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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Worst 3 Steels - Never Buy!
- Thread starter Tommy-Chi
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wickettedge
Platinum Member
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M4
M390
S35VN
M390
S35VN
wickettedge
Platinum Member
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My post was from the year 2028...
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very good point. those two points can be more important than which steel.
I have one karambit in Aus8, and I'll not be buying any more knives on that list. There are dozens of better steels and by supporting companies that turn out knives in bad steels, we are cutting our own throats.
If we stick together and buy decent knives, steels across the board will improve, and price will not rise.
If we stick together and buy decent knives, steels across the board will improve, and price will not rise.
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There are steels that I don't get excited about, but I don't actively avoid any of them. I have a couple Rough Riders in 440a(I think) that work just fine. I've also done a lot of whittling with Case's Tru-Sharp and had no issues. I wouldn't choose it for warehouse duty, but it's fine for normal use.
evilgreg
Why so serious?
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For most users, for most uses, I find it hard to believe that the difference between M390 and something like 440C or AUS-8 would make much of a real life difference.
If you spend two minutes sharpening once every two months with an M390 knife you carry, carrying a 440C or AUS-8 knife would probably only mean having to spend that two minutes every month instead.
Every time I suggest something like this here someone pops up with some crazy use case "maybe for you, but I use my folding pocket knife to cut kevlar fabric constantly" or "I cut up cardboard for ten hours a day, everyday"--invariably a use case that would be better served with a purpose built tool (e.g. how about using, I don't know, a box cutter with replaceable blades to cut those boxes).
I own knives in most of the sexy super steels (M390/20CV/204p, S90V, S110V, M4, ZDP-189, etc.) and I'm still perfectly happy with my 440C knives. The knives I use constantly to whittle wood are AUS-8 and they get the job done just fine.
Of course it's your money and you should spend it how you want to, but I don't really get the steel snobbery thing, unless it's for collectability or because it's part of a value comparison in relation to price.
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I try my best to live by the motto, "Different strokes for different folks."
But... I've edited your list to those I agree with and added a couple below.
3Cr series
H1 (I truly don't get people liking this garbage, it can't hold an edge for bleeeep!)
420
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I mean I don't like any of these steels... But someone might. I had a buck in 420hc and due to the bos heat treatment, it did better than most of the steels on this list.
Also you listed 420hc twice
I will say this... Most of the knives with those steels are budget knives or just low quality and I'm not interested in low quality knives.
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ScooterG
You mean Ireland? Yeah, it’s mine.
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What's "wrong" with these steels? Cast iron I can see...some of the others aren't entirely desirable but most are perfectly good.
I agree with the sentiment that it depends on what you're looking for in a blade, but I do not agree that some steels cannot be aged out. I did not mention at least 3 dozen steels and they all cut better for longer periods of time. There must be some steels that people would not suggest, right? There are people posting like mad in the "3 Favorite Steels" feed.
What's "wrong" with these steels? Cast iron I can see...some of the others aren't entirely desirable but most are perfectly good.
They are the very worst for cutting tests, and there are better steels available.
ScooterG
You mean Ireland? Yeah, it’s mine.
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I guess if you only cut sisal rope.
Are you actually bagging H1 because you think it's promoted to be a serious edge holder? That's a joke right? It's made to withstand corrosion end of story. Go tell the guys who use it day in and day out on boats and in harsh environments that it's garbage, take some of your supersteels out on the ocean for a few weeks and then you'll see what garbage looks like when it's pitted and rusted to bits. H1 literally sharpens back to hair popping in 4 swipes of a sharpmaker rod, it's a dam good steel for the role it was made to fill.
and PS. i'd wager a fully serrated H1 would out-cut almost any supersteel out there. Ask Sal at Spyderco himself, he said it outcut any of their exotic steels.
OP: I have a Spyderco, Jumpmaster 2 in H1 and it is fully serrated, and has a very high hardness. Very useful knife for self defense, the military and those out on the water.
BUT THIS IS THE DISCUSSION THAT I WANTED TO HAVE - SO LETS HAVE AT IT!
I cannot imagine that the steels that I listed cannot be bettered by one of the steels that I did not list.
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