter (hard!), Frost's of Sweden (laminated steel made in France) and whatever else the Mora blades are (Ericksson), and they all cut well. The edge goes to 52100, though.
 
What, no Sebenzanista has chimed in with BG42 yet?
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I only have had experienced with kitchen cutlery, and hardened 440C. I have to say, though, with the grind of the small Sebenza, and that BG42, all of the food I've ever touched it with just parted like the proverbial sea. I have never felt such lack of resistance with other blades before.
 
For stainless, I can't make up my mind. I like ATS-55, CPM 440V, 440C, and AUS8. They all have served well.
For carbon, it's awful hard to beat 1095.

Paul
 
Just trying to get some idea of the popularity of steels. I consider us forumites to be ahead of the curve when it comes to knife knowledge.

I am really surprised by the results so far. I would have expected more people to say M-2 or BG-42.



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Dennis Bible
 
M-2, specifically Benchmade M-2 is my favorite production knife steel, but when some one asks me for my favorite, with no qualification, my mind turns to more exotic things.
 
BG 42 has gotten the sharpest of any steel I have used,almost cut the end of my finger off.440V seems real good to.Never have understood what makes ATS-34 that good.

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Ray
 
In reality, I like numerous steels. Some 10xx are good, depending on a few things I suppose. I particularly like tamahagane for numerous reasons. 1086M is cool stuff IMO, anything that is a good pattern weld is grand. I like 52100 and 5160, L6 and S5. I like steels that will rust without too much difficulty because I like taking care of my blades. I especially like shallow-hardening steels.

Of course I'm not fighting chain-wielding gangbangers in the jungle, nor am I cutting steel cable in the middle of the ocean. I'm not intentionally destroying the blade, or inducing rust upon my own accord. For the people who do, and the people who have delusions of such, a more rust resistant knife would be called for. Versatility means relatively little to me, I don't intend on using a knife as a screwdriver, prybar, chisel, microphone or vibrator.

Does that mean I like sacrificing quality? Nope. Not at all. I like top notch stuff.

I just have different intentions than some folks.

Shinryû.
 
CPM-3V and 52100 for larger knives. M-2 and CPM-420V for folders (don't have any experience with CPM-3V folders yet).
 
Originally posted by Robert Marotz:
I like 52100 and 5160, L6 and S5

I tend to agree with Robert.

A forged blade of 5160 differentially tempered will meet every expectation and is nearly indestructable. It is common as a test blade in ABS Journeyman tests.

It does require reasonable care.
 
Every good blade steel will work. It all depends on the purpose of the knife and the makers heat treat process.

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