What's your favorite steel?

Alone said:
Let's be honest here...


Crazy-tough steels like "INFI", "Delta 3V", and "Z-Tuff" are reserved for "Super-Rich"/"Imploded Submarine" guys like ferider ferider , @luethge, and @coolbreezy37...



View attachment 2230371

View attachment 2230373



The rest of us "Po' folks" have to settle for Chinese 3Cr13 and 440A. View attachment 2230374 ("Internet photo" above)
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:)

I wouldn't even fit in that sub ....

Regarding the OP's question, for a fixed blade, anything in green below, and I don't worry about the steel anymore. The higher, the better. Note that the chart is missing an important one, A8mod; I guess Larrin got tired arguing with Jerry.

i-FHnR8CG-X2.jpg


For a folder, if I like it enough, it usually comes in a steel I don't worry about. Easier to say what I don't like, for instance, Chinese D2.

I like to have a few percent chrome, because I'm lazy.
 
HexY3co said:
I quit using steel when I got my Light Sabre.
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star wars?
Star Wars?
STAR WARS?

I use a Bat'Leth to skin my potatoes like any True Trekkie!

[ Before a Mod comes along like a Borg and tells us to assimilate back into the topic: I like CPM's 20CV and S45VN!]
 
ferider said:
...Regarding the OP's question, for a fixed blade, anything in green below, and I don't worry about the steel anymore. The higher, the better. Note that the chart is missing an important one, A8mod; I guess Larrin got tired arguing with Jerry...
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I COMPLETELY agree with you.

...with the exception of 1095 and 1095 Cro-Van.


I have to chuckle when folks completely consume the "internet" stuff, and call 1095 "weak".

I've abused my TOPS/Beckers/ESEEs completely STUPID...with ZERO issues.
 
A lot depends on what you want in a knife. Toughness is #1 for me, and 3V does everything else well enough for my needs. If you're around slat water I might not feel the same.
Magnacut would be my choice for a stainless at this point. I don't have any first had experience with it though.
 
I have or have owned most of the super steels now. I gravitate to non-stainless for a little extra in toughness and edge retention. I tend to not beat most of my pocket knives so I'd lean towards edge retention with them. I can oil it and I have diamond and cbn stones and haven't had a problem getting a good edge yet.

I'd have to agree that heat treat and temper matters and next would be intended use.

I can't really tell the difference across the different brands of the s30/35 steels that I have. I still haven't used the spy27 I have enough. My zt might be a little softer than the other s30v knives I have.

I've heard hinderer 20cv is on the softer side. I just sharpened my recurve xm-18 and it feels harder on the stones than 20cv/m390/204 from other companies. The factory bevel was great and lasted pretty long too.

I wasn't a fan of the para2 s110v. The edge seemed prone to chipping, compared to maxamet or 15v.

I still want to try the pure carbide knives(sandarin and terrain 365), s45, s90, magnacut, rex 121, k390, zdp189, xhp, 3-10v, and m398. I'm also not sure if either of my d2 blades are cpm or not? Ones a benchmade infidel and ones a demko ad20s. I've had others too, but I'd like to get one I know for sure is cpm d2. With a bunch of these I'm looking for options other than spyderco. I have yet to get one with a perfect bevel from the factory.
 
For me, edge retention is not the be all end all. I prefer softer (not soft) steels that sharpen easily and can take a beating, within reason. Hence, 14C28N, N690, Buck's 420, and 9Cr18Mov are among my favorites. The Artisan Cutlery AR-RPM9 was an experiment for me. So far I have three knives with this steel. It fits my needs well, not that different from the aforementioned steels. We are living in an outstanding era for knives and steels.
 
stonemedusa6264 said:
I have or have owned most of the super steels now. I gravitate to non-stainless for a little extra in toughness and edge retention. I tend to not beat most of my pocket knives so I'd lean towards edge retention with them. I can oil it and I have diamond and cbn stones and haven't had a problem getting a good edge yet.

I'd have to agree that heat treat and temper matters and next would be intended use.

I can't really tell the difference across the different brands of the s30/35 steels that I have. I still haven't used the spy27 I have enough. My zt might be a little softer than the other s30v knives I have.

I've heard hinderer 20cv is on the softer side. I just sharpened my recurve xm-18 and it feels harder on the stones than 20cv/m390/204 from other companies. The factory bevel was great and lasted pretty long too.

