What is your favorite Stainless Steel?

it would be nice to see alot more knives made with this steel.
Not only does it stay sharp, but nearly impossible for rust to attack it. At least this is what I have gathered.

Grandpa Troll
 
To me ease of sharpening is an important point. The spyderco 440V held ts initial edge very good, but its so $&/)("!!! hard to sharpen (at least without diamond stones), I don't think I'll try that steel again. I mean, I can get it quite sharp again, but it holds that edge not nearly as long as the initial one. VG10 has so far been the best compromise between edgeholding and resharpenability and it steels up quite nice, IMO. I have no experience with BG42 or 420V, though.

seb
 
This is from the outlook of a maker and a steel lover. In Stainless Steel I gotta vote for BG42. It takes such a wonderfully agressive edge, is still sharpenable by normal humans, and takes a terrific finish. In fact, ATS34 is very similar, and a little easier to sharpen.

The particle metallurgy steels are interesting, but leave me a little cold. Sure they are hard, but at what point are we just getting lost in specmanship? And it seems at this point technology is getting us away from the fundamental nature of the iron and steel mix.

In carbon steel, O1 takes an amazingly, even comicly keen edge. I make wood carving knives out of O1 and my leather cutting knives are O1. Man, can I ever shave wood and leather with these knives. O1 and L6 in damascus makes a purely remarkable, but not maintenence free, blade.

Talonite? Couldn't care less. I got into this game due to my continuing amazement with the properties of steel. Talonite isn't steel, and frankly, has no charm (IMHO, of course :) ).

Gee, I sound like a Luddite, guess I'd better go back to lurking.
 
Its not my top choice, but I am gonna have to throw in a vote for 12C27. It may not hold an edge as long as the others, but it sharpens easily and I can get it sharper than some others I have tried.
My overall favorite is CPM 440V (s60v). It holds an edge for a long time and the way I have my Random Task back beveled, it takes about 10 minutes to sharpen w/ a sharpmaker. I'll eventually have to rebevel it, but I have diamonds for that.
 
Since quality and price are always hanging in the balance, my vote will have to go for ATS-34/154-CM. This steel is very easy to resharpen, yet holds an edge very well. CPM-440V is a little tough to resharpen, but is also a fine steel.

I have no experience with BG 42, but that seems to be a favorite of many. What reasonably priced tactical knife would you recommend in this steel?

Thanks.

S
 
Based on my readings not hands-on information VG10 gets my vote in stainless.
Crayola, I know what you mean. I believe that the bulk price of a steel is also strongly determined by the volume of its sale. If the market could "agree" on the use of few steels, the production volume could bring down the price significantly even for more technically demanding steels IMHO.

HM
 
Actually, I am partial to Mayonic Crapponite.... That is if it is properly quenched in coconut oil and it passes the free hanging pineapple test! :p
 
Although I have only had one knife with BG-42 it seems to be one of the better steels when heat treated right. I carry my Sebenza IWB, and the Alabama weather during the summer causes perspiration to takes its effect on knives worn so close to the body. I have not had any problems with rust. The edge this knife takes is incredible, the "bite" that the edge has is so much different than my Delica. I love it.
 
I really like BG-42, VG10, and AUS-10. I haven't finished my comparison. It seems like AUS-10 takes a slightly sharper edge (but we are really comparing great, greater, and zowie razor steels here). The BG-42 works well at higher hardness and is still tough. I'd probably take BG-42 if all else was the same.

I don't like ATS-34/154-CM and 440C nearly as much. They don't take edges to compare with my favorites.
 
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