What's important to you?

[microbe]

From the given options: Defo turtles.

The 3 most important features of a knife for me to like it, in order of importance are the way it looks, the ergos, and the action. If I do not like these 3 features, no matter the steel feats, I will probably not carry it. If those 3 features are met, I prefer - again in order of importance - edge retention, toughness, ease of sharpening, and lastly corrosion resistance.

 

[Dangerously]

Fair enough! Although s110v has been eclipsed as far as edge retention, there are a few others I consider more extreme in their comprise for edge retention.

I struggle with each Spyderco sprint run. But I figure the s110v is working out, so I’ll keep it until I sharpen away too much or there’s something spectacularly better.

Was always tempted to get a guy like Phil Wilson to make me a knife built for extreme cardboard duty. Maybe DeadboxHero will eventually market something for that.

 

[Korean Hog]

Towards the harder, sharper end of option 3. I really like the ZDP 189 and s110v from Spyderco, but a chipped edge can be a real pain in the rear. If you're at least somewhat careful though, those blades will cut all day long with little to no touch up.
Chris Reeve's S35vn seems to be real tough and the edge rolls more than it chips, holds an edge for a very respectable amount of time, but nothing like the "super steel" Spydercos.
With that said CRK's blade steel is very easy to sharpen and probably holds an edge forever for users that cut normal things like string, boxes, occasional piece of hose or whatever, but for guys like me that cut fiberglass duct board, mountains of cardboard, thick rope, sandy bait fish etc. I prefer the edge retention of the Spydercos.

Just like this post though... I go back and forth between the Endura in ZDP, Manix in 110, and CRKs ( Sebenza, Inkosi, Zaan) on a day to day basis. They all sit on my desk, and I just carry the first one I touch or whatever I feel like. Been carrying the Large Sebenza for a month or so now everyday and I'm very happy with it.

 

[Pilsner]

Chris, it strikes me that for many, and for me, the poll is quite edgy. I see that this is your intent, but the consensus from the comments seems to be mild swings towards certain properties for specific knives. To be expected, I suppose, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

I was reflecting on the topic earlier, and feeling nostalgic about the common or garden knives I used for many years, successfully, without knowing much about what they were and what they were made of. Now I suppose I would be to most a steel geek, but am a veritable ignoramus compared with many in this small corner of the interwebs.

I’m looking forward to getting a custom Kephart by an English maker in 01. I don’t have any knives in 01, but on paper it looks good for what I intend for that knife. It’s a Kephart, should be ready by December.

 

[DeadboxHero]

Speaking of which, this is my EDC.
S110v PM2 with a Laser grind to 0.005" bte
Flys threw materials

I struggle with each Spyderco sprint run. But I figure the s110v is working out, so I’ll keep it until I sharpen away too much or there’s something spectacularly better.

Was always tempted to get a guy like Phil Wilson to make me a knife built for extreme cardboard duty. Maybe DeadboxHero will eventually market something for that.

 

[NMpops]

First I prefer traditionals, so that should say something. I like Buck 420Hc, whatever Case uses for their SS and CV. I don't need fancy steels. There is way too much steel snobbery as far as I'm concerned.

 

[ShannonSteelLabs]

I struggle with each Spyderco sprint run. But I figure the s110v is working out, so I’ll keep it until I sharpen away too much or there’s something spectacularly better.

Was always tempted to get a guy like Phil Wilson to make me a knife built for extreme cardboard duty. Maybe DeadboxHero will eventually market something for that.

I've got some S110V left over. 0.080 thick and ground like a laser.
Goes to HT friday. Target hardness is 65.
2 knives left that are available!

One is a tiny slicer. With super thin geometry. Probably 5-7 thou.

 

[mrfields]

i voted #3 (& #4). honestly for me, blade steel is one of the last things i consider when looking at a new knife, if at all. i look at the blade shape, the handle shape, material, and egros, the lock style & action/lock-up, and everything else. if i like the knife, i’ll buy it, whatever steel it comes in.

i mostly (pretty much only) carry benchmades. the ones i use are: 9555, 580, & 557 in 154cm; 477 & 940 in s30v; 810 in m4; and a 490 in s90v. i use all of them, some more than others, and the blade material doesn’t play a part in which one i happen to be carrying or using at any particular time. for me it’s more about the knife itself as a whole package.

 

[Dangerously]

I've got some S110V left over. 0.080 thick and ground like a laser.
Goes to HT friday. Target hardness is 65.
2 knives left that are available!

One is a tiny slicer. With super thin geometry. Probably 5-7 thou.

Too many temptations in these threads!

 

[hexenjager]

Option 3 for me. My choices might lean one way or another within that middle ground depending on what the knife's intended purpose is, but I tend to avoid either extreme for any of my knives.

And also option 4 because turtles.

 

[Dan of Bazz Clazz]

It all makes sense now.
View attachment 1007705

Turtles are my favorite, but there definitely don't hold an edge.

As for the rest, to each steel it's purpose.
In my general hunting knives, I want stainless, and I want edge retention. It is amazing how fast deer tallow can dull a knife and the last thing I want to do is resharpen mid-way through a cleaning or skinning. Also don't want to carry sharpening gear into the field.
In my caping knives, I want the finest sharpest edge I can get along with edge retention so I usually favor non-stainless there.

For the rest of it, I am not so particular. Super steels are more of an intellectual curiosity for me than a requirement. I enjoy learning about them and what they can bring to the party. Good to have that knowledge to tailor the steel to a specific knife / task. But until I get a high end sharpening system like wicked edge, I've found I spend far too much time trying to resharpen the suckers once they loose their factory edge. Worse yet if the knife arrived with a sub-standard edge from the maker.

If I have learned nothing else from BF, it is that steel is just one circle in a very complex moving target. On paper 420 is an lower grade of knife steel compared to 440C. Yet Buck's heat treat allows 420 to beat out many makers using 440C. So Steel is only step one. Add heat treating, edge geometry, overall grind and design, knife design and purpose... One maker's S30V outperforms another makers S35V for one knife design, but not another.

And all of that is before someone reaches their own conclusions about specific steels that may have little or nothing to do with the actual facts and characteristics of the steel. We all are subject to basing opinions on factors and beliefs that may not even be facts.