Which steel?

If you're good at sharpening knives, the ones to try are S35VN (new CPM steel that is starting to replace S30V), S30V, M4, ELMAX, 3V (non stainless that is also 8-10x tougher than the stainless ones), and M390. VG-10 is good too as its a little easier to sharpen and takes a great edge. But mind you, if you suck at sharpening it'll be a PITA to get these to a fine edge because they have such high wear resistance.
 
If you're only doing "dry" cutting, the Spyderco Gayle Bradley in CPM-M4 will do great. It's probably because it's a carbon steel, but it seems to hold a razor edge forever. And for stainless steels at least, it seems like grain refinement plays a big role in how fine an edge it can take, as well as how long it holds that edge. Bohler's 3rd generation PM steels seem to be excellent for taking a razor edge.

Also, I prefer to keep a separate knife for cutting tape. Cleaning the gunk off can be a test of your patience and can also make the knife act duller than it really is.
 
knarfeng said:
There ya go. If you are cutting large volumes of paper and nylon strapping on a daily basis, you do require an alloy with extreme edge retention. Both CPM M4 and M390 have that. They are only available on a few knives, and the knives are a bit pricey. The low cost alternative for that type of cutting on a daily basis is a razor knife.
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thank you! I think I have to save up some more to buy it. Don't think I'm gonna bring a razor blade to work, people gonna laugh at me :))
 
I have to say that a folding box cutter that uses razor blades is what you need. Looks and handles just like a regular one hand folder, but you don't have to worry about sharpening it, just pop in a new blade. It's going to cut much better than a thicker knife blade will too.
 
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