Whats your favorite metal?

So far as a beginner I would say 1080/1084 because:

1: Cheap
2: Easy to get
3: On the easier side to heat treat at home
 
CPM154.

  • Easy to work
  • Easy to finish to high polish
  • Very high performance in all areas
  • consistent predictable heat treatment
  • Reasonable price / value
Rob!
 
For high end I like 1095/15n20 damascus. Looks good, HT well and makes a good blade.

User hunting knives, D2 because it holds such a good edge. Yes, it is tough to make real shiny, but it keeps the finish you give it well.

Forging blades 1095 and 5160.
 
1075 that i get from john deere in the form of discs used on farm equipment. been using it for over 18 years with great results. might not be easy for some to work due to 56rc but it makes one heck of a knife if heat treated right.
 
I love W1 and 5160! I haven't tried any of Don's W2 but I really want to! also still a stainless noob, I'm havent had the oppurtunity to play with any of that yet...

W1 and 5160 is cheap, forges easy, heat treats easily, & polishes great.

Jason
 
I have only worked with 3 steels so far, 5160, o-1 and 1084/15n20(one piece). The 5160 I found the hardest to work with, but the finish product turned out well. O-1 was easy to shape into a knife, but its just went out for HT this week so I don't know how it will be to finish. The 1084/15n20 is ready to go and was just as easy to work if not easier than the O-1, but it is going to take more steps to finish properly. As for steel I own in pre made knives I would have to say D2 and 154cm are my favorites to use, d2 take longer to sharpen but once its there I can forget about it for a long time. The 154cm doesn't hold an edge like d2 but its not that far behind and sharpens a heck of a lot easier.
I am thinking the next steel I order will be cpm154 like Knifemaker.ca said to give a go at some folders and stainless fixies
 
I personally like D-2 the best. It speaks for it self when Heat treated correctly.

Nick:)
 
1084fg and 1095 for me, The aldo 1084 holds a hell of an edge, the 1095 does also but alittle more activity with the hamon, likem both but the 1084 stands alone
 
As a complete noob, I don't know if I should even have an opinion yet, much less post it.
That said, I recently started messing around with used up industrial power hacksaw blades.
The Bahco brand I have are M42 tool steel and it's amazing stuff.
I knew they'd be hard but was initially concerned they might be somewhat brittle, especially with them being on the thin side (.100" thick)
No problem, even after grinding 3/4 through with a cutoff wheel I have to bend it almost 90* to get it to snap. Seriously tough stuff.
Since they're designed to hold an edge while cutting steel, anything I use it for should be cake.
 
1095 and W2. The W2 is a little more pricey and moves harder under the hammer also harder to get. I use it for special projects. 1095 is priced right and my favorite steel. Holds an edge well and makes a good hamon.( I'm a hamon whore.) My favorie combination is 1095, wrought iron and Sambar Stag.
 
Use to be O1, but after making and testing a knife from D2, leaning towards it, for hunters, because of the edge holding ability. Can't wait till deer season to give it a real world test.
 
52100, it's a pain to work under the hammer, and you have to be carefull not to overheat, but I've found no other steel that has the ballance it has. By ballance I mean trade off's between edge holding, toughness, and ease of sharpening.
 
440A

just kidding

D2. almost stainless, tougher than stainless, has a nice sweet spot in the low 60s where it supports a relitivly fine edge and holds it against a variety of wear mechanisms. There are a lot of steels that beat it on paper, and it can't beat the fine edge stability of a low carbide simple carbon steel - but nine times out of ten, properly treated D2 beats every steel I've tried in most real world applications. Not good for swords or straight razors though...
 
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