So what's your favorite steel?

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Experimentalist
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So what's your favorite steel?

#1

Post by Experimentalist »

Hello, newbie to the forums here!

My first Spyderco knife is in the mail, a PM2 in black G10 and satin finish S30V blade. Can't wait till it gets here! $114 on Amazon.com, but worth it!

So I got to wondering what your favorite steel is on a knife?

I have an 8" Kasumi Chef's knife (Gyuto) in VG-10 with Damascus cladding. About 59 HRC. Holds an edge for a pretty long time. I sharpen using an Edge Pro with Shapton Glass stones 220, 500, 1k, 2k, 4k and 8k. The 8k leaves a nice mirror polish finish on the edge. Can't wait to polish up the PM2 when I get it.

Does anyone know what the HRC rating is on the S30V steel used in the PM2?

So I was thinking maybe this post can be a list of top blade steels reference as well since I don't see one anywhere else. Here's my incomplete list so far please help me complete it and you all can reference it whenever you want.

In order from hardest to softest: (All HRC ratings are approximate please feel free to correct me and I will update this post. Thank you.)
HRC ratings are heat treat dependent at the discretion of the manufacturer or heat treat facility in case of subcontracted heat treatment.

ZDP-189 HRC 66 Stainless but will stain/tarnish in prolonged acidity, Extremely good edge retention
SG2 HRC 63 high stainless will not easily tarnish, Excellent edge retention
52100 HRC 63 non-stainless Excellent edge retention
CPM-M4 HRC 62 non-stainless Excellent edge retention
Aogami Super Blue HRC 62, non stainless, will tarnish, Excellent edge retention
VG-10 HRC 59 high stainless will not easily tarnish, great edge retention
CPM-S90V HRC 59 high stainless will not easily tarnish, great edge retention
S35VN and ATS-34 HRC 59
S110V HRC 59
S30V HRC 58? 59? high stainless will not easily tarnish

M13 ELMAX HRC 58
9Cr18Mo HRC 58 not stainless
8Cr13MoV HRC 57 not stainless

BD-1 HRC 57 stainless carpenter steel will not easily tarnish, soft, low edge retention, inexpensive
AUS-8 HRC 56 stainless steel
Last edited by Experimentalist on Fri Mar 20, 2015 2:02 am, edited 4 times in total.
Ray Allen
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Ray Allen

#2

Post by Ray Allen »

Hi,
I would like to mention Jim Ankerson's edge testing thread over on Blade Forums as a good source of info including HRC tested steels mostly of Spyderco blades. Page one gives a synopsis of the testing results etc.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showt ... ba1b51f26a" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I believe you will find Spyderco runs many of their steels somewhat harder than some you have listed.
Cheers...
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chuck_roxas45
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#3

Post by chuck_roxas45 »

You mean the steel on those knives are different? I thought they were just dull and sharp...
JD Spydo
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#4

Post by JD Spydo »

Most of my hard user Spyders are VG-10 and frankly I like VG-10 much more than I do S30V which most of the people really like for some reason. I've not had very good luck with S30V for a lot of reasons. However I do like many of Crucible's cutlerly steels like 440V ( S60V), S90V and their version of D-2 is really nice to work with.

But to me VG-10 is just a really good reliable, dependable blade steel that really takes a wicked edge and keeps it well too. And it's not at all hard to touch up the edge of a used blade of VG-10 even with a tool as simple as the DOUBLESTUFF stone that Spyderco sells. I've used the **** out of my C-60 Ayoob model and have even abused it on a couple of occasions and it doesn't take much to get VG-10 sharp as a straight razor again.

Recently I've had very good luck with CTS-XHP>> for me I think it's even better than D-2.

It's going to be interesting to see what Spyderco replaces VG-10 with later down the road>> I'm sort of surprised that it hasn't happened already with all these newer/better blade steels hitting the market.
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Holland
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#5

Post by Holland »

My favorites so far are superblue, CPM M4, and M390
-Spencer

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Gayle Bradley 2 | Mantra 1 | Watu | Chaparral 1 | Dragonfly 2 Salt SE
PWork
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#6

Post by PWork »

I can only say good things about VG-10. :spyder:
Paul
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#7

Post by JD Spydo »

PWork wrote:I can only say good things about VG-10. :spyder:
Oh and by the way "Experimentalist" :) Welcome to the Spyderco Forum :cool: I didn't see that it was your very first post until I came back again to see what had been posted. You are among friends and I do hope you enjoy your stay.

As "PWork" just said about VG-10 just being a very dependable, rugged and all around good everyday use blade steel. I remember way back when Spyderco went from ATS-55 to VG-10 and I was a big fan of ATS-55 and I still am because I still have a lot of folders with that great blade steel. But when Sal chimed in on a thread a couple of years back and said they tested ATS-55 and found VG-10 to be superior in just about every aspect of cutlery steel it got my attention big time and since then I''ve made just about 80% of my user rotation in VG-10. And I'm here to tell you that it would take one awesome blade steel to de-throne it too.

