What's your opinon, worst steel ever?

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Silverdagger

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In your opinion, what is the worst steel ever. I see a lot of "what's your favorite steel" or "what's the best steel" but few if any "what's your least favorite or most hated steel".

I've noted STR isn't particularly fond of 154CM. I seem to recall the former member Cliff Stamp not liking it either. Despite it's legions of followers of some of the finest knifemakers/builders in the biz, I'm almost inclined to agree. I hate seeing big carbides coming out of the edge. Jury is still out with me. I just have it on a couple of Benchmade minigrips.

What's steel do you like the least?
 
I'm not too fond of 440C. They say its rust resistant but the two I have seem to spot pretty easily. Other than that it sharpens fine.
 
Silverdagger said:
In your opinion, what is the worst steel ever. I see a lot of "what's your favorite steel" or "what's the best steel" but few if any "what's your least favorite or most hated steel".

I've noted STR isn't particularly fond of 154CM. I seem to recall the former member Cliff Stamp not liking it either. Despite it's legions of followers of some of the finest knifemakers/builders in the biz, I'm almost inclined to agree. I hate seeing big carbides coming out of the edge. Jury is still out with me. I just have it on a couple of Benchmade minigrips.

What's steel do you like the least?
Click to expand...

I'm not a huge fan of 154CM but won't shy away from a purchase because of it. I think Benchmade does a good job with 154CM.
 
I didn't get to use much of the AUS serie steel (had one knife in AUS 8) but I tend to stay away from those. I stick to 154cm VG10 or S30V.
 
"Surgical Stainless". Pretty much anything with that description in the ad copy is junk. I had an kitchen knife in the past with "Surgical Stainless" that would dull after cutting a tomato - a single tomato. :eek: I read somewhere that mfrs. use "Surgical Stainless" to lend some credibility to their use of whatever cheap crap was on sale that week from their supplier.

IMHO, any 420 isn't any better than "Surgical Stainless", but Buck's 420HC is good stuff. The heat-treat = :thumbup:.

~Chris
 
The crap that the CRKT Mini My Tighe is made of "1.4116 stainless". WTF is that?:confused: Does not hold an edge. I think its somewhere around 17HRC. Harsh words cut better than that steel. Went in the trash!

I really like 154CM though. I've only used it with Benchmades and thier HT is good so I have no complaints.
 
orca8589 said:
"Surgical Stainless". Pretty much anything with that description in the ad copy is junk. I had an kitchen knife in the past with "Surgical Stainless" that would dull after cutting a tomato - a single tomato. :eek: I read somewhere that mfrs. use "Surgical Stainless" to lend some credibility to their use of whatever cheap crap was on sale that week from their supplier.

IMHO, any 420 isn't any better than "Surgical Stainless", but Buck's 420HC is good stuff. The heat-treat = :thumbup:.

~Chris
Click to expand...

Remember, Case's Tru-Sharp is touted as "surgical stainless", but I get what you're saying.
 
There are so many "no-name" junky stainlesses out there that it's hard to really say there is a definitive worst one unless you narrow the category down a bit - say "what's the worst steel Spyderco uses?"

Aside from the self-evidently terrible hunks of barely sharpened pot metal out there, I don't particularly care for 440C, I've just never had a knife with it that I found easy to sharpen and that took a good edge.
 
440A is pathetic IMO...

But of course lots of steels that one would think are sucky can be made better through good heat treatment. maybe not a whole lot, but better nonetheless
 
In my book there is no such thing as a "worst steel". I never found a steel that was not good for something. It may not be good for the usage I have in mind, but it is good for some other usage that someone else has in his mind.

There are steels that do not work well for some uses. There are no "bad" steels.
 
knarfeng said:
In my book there is no such thing as a "worst steel". I never found a steel that was not good for something. It may not be good for the usage I have in mind, but it is good for some other usage that someone else has in his mind.

There are steels that do not work well for some uses. There are no "bad" steels.
Click to expand...

Yeap.

Even mild steel has it's uses ! :D

This is a bad idea for a thread under perfect conditions , all it will lead to is more arguing ( some uninformed dolt will dis Aus8 for example , someone with actual experience with Aus8 will come to it's defense etc etc ).

Tostig
 
aluminum foil makes a pretty poor knife, melted toothbrushes have poor edge holding. :p

Seriously though, I don't get hung up on steels much anymore. 12c27 relieved me of mine steel snobbery; I just buy knives with designs and quality I like nowadays.
 
Yeah, it's more about a good heat treat than anything. A less than mediocre steel with a great heat treat is going to perform better than a fabulous steel with a horrible heat treat.
 
AUS 8 is not bad steel just look at the coldsteel american lawman and ankersons video, that AUS 8 blade took a serious beating, AUS 8 is very tough.

AUS 8 sucks all you do is spend your time sharpening

Hows that for you Tostig?

Some of us have yet to learn about trades offs and finding the proper steel for the intended application. Kinda like the whole right tool for the job thing that we seem to find ourselves in from time to time here.
 
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