Poll: What is your preferred stainless steel for EDC?

[SpyderNut]

Hello friends,

Imagine you are designing a folder with a sub 3-inch blade (approximately the size of a Chaparral). Of the three steels listed, which steel would you choose for this model and why? The primary purpose for this model is for general every-day use.

Please select only one steel.

Thanks!

-Michael

[Ankerson]

S30V, proven performer, works very well in a variety of uses.

[Evil D]

Man that's slim pickin's lol. Of those 3 I'd have to choose 204P simply because it has given me the best mix of all favorable steel qualities.

That said I'd still choose S110V over all 3 of those.

[abbazaba]

I picked XHP... I've found it to be an excellent EDC and super easy to maintain an edge. My Slysz Bowie has seen tons of use and I wouldn't change the steel on it if there were another choice. I like 204p, and nothing wrong with S30v. Probably woulda picked S110v if it was an option due to the corrosion resistance. 204p will probably get the most fanfare right?

[palonej]

I chose XHP also. Have nothing against the others, but since I'm a horrid sharpener, it gets my vote.
Also, I have a Chap with it and I am able to get that little thing truly scary screaming stupid mind blowingly S H A R P!!! It almost scares me!!
Joe

[wrdwrght]

I buy into the opinion that S30V is the most balanced of the three, in terms of wear-/fracture-/corrosion-resistance, and would not complain if it was my only steel.

How XHP and 204P are less balanced, I can't begin to demonstrate, but I seem to need maintenance on my 204P PM2 less frequently than on knives with the other two steels doing the same kinds of chores, thus my vote for it.

[Tdog]

Of the three listed, all of which are good steels I would go with the 204P. If S110V were on the list, I might choose it as I'm around saltwater so much. I could be happy with any of these.

[bh49]

I wish you would offer VG10. I have no experience with XHP, very limited with 204P and some with S30V. I will be interested to see 3"bolsterd Rhino with XHP

[Igi964]

S110V definitely. Why is not in this poll?

[DerekW64]

Hello :)
I chose CTS 204p, because I have been wanting to try that steel for quite a while, and would love to see it on what is going to be my first compression lock knife. (Sorry, my English is not so great sometimes)

[The Deacon]

None of the above. My first choice would be VG-10 because I have more experience with it than with any other steel. It's decently rust resistant, holds an edge well, and is brain dead easy to sharpen S30V would be second, but a distant second.

[elena86]

CTS-XHP - best balance of properties

[Bodog]

204P, I find that out of the three listed it is the best combination of attributes for my uses. Yours may be different. S30V would rank last. As a matter of fact itd rank last for me in pretty much any list for any reason. Never had an S30V blade that was better overall than some other steel. I'd rather use 420HC and accept that it's easy to sharpen. The tradeoffs with S30V are too much to overlook. Too hard to sharpen for the amount of wear resistance, edge chips out to easily, can't get that hard, not all that corrosion resistant compared to most other stainless steels, not tough at all, and expensive. It's this generation's S60V/440V, though you'll find fans of that steel, too, even though time and use found it to be subpar for most people. S30V just has more backing than S60V did so it's still around.

Having said all that people like different things and Spyderco offers a lot of steel for us to buy based on what we like in different steel classes. Next stop, Vanax, 15V, and S125V, haha.

[PayneTrain]

I feel kinda snobby about this, but I gotta pick 204P. Sure, it may be harder to sharpen, but it lasts longer than both and is more stainless than at least S30V, if not XHP as well. Don't get me wrong, it's a tough race here, but I've gotta go with the high-tech 204P, probably my favorite stainless out there.

[Bodog]

I feel kinda snobby about this, but I gotta pick 204P. Sure, it may be harder to sharpen, but it lasts longer than both and is more stainless than at least S30V, if not XHP as well. Don't get me wrong, it's a tough race here, but I've gotta go with the high-tech 204P, probably my favorite stainless out there.

I gotta say, you shouldn't feel bad for finding a steel that works best for your uses.

[PayneTrain]

I gotta say, you shouldn't feel bad for finding a steel that works best for your uses.

Yeah, you're right, but I do want to be able to appreciate the simpler steels for what they offer, and I do use them regularly. I certainly don't pass on a knife I like just because the steel isn't super! I'm not that sort of a steel snob, so I guess I'm ok. But yeah, I mean if you're gonna offer me a knife to carry daily and I get to pick the steel, I'm probably gonna pick 204P. And then I'm gonna look around suspiciously and wonder what contest I won, and if this is all somehow an elaborate scam...

[bdblue]

I would carry any of those and I consider them to all work about the same for me, but my favorite stainless steel for EDC is S110V.

I no longer have a knife in the CTS-204P(/M390) range (it was replaced by S110V), and the only CTS-XHP knife I have is a mule which hasn't performed well for me, but for now I do still have one S30V knive in my EDC rotation.

[Hgwxx7]

I based this one solely on the price point difference between the Manix 2 LW BD1 and LW CTS-XHP. If I'm reading through the lines correctly, this is to guage a possible successor steel for the Rhino. Those are all great steels so my real vote is for the smallest price point difference. Save 204p for the sprint run :D

EDIT: I'd also add if we are talking Chapp thinness, I might be worried about S30V chipping, but maybe that's unfounded? Thoughts?

[SG89]

I chose CTS 204P. Out of those 3 choices it is my favorite due to its great edge holding ability. Also a small knife like that would be wonderful to see in CTS 204P.

[murphjd25]

I voted 204p, don't have any but theres to many options in s30v imo.