When it comes to S30V I've had problems with chipping and I do admit that could have been a heat treat problem but I've also never had S30V hold a super fine edge nearly as long as I've had VG-10 do it for me. And that's coming from a guy who is a big fan of Crucible Powder Metallurgy steels. I actually liked 440V better than I did S30V and I like 440V Spyderedged blades about the best of all the Spyderedged steels with the possible exceptions of ATS-55 and AUS-8 for serrated blades.

Because I've got my personal favorite blade steels in two categories>> one for plain edges and another group of steels for serrated/Spyderedges.

And I do encourage you to test drive some of Spyderco's great serrated edged monsters>> there are no other serrated edged knives in the entire market that stand up to Spyderco. So you might want to look at both aspects of it. Again we welcome you to Spyderville>> Enjoy your stay
Experimentalist
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Re: Ray Allen

#8

Post by Experimentalist »

Ray Allen wrote:Hi,
I would like to mention Jim Ankerson's edge testing thread over on Blade Forums as a good source of info including HRC tested steels mostly of Spyderco blades. Page one gives a synopsis of the testing results etc.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showt ... ba1b51f26a" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I believe you will find Spyderco runs many of their steels somewhat harder than some you have listed.
Cheers...
Thanks for the feedback and the link! I'm curious as to which steels you feel are incorrectly labeled in my list. Constructive criticism is always welcome by me. I'm also curious as to which steel your favorite is.
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Archimedes
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#9

Post by Archimedes »

Well I don't have a favorite. There are a lot of good steels out there and what would be great for a 3 inch blade light weight slicer vs what is great for a 10 inch blade field knife may put you on opposite ends of the steel spectrum or maybe not. I find knife design and build execution more important than the exact steel used. In some ways, I feel all the New steel hype is more a marketing tactic than a real revolution. That said I still enjoy checking out new steels.
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farnorthdan
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#10

Post by farnorthdan »

So many great steels out there to choose from, we have come a long way in the steel world. My favorites not necessarily in order:

CTS-204P
Hitachi Super Blue
CPM S110V
Cruwear

There are so many great steels out there but these are the ones I have had a chance to really enjoy so far.
Happy to be part of this great forum and group of down to earth spyderco addicts, Thanks Sal and gang.
My Grails: Lum Tanto folder sprint, Sprint Persian(red), Captain, Manix 2 (M4), SB MT, PM2 M390, CF dodo, Manix2 (CF S90V),Manix2 XL S90V, Zowada CF Balance Rassenti Nivarna, Lil' Nilakka, Tuff, Police 4, Chinook 4, Caly HAP40 52100 Military, S110V Military, Any/All PM2 & Military sprints/exclusives I can get my grubby hands on :) :spyder: :) :spyder: :)

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Experimentalist
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#11

Post by Experimentalist »

JD Spydo wrote:Most of my hard user Spyders are VG-10 and frankly I like VG-10 much more than I do S30V which most of the people really like for some reason. I've not had very good luck with S30V for a lot of reasons. However I do like many of Crucible's cutlerly steels like 440V ( S60V), S90V and their version of D-2 is really nice to work with.

But to me VG-10 is just a really good reliable, dependable blade steel that really takes a wicked edge and keeps it well too. And it's not at all hard to touch up the edge of a used blade of VG-10 even with a tool as simple as the DOUBLESTUFF stone that Spyderco sells. I've used the **** out of my C-60 Ayoob model and have even abused it on a couple of occasions and it doesn't take much to get VG-10 sharp as a straight razor again.

Recently I've had very good luck with CTS-XHP>> for me I think it's even better than D-2.

It's going to be interesting to see what Spyderco replaces VG-10 with later down the road>> I'm sort of surprised that it hasn't happened already with all these newer/better blade steels hitting the market.
Uh oh makes me wonder if I will regret my PM2 purchase since it is in S30V. I will probably have to put a microbevel on it to protect it from micro chipping. This is my first foray into S30V land. I guess it depends on the heat treat. If it's tempered to 58 HRC maybe the edge will roll instead of microchip, but a micro bevel can help with edge rolling as well.

But I chose the PM2 because of it's swift and seemingly effortless action from what I've seen of others use of it. Makes me wonder what a hot selling knife a PM3 might be if it were offered in VG-10, ZDP-189 or some high end steel that can out perform S30V. Always something to look forward to when it comes to Spyderco folders!
Experimentalist
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#12

Post by Experimentalist »

JD Spydo wrote:
PWork wrote:I can only say good things about VG-10. :spyder:
Oh and by the way "Experimentalist" :) Welcome to the Spyderco Forum :cool: I didn't see that it was your very first post until I came back again to see what had been posted. You are among friends and I do hope you enjoy your stay.

As "PWork" just said about VG-10 just being a very dependable, rugged and all around good everyday use blade steel. I remember way back when Spyderco went from ATS-55 to VG-10 and I was a big fan of ATS-55 and I still am because I still have a lot of folders with that great blade steel. But when Sal chimed in on a thread a couple of years back and said they tested ATS-55 and found VG-10 to be superior in just about every aspect of cutlery steel it got my attention big time and since then I''ve made just about 80% of my user rotation in VG-10. And I'm here to tell you that it would take one awesome blade steel to de-throne it too.

