Knife Steel recommendations

[latches109]

I am looking to tryout some of these "premium" alloys:

CPM S10v
CPMS 90V
M390
ZDP-189
CTS 204P
ELMAX
CPM 20CV

Does anyone have a recommendation?

[Lt. head-shot]

Making a knife or just using a knife with those steels?

I have M390 in my benchmade, it works well. No rust ever but holds an edge for a really long time. I know Elmax was a hot ticket a while back, but I've never used it.

[latches109]

making would be fun, I've watched enough YouTube videos on it, but just using

[bellicose]

I was going to say 440c is an easy one to work with at home, but you're not making it from scratch. I have no idea what my purchased knives are made from. They all open Amazon boxes the same.

[moving_target]

Those are all good steels. Nick Shabazz on YouTube did a video on blade steels and I think it's a pretty good break down on different "tiers" of steel.

https://youtu.be/BDJ1jhOZN4M

They all have their different strengths so it definitely depends on what youre specifically using them for, but if you're just looking for a daily light to medium duty carry those are all more than adequate.

[pintbuster]

I had to learn a bunch of knife stuff for my past life, but I am not much of a knife guy.
My only real takeaway from my training is that a cheap knife sharpened correctly will be better than a good knife that is not.
Other than that I think the type of steel is really splitting hairs unless you need something very specific.

[coyote]

What function is the knife serving?

I'm a butcher, I use my knives significantly more than most folks.

My 2 cents... fancy steel and common steel achieve the same practical purpose. It's like the anno on our markers, all sizzle, no steak.

[latches109]

I’m still looking for my personal unicorn utility knife. I’ve run through a few ranging from $5 to about $80. So far, most don’t seem to hold an edge for very long, My favorite is a $5 Big5 clearance knife, but it tears up my pockets, so I keep it in the car.
It didn’t help getting stuck in a YouTube hole on knife steels. The kind where you loose track of what’s important vs content to make money.

Maybe a better thread would be post your favorite knife/s that gets the most use.

[coyote]

I found that I am bad at honing a blade on a steel.

I started using a strop instead, much better results.
Illinois razor strop company model 835 if you care to try one.

Most guys that have blade issues just need to maintain the edge better. That might be your issue, might not.

[latches109]

Thanks I’ll give it a try

[coyote]

I thought of this thread watching a YouTube channel called "project farm". He basically builds his own torture tests and reviews tools, products, and materials. He has a 2 parter on pocket knives you might find useful.

[JonM]

One thing to keep in mind when choosing blade steel is your own ability to sharpen your knife and the stones you use to do it. Some premium steels hold an edge very well, but are more labor intensive to bring back when they eventually dull and stropping is no longer effective.

[Brandon]

One thing to keep in mind when choosing blade steel is your own ability to sharpen your knife and the stones you use to do it. Some premium steels hold an edge very well, but are more labor intensive to bring back when they eventually dull and stropping is no longer effective.

I was just going to say that, I like m390 for the length of time it'll hold an edge but also that edge is also contingent on the angle at which its put on. A 17° blade angle is going to dull much faster then a an edge put on at 20° but a 20° isn't as sharp (its still plenty sharp though) but will last a lot longer.

[JonM]

Yeah. Personally, I like my knives in steels like S30V, 14C28N, and even Nitro-V. They hold an edge well and they're easy to sharpen. I typically carry a Bugout with titanium scales as my EDC. It gets used quite a lot, yet I seldom need to take it to the stones.

[Brandon]

My daily work knife it a Strider Protech SNG, its 154CM. Super easy to put an edge on and it retains fairly well as long as I don't hit staples in a box. Weekend carry though is a BBK Yeager M2 in M390 or a CRK in S35VN. Weekends don't require nearly as much cutting.

[No Have MSG]

I like D2. Can't get it as sharp as other knifes, but it holds an edge really well, is tough. Also bit tough to sharpen.

[Brandon]

D2 has a fair bit of carbon in them so warmer most climates you have to worry about rust but if you use it enough that shouldn't be an issue. D2 is a good hard tool steel!

[No Have MSG]

Yes, I have to oil it every now and then during hunting season or it gets a bit of surface rust. Most of the year it is okay.

[FullContactUSA]

Blade HQ has got a decent article on steel types, may be worth a look.

https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Best-Knife-Steel-Guide--3368

I have only smithed mild steels for around the house projects but I've wanted to bladesmith since I was a kid.