Your favorite knife steel and why?

J

JHouston

Joined
Oct 18, 2004
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The ideal manufacturer: "You can have any knife style you want. What do you want the blade made out of?"

Every maker has what they think is best. What do YOU think is best and state your reason why.
 
As long as the steel used is a decent cutlery grade one, I would care more about the heat treatment of the blade than the steel itself, so for me, the selection would be O1 or 52100 for the carbon steel, D2 or CPM3V for the "intermediate" as I call them (almost stainless but not quiet), VG10 and ATS34 for the stainless ones. All are very good compromise between edge durability and toughness.
 
It really depends on what type of knife it is, and what the intended purpose is.

I have a couple of Murray Carter kitchen knives that use Hitachi White steel forge laminated with some stainless outer steel. I have yet to find a steel that I like better in a dedicated kitchen knife. Sure it isn't stainless so I need to be careful about rust, but it is no big deal. It will take a wicked sharp edge, and cut food for long enough. Sharpening is no problem either.

For a general purpose folder I don't know that I have a single favorite. I like D2, it will take a good edge and hold it for a long time. But then again so will many other steels, such as 154-CM, VG-10, or CPM-S30V. I just have had more experience using D2 than the others. Talonite, although not a steel is also up on the list, but slighlty lower than a true steel for me. I guess if I had to rank them for a EDC type knife I would do:

1. D2
2. 154-CM (to possibly be bumped by S30V when I try it out some)
3. Talonite

Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. You just need to decide what is more important to you, rust inhibiting, edge holding, or ability to take an edge? And remember that generally the longer a steel will hold an edge the harder to sharpen too.
 
Non stainless, I like almost all of them but the 2 I like the most is
D2 and A2
Stainless, I'd have to say
S30v and VG 10
 
The (Paul Bos) treated S30V on my Buck/Mayo is terrific. It holds an edge for a long time and is pretty easy to touch up.
 
I really like Benchmade's S30V that they put in the 630 and the 921. It takes an amazing edge and holds it well. Second would probably be Benchmade's D2, and then Spyderco's VG10.
 
I prefer to make knives in carbon steel. 1095 and O1 will make a "near-perfect" working knife, IMHO. Carbon steels like 1075/1084/1095/O1 are easy to work, I know how to heat treat them well, take a mean, mean edge and are tough to boot.

However, in the stainless, high-alloy steels, the performance and ease of RWL34 has won me over, if I had to make a knife from stainless.

I'm also very impressed with the performance of VG10, which is my choice in a "purchased" / factory knife, but its not available for the small-scale knifemaker.

Bottom line, if I had to give everything else away, I'd only keep my carbon steel knives. Jason.
 
For fixed blades that are going to get a lot of use I like A2 and 52100. Both steels take and hold a great edge, and thrive under harsh use.

For folders I like VG10. It's easier to keep sharp than S30V, and the wear resistance is good.

David
 
Jason, have you tried BG42? I have to pick that as my favorite stainless. Carbon steel, my favorite would be harder to pick. Probably W2.
 
Danbo said:
Jason, have you tried BG42? I have to pick that as my favorite stainless.
Click to expand...

Danbo, I used BG42 a few times in my earlier days (ie.- 2 years ago) and found it ate up my grinding belts. But I remember it took a wicked edge - very fine in the grain. RWL34 is readily available in Oz and the powder technology seems to give it an edge (literally) over ATS34 and 154CM which are chemically equivalent. At the same time RWL34 is actually (I think) even easier to grind and finish. Call me lazy, but I find I run out of "passion" a little quicker when I'm using stainless steels. I guess I'm an incurable forged-carbon-steel guy... IMHO, anything stainless steel can do, carbon steel can also do and possibly better, and I can do all sorts of fun things with it - forge it, shape it, differentially HT it ... etc, etc. ;) :D

I have recently found out the Bohler N690 is almost equivalent to VG10. N690 is available in Australia, but still not widely used... YET. Jason.
 
I mainly use medium to large folders and I really like the VG10 on the Spyderco's, takes an extremely sharp pollished edge, holds it well and touches up easily. I am not convinced, as yet, about S30V - it gets sharp, hair poppin sharp, but still feels toothy ( still undecided if this is good or bad). Benchmade have a winner in their M2, if only they put a factory edge and angle similar to spyderco and removed the blade coating, this would be my first choice.
 
1095 first and foremost. Because it just works and has worked in cutlery for well over 150 years. I've used this steel for years for my daily carry knives and whittlers. It just flat out cuts great and is easy to resharpen. Can't ask for much more than that in my book.

And here in the last three or four years I've become a real fan of D2 tool steel blades also. This steel is awesome for edge retention if the heat treatment is done right. It can be brittle if ground too thin but otherwise it seems to be one tough steel to me.
 
The steel that I am currently using is S30v. I've found that it gives a good finish, retains an edge exceptionally well, has high stainless qualities and is remarkably tough and shock proof. The down side is its higher cost and difficulty in grinding the blades. Wheras I was able to grind 154cm with only 2 different grit belts, I now need four and it takes about 50% longer per blade. The steel is highly abrasion resistant which makes it hard to grind but allows for greater edge retention.
 
Damasteel, or S30V. I've heard good things about Busses propietary steel, I think it's called INFI or something.
 
INFI is great stuff, but there is no way to know what it would be like if someone other than Jerry was using it.

Jerry's designs and heat treat definitely make it a super steel.

David
 
Well, INFI is the steel used by Swamp Rat, and it is known to be quiet similar to 52100, in fact it probably is 52100, with a heat treatment that compares to what you could find on a hand made knife. Regarding the heat treatment, SRKW blades are almost semi-customs :)
 
I have to give a thumbs up to 0-1. Yes it will rust if let wet but how many of us leave there knives in situations that will harm them? I havent had any rust but carbon steel will patina. 0-1 holds a nicer edge than 1095 IMHO and its easy to touch up. Alot of fine damascus is an 0-1 blend so why not use it on its own? There are so many steel types I doubt we will ever come to a uniform decision as to what steel is best.
Good thread...
 
F.K. , Swamp Rat uses SR101 (their version of 52100 ?) on all their fixed blades except 1 . Busse is the sole user of INFI .

My Favorite steel is INFI . The reason being , it takes a wicked edge , behaves like carbon steel and resists rust like stainless .
 
"Well, INFI is the steel used by Swamp Rat, and it is known to be quiet similar to 52100, in fact it probably is 52100, with a heat treatment that compares
to what you could find on a hand made knife. Regarding the heat treatment, SRKW blades are almost semi-customs"

Swamp Rat use SR101, which (according to the Swamp Rat website) is 52100 with a proprietory heat treat.

INFI is an entirely different steel.

The only INFI Swamp Rats so far are a limited number of INFI Bandicoots.
 
cgd160 said:
F.K. , Swamp Rat uses SR101 (their version of 52100 ?) on all their fixed blades except 1 . Busse is the sole user of INFI .

My Favorite steel is INFI . The reason being , it takes a wicked edge , behaves like carbon steel and resists rust like stainless .
Click to expand...

Yup guys, I mixed it up between Busse and SRKW, but for me it's almost the same company though :p I've no idea about what INFI steel really is actually...
 
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