When it comes to S30V I've had problems with chipping and I do admit that could have been a heat treat problem but I've also never had S30V hold a super fine edge nearly as long as I've had VG-10 do it for me. And that's coming from a guy who is a big fan of Crucible Powder Metallurgy steels. I actually liked 440V better than I did S30V and I like 440V Spyderedged blades about the best of all the Spyderedged steels with the possible exceptions of ATS-55 and AUS-8 for serrated blades.

Because I've got my personal favorite blade steels in two categories>> one for plain edges and another group of steels for serrated/Spyderedges.

And I do encourage you to test drive some of Spyderco's great serrated edged monsters>> there are no other serrated edged knives in the entire market that stand up to Spyderco. So you might want to look at both aspects of it. Again we welcome you to Spyderville>> Enjoy your stay
Thank you so much for the warm welcome! Also thank you for the feedback and answers to my questions!

I agree VG-10 is a great steel. As I said in my OP the Chef's knife I have in Damascus VG-10 has had great edge retention and it wasn't too hard to sharpen. Not sure I have a use for a serrated edge. What do you use it for? Also I think I'd find serrated difficult to sharpen. I know serrated edges are recommended for slicing bread by some food service guys but I find my VG-10 Chef's knife does very well at that task because of it's very sharp edge and I can more easily keep it sharp than a serrated blade. How do you sharpen your serrated edges?
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tvenuto
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#13

Post by tvenuto »

Experimentalist wrote:Uh oh makes me wonder if I will regret my PM2 purchase since it is in S30V. I will probably have to put a microbevel on it to protect it from micro chipping. This is my first foray into S30V land. I guess it depends on the heat treat. If it's tempered to 58 HRC maybe the edge will roll instead of microchip, but a micro bevel can help with edge rolling as well.

But I chose the PM2 because of it's swift and seemingly effortless action from what I've seen of others use of it. Makes me wonder what a hot selling knife a PM3 might be if it were offered in VG-10, ZDP-189 or some high end steel that can out perform S30V. Always something to look forward to when it comes to Spyderco folders!
As far as the PM3 example you give, some people would like it more, some people would like it less. Just a side note that it would require a change in factory to change it to those steels, as they come from Japan and thus the knife must be made there (it's currently US made).

I would caution against blanket judgements on steel from the experience of others, as how it performs for you will depend very much on what you cut, how you cut, how you sharpen, what level of sharpness is acceptable for you, how often you want to/can sharpen, and so on. All steel offered by Spyderco is of the highest quality, and at this level, we're really talking about tradeoffs in material properties.

This is why the wording of your title question is well-chosen: "favorite." No one steel (again assuming high-quality with appropriate heat treat) is unequivocally "better" than any other, and what some people love about certain steels will turn others off just due to what they like and how they use their knives.

The claim has been made here, with data to support it, that if Spyderco did not mark the blades with the steel it would be somewhat hard to tell them apart. Thus, while I like to try out new steels as much as the next man, I really put the design in front of what steel is used on it. Thus, if you love all aspects of the PM2, even if S30V isn't your ideal steel due to its properties, you'll probably still enjoy the knife very much. I would also venture to say that if the ergos or the lock didn't work well for you, even the ideal steel probably wouldn't make you fall in love with the knife.

You are correct though, Spyderco blesses us with MANY options, and there is always something to look forward to!
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#14

Post by Barman »

I like a nice polished edge for the work I do and found that the most responsive to performing with that edge for me are VG-10, S35VN and CTS-XHP.
A toothy edge has its place in my rotation occasionally, that's when I stuff some ZDP or S110V in my pocket then touch it up when I get home on 600 grit.
I have had good results from others but for brevity sake I'll stick with my first choices.
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Blerv
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#15

Post by Blerv »

CPM-S30v and VG-10. Those consist of about 70% my collection which is more a testament to the knives I like that have those alloys than the relative performance within the knives.
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jmh58
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#16

Post by jmh58 »

Over all.. 01 tool/1095
Spyderco.. VG-10, s30v, CTS-XHP
John :)
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Stuart Ackerman
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#17

Post by Stuart Ackerman »

VG10 / N690...
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elena86
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#18

Post by elena86 »

Non-stainless:
CPM-CRUWEAR
AOGAMI SUPER BLUE

Stainless:
CPM-S110V
CTS-XHP
in that order
can't freehand
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#19

Post by can't freehand »

from Spyderco, ZDP-189

overall, Spyderco ZDP-189
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Re: So what's your favorite steel?

#20

Post by can't freehand »

Experimentalist wrote:
Uh oh makes me wonder if I will regret my PM2 purchase since it is in S30V. I will probably have to put a microbevel on it to protect it from micro chipping. This is my first foray into S30V land. I guess it depends on the heat treat. If it's tempered to 58 HRC maybe the edge will roll instead of microchip, but a micro bevel can help with edge rolling as well.
From my limited knowledge, the S30V is going to "micro-chip" regardless because its a high carbide steel. If you drop the HRC too low on those steels, you'll experience dramatic carbide tear-away, like with Chris Reeve's knives.

The carbide steels are generally going to chip more often, that's what comes with the increased wear-resistance.
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