I wasn't a fan of the para2 s110v. The edge seemed prone to chipping, compared to maxamet or 15v.

I still want to try the pure carbide knives(sandarin and terrain 365), s45, s90, magnacut, rex 121, k390, zdp189, xhp, 3-10v, and m398. I'm also not sure if either of my d2 blades are cpm or not? Ones a benchmade infidel and ones a demko ad20s. I've had others too, but I'd like to get one I know for sure is cpm d2. With a bunch of these I'm looking for options other than spyderco. I have yet to get one with a perfect bevel from the factory.
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Kershaw makes somewhat affordable CPM-D2 if you’d like to try some, they have the Leek, the Dividend, maybe more….I’ve never tried it, but I am impressed with the regular D2 on my Ontario Rat…

My favorite steel? Probably S35VN. I’ve had good results with it on my 0909, and I like their Elmax too (used an 0801 and a 0566 quite a bit with that steel). Seems to hold an edge about the same as their S35VN, maybe even slightly better..

And honestly both seem to have just as good edge retention as my 20CV Hinderers, but that’s most likely the thicker geometry. Hinderers are TOUGH regardless of the steel. Just my .02
ETA: I’m not doing any official testing, and am not the most experienced at sharpening, so YMMV
 
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CTS-XHP for a do anything steel in a folder, CPM-S125V for edge retention.
 
Alone said:
I LOVE me some 3V.

Despite that, here's my personal "shout-out" to 1095 and 1095 Cro-Van... (*I've used and beaten ALL of these...relentlessly)



View attachment 2230454
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Your post exemplifies what I was saying earlier......

Application, and Geometry

Those are thick slabs with obtuse edges. Relatively speaking.
Excellent for chopping and battoning.

Not so great for cutting tomatoes or cleaning fish.


*if you cranked up the hardness to 64, and if they were .090" thick, they would be completely different knives. .... Even if they still were 1095
 
Crag the Brewer said:
...*if you cranked up the hardness to 64, and if they were .090" thick, they would be completely different knives. .... Even if they still were 1095
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Yup. Exactly.

I'm smart enough to know that MY uses for a knife don't match those of others.



*...and, with that, the heat treat of the above knives is ABSOLUTELY GLORIOUS (*for my uses)...in my very humble opinion.
 
stonemedusa6264 said:
I'm also not sure if either of my d2 blades are cpm or not? Ones a benchmade infidel and ones a demko ad20s. I've had others too, but I'd like to get one I know for sure is cpm d2. With a bunch of these I'm looking for options other than spyderco. I have yet to get one with a perfect bevel from the factory.
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Pretty sure the demko is K110, which is ingot D2. However: I used to think CPM D2 should be tougher than ingot D2. Per Nathan, whom I trust, it doesn't make much difference when heat-treated properly.

These days, as long as I know it's Austrian or US D2, I'm good :)
 
I can't really say I have a favorite steel. I like higher grade stainless steels in general, and try to buy knives with a decent grade of steel. Most are so similar I can't really tell the difference, in my daily use. As many have posted, the things that make a blade work better for me seem to be shape and grind.
I do prefer Crucible Industries steel, although I have many others. I live in Syracuse, they were a customer of mine years ago, and I like the fact that I'm supporting the workers in my community.
 
I have more 1095 knives than anything else and have been using it since the 1960's . If I had to select only one steel it would probably be Cruwear but fortunately I can have as many as I want. Just like I want the right tool for the job I'm doing I like to think there is a right steel just like a right geometry for different jobs. What I'd select for splitting frozen wood in a Michigan winter isn't the same as what I need for a day at the outdoor firing range here in NC in August . I've seen fingerprints become permanent in less than an hour on days like that so I want the ability to meet my different requirements in a reasonable and not too expensive manner.
 
I’m not a steel snob, however, I do like well done steel. I’d have to say S35vn might be my all time favorite in a folder and 3v in fixed blades.
That being said - if you handed me a knife and said it was s2100v or super max mega steel I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference anyway .
 
Any of the s30,35,45 group, any of the 20CV group and most Tool steels, m4, Rex45 etc
 
My early experiences with Magnacut have been very, very good, so it's on the list, but honestly my personal favorite is probably 14c28n. I used to use my knives a lot in my daily life, but with illness and change edge retention has become less and less important to me. I can resharpen 14c28n very easily, it's plenty tough, highly stainless and often not terribly expensive.
 
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