Which steels are most important to YOU?

O

Omega Leather Works

Joined
Jun 13, 2007
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Just as the title says. Be it custom fixed blade, or factory folder.

Obviously the intended use dictates the "best" steel, but humor me.

If you want to break it down, please categorize in two types.

Carbon/Tool/Non stainless

and

Stainless

Thoughts on why you pull the trigger on knives with certain steels are welcome.

Thanks guys.
 
In carbon steel blades, I like 1095. It's just the one I have the most experience with, and it's never let me down. This applies to fixed blades only, I won't carry a carbon folder as I have highly corrosive body chemistry.

For stainless, I like S35VN. It's one of the only steels I own that's never rusted on me, plus it sharpens up easy and stays sharp for a good long while. I prefer that it be run a bit harder than Chris Reeve does (like Hinderer and Protech), but I only seem to carry CR knives these days so obviously that's not a huge deal to me. I haven't used any of the current big "super steels" like CTS-XHP, S110V, or M390, so I don't know which I would prefer if I had to choose between those and S35VN.
 
Stainless - VG-10, Elmax, D2, S35VN

Carbon/tool - A2, INFI, SR101, 52100, 01, 5160, 1095, L6, M4
 
Carbon - CPM-M4

Stainless - Elmax, S35VN, and CTS-204P (I'll see how much I like its cousin, M390, soon here)

I've not yet had any experience with the extreme vanadiums, S90V and S110V, but look forward to doing so in the future. For the time being, I enjoy having a razor edge back after a few quick ceramic swipes.
 
Tool/carbon steel = 52100
Stainless = VG10 or AEB-L

I really just like super fine grained steels. My go to fixed is my Swamp Rat RMD (52100) and folder is my Spyderco Caly 3.5 (VG10).
 
I certainly "prefer" the better "super-steels" in my knives, whether folders or fixed, but I am a casual user so I don't/can't take advantage of such steels. So the effect is that I'm using S30V in folders just as often as CTS-XHP or Elmax. Without using my blades for heavier duty, it really makes little difference what I carry.
 
As long as it's a good steel, well suited to the tasks the knife is designed for and also makes sense considering the knife's price, I'm fine with it.

I've never bought a knife just because of the steel, with the possible exception of Spyderco Salt folders (I wanted something rustproof). Bad steels (low quality, not well suited to perform the tasks the knife is designed for or just not what I'd expect at a certain price point) will keep me from buying a knife I otherwise like, though.
 
For stainless, it's Elmax, m390, and XHP. If any knife that I really like also has one of these, it becomes a grail for me. Especially m390

For carbon, it's 1095 because that's the only one I've used.
 
I have been very happy with the Carbon steel Morakniv uses. I also like 154cm in a stainless knife.

CPM M4, VG10, S30V are all excellent as well. Truth is I have had great knives out of a lot of different steels, and some crappy ones out of supposedly better steels. I think the manufacturing and heat treatment is more important than what type of steel it is.
 
I have most of the super steels, but I like Stellite 6-K and 6-B blades as well as beta Ti and Cera-Titan. The upper and lower knives in this picture are 6-K. The middle one is S-90-V.View attachment 466159
 
In a tool steel, I prefer CPM-M4 and in stainless, M390, because they seem to work best for me. It doesn't hurt that they're used on my favorite folding knives (a Gayle Bradley and a BM 710-2) although I do have other knives in these steels.

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