Your favorite blade steel

I've been looking for good 1095 kitchen knives. All I've seen are old hickory. What brand would you recommend? If they're not custom. Thanks
 
I've had good experiences with: 1095, A2, LAMVG10.
I'm also a sword nut, and have been amazed with the Swedish Powdered Steel that Bugei Trading Co. uses. Never had a sword that tough, that could hold an edge like this.
 
Sulaco said:
I am really enjoying Bark River's A2 right now.
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I must agree, though I do like many of the newer steels, when it comes to a hard use yet easy to sharpen steel at a decent price point, Bark River's A2 is hard to beat.

I really like Dozier's D2 on a dedicated hunting knife or folder.




Big Mike
 
For folders: ZDP-189, keeps an edge forever and its very stain resistant.
For Fixed: Stainless: VG-10. Carbon: O1, D2, 1095, A2.... basic carbon steels are easy to sharpen and hold an edge well, O1 and 1095 need a bit of up keep though...
 
VG-10, easy to sharpen and the edge gets real fine. I do like S30v and M390 but VG-10 seems like an all around great EDC steel. At least IMO.
 
I have not used many super steels or high end steels besides sandvik 14c28n on my leek and salvo. (Great edc knives). But I would have to say that although this is probably unusual. My favorite so far is Buck's 420HC with the Paul Bos heat treatment. it takes and hold such a sharp edge and it is tuff and very stain resistant.
 
You know... I know that there are a lot of great knife steels out there, but honestly, I keep coming back to one in particular. 154CM. If it has the proper heat treat, it maintains edge integrity well and is easy as all get out to sharpen. But I'm a simple guy who uses all of his knives in an EEC rotation. (I just don't see the point of having a tool just for show.). The only weakness that I've seen in 154CM is in it's corrosion resistance. But I've only heard of this. All of the 154CM blades that I carry have held up beautifully. And I'm a brewmaster who works in hot and wet conditions for 9 hours+ daily.
I have great blades made with S35VN, CPM M4, etc, etc, but 154 CM does the trick for me.
My ZT 0561 in Elmax is impressing me thus far, though. Time will tell.

Cheers,

Jeremy
 
I like Stellite 6-K, but it is not a steel. It is a mixture of Cobalt and Chrome.
 
I'm pretty partial to Elmax for folders and even small fixed blades, and you can't beat Infi for large fixed.
 
S30V/S35VN have been a standout for me. There is nothing I don't like about them. I can't honestly say that about the other steel flavors I've tried. 154cm is very good and I'm sure cpm154 is even better. SRKW's SR101 and S90V have been the biggest "wow" steels I've used but they're not really for me.

D2, A2, 01 - I personally prefer stainless.

1095, 5150, SR101 - puts off a stinky iron smell/taste cutting veggies. + I prefer stainless.

S90V, CPM-M4, Elmax - difficulty of sharpening not worth any extra edge retention.

Cts-xhp - I'm working on disliking it but haven't made up my mind yet. Gotta bang on it and sharpen it a few more times to be sure. So far I can't see how it is an upgrade from S30V.

I'm sure I've owned and used several more steel flavors, but like I said, S30V and S35VN have been the best do-all steels I've used. I've given much honest use and attempt to try other flavors, noting their strong points, but always come back to CRK and Strider's S30V/S35VN. As far as these two companies heat treat variances, in my use, the difference is practically unnoticeable and I would take the slight bump in toughness CRK gets out of a slightly softer target heat treat.
 
My favorites:
440c
H1
VG-10

I tend to favor softer steels that won't chip or snap easily :D

Just starting to experiment with 154cm, and 14c28n that's used in the Kershaw Leeks, so far I really like it.
 
I have had particularly good luck with CTS-XHP for some reason, although M390 and (havent tried it yet) S90V are "better". I love the performance of both yet I don't know that either is my favorite.

"Better" is not something you can fully measure. For it's ease of sharpening, track record of being awesome :), and relatively good stain resistance in it's class I will pick 1095. Some things may get certain jobs done "better" but all around, 1095 and it's equivalents satisfy me every time.
 
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