What's the Consensus ?
- Thread starter owldo
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The biggest factor is attention to the heat treat and temper. The best steel in the world is crap if not treated properly.
I guess I am not a knife guru. I've always bought ones that appeal to me, not based on materials used.
The last lnife I'll get rid of is an issue Pilot's Survival Knife. Probably cost the USAF a buck or two. No idea what steel it is (but likely the cheapest available). A stick tang and cheap leather washer handle. But it's over five decades old and still works.
The last lnife I'll get rid of is an issue Pilot's Survival Knife. Probably cost the USAF a buck or two. No idea what steel it is (but likely the cheapest available). A stick tang and cheap leather washer handle. But it's over five decades old and still works.
Welcome to the forum. I personally wouldn't worry so much about the "best" steel as much as making sure to have the proper type of knife for the task at hand. Most people I know don't even understand how to properly sharpen their blades.
I have to admit I always struggled with sharpening knives. I bought the best stones and tried but never got the results some folks could using inferior equipment. I finally hit on the Spyderco Tri Sharpener. Now I can get the results I want. Some "experts" may poo poo the sharpener but it works for me and that's all that matters.
Sierra Hotel. I have mine as well. Got it in DaNang when after being ceritified as crew on DH-3s (Drone Recovery). It's over 50 years old and still holds a razor edge. No kids, so a nephew will get it.
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There are more opinions on which knife steel is better than there are what brand motorcycle oil is best for a bike, and I've seen some heated arguments over that. In most cases it the heat treatment to said steel that is more important. The type of steel comes into play more depending on whether it is used for cutting, like a pocket knife or edc fixed blade. If the knife is a large camp knife that may be used in light chopping typically that knife steel should be different than the pocket knife.
. I like blade steels like 1095, Bucks 5160, S30V and a few others. I am willing to give up a little edge life to gain ease of sharpening. Super hard steels are fine if you know how to, and dont mind spendingthe time it takes to get a good even, sharp edge. A Winkler knife is a good example. They are made with 80CrV2 steel. They are great knives, tuff as can be but they are not easy to sharpen. Tkell knives are the same way. That's just a drop in the bucket and only the short version. Hope this little bit helps get you started in your selection.
. I like blade steels like 1095, Bucks 5160, S30V and a few others. I am willing to give up a little edge life to gain ease of sharpening. Super hard steels are fine if you know how to, and dont mind spendingthe time it takes to get a good even, sharp edge. A Winkler knife is a good example. They are made with 80CrV2 steel. They are great knives, tuff as can be but they are not easy to sharpen. Tkell knives are the same way. That's just a drop in the bucket and only the short version. Hope this little bit helps get you started in your selection.
D2 and ATS34CM are good tuff edge holding steels- they take a very good edge when heat treated correctly. Sharpening them is not the easiest but not the hardest either.
I think the two big questions to first ask are if you want a stainless that won't rust at all, or if you're okay with keeping it clean, oiled, and possibly stained a little. Next, do you want something that is easy to sharpen and would require routine sharpening, or if you don't like to sharpen it and want a super-steel blade that retains the edge for a long time. (These can be hard to sharpen when you do need to.). Spyderco is a great company that is not afraid to offer 21st century technology to suit just about every application.
