Non-Stainless Steel Blades, WHY?

[Hopweaver]

I need some advice on non-stainless blade steels. I have come to enjoy the ease of maintenance of my S30V Spyderco knives. They hold a great edge, are easily to sharpened, and do not patina. I do have a few blades (Cruwear & M4) that are non-stainless, but I am wondering if I need them. They require more maintenance (frequently oiled) to keep from losing their factory fresh appearance.

What are the benefits of owning a non-stainless steel blade?
And do they outweigh the risks of getting some unwanted patina or rust on the steel?

Many thanks for your thoughts on the subject.

[curlyhairedboy]

Nobody but you can make the decisions whether the benefits outweigh the risks, but:

Non-stainless steels can offer a finer-grained edge and superior toughness.

[ZrowsN1s]

Well you don't want rust, but unless you like a nice patina, I wouldn't recommend it.
I've enjoyed my non stainless knives. Hap 40 is one of my favorite steels.

[91bravo]

You can take non-stainless steel edges down pretty thin without much worry about edge damage. Toughness is a great characteristic of carbon steel blades as well. Certain stainless steels will chip out if thin the edges too much... Plus, I like edges that dent or roll, as opposed to chipping out.

[koenigsegg]

I wonder how tough LC200N is, if it's super tough like H1

[bearfacedkiller]

I do not find them that hard to maintain and don't really care about a factory fresh appearance. It isn't so much that I seek out non stainless steels as it is that I just rank corrosion resistance last in my prioritizing of attributes.

Added toughness and ease of sharpening are often the benefits of non stainless steels. There are exceptions though as we do have some very high carbide non stainless steels available like 10V and even Maxamet.

[JD Spydo]

Overall performance is all that matters to me concerning blade steels whether they be non-stainless or stainless I really don't care. At the current time M390 just happens to be my favorite hard use steel so I EDC an M390 Military. If I run into another blade steel that beats it hands down>> then I'll get a Millie or Para with the steel that comes out on top. Actually I'm a little more picky on Spyderedge blade steels. There is about six of them I really like and two newer blade steels I would like to try in SE>> but other than that I'm pretty content at the moment.

[Bloke]

Apart from fishing knives corrosion resistance isn’t too high on my priority list and I’ve never been able to keep a true user in factory shiny condition irrespective of what the blade material is plus I prefer a natural patina on a carbon steel blade to scratches on a stainless blade.

I also like the way carbon steel sharpens (generally) as compared to stainless steel. Specific to Spyderco , I only have HAP40, SuperBlue, Maxamet and ZDP-189 which feels more like carbon steel than stainless and they all go to silly sharp with minimal effort. :)

[TomAiello]

What are the benefits of owning a non-stainless steel blade?

Improved edge holding and toughness. In other words, they stay sharp longer. In some cases they are easier to sharpen as well.

Stain resistance is only one of the characteristics that I'm looking for in a blade, and all the characteristics involve trade offs with the others.

FWIW, right now my most common EDC knives are both non-stainless (Spyderco Manix 2 LW Maxamet and Bradford Guardian 3 V4e). I live in the desert, so rust isn't a huge concern, and I might decide differently if I lived on the coast, but honestly, the fact that the Maxamet stays sharp pretty much forever is worth a lot to me.

[BrianMcCord]

Apart from fishing knives corrosion resistance isn’t too high on my priority list and I’ve never been able to keep a true user in factory shiny condition irrespective of what the blade material is plus I prefer a natural patina on a carbon steel blade to scratches on a stainless blade.

I also like the way carbon steel sharpens (generally) as compared to stainless steel. Specific to Spyderco , I only have HAP40, SuperBlue, Maxamet and ZDP-189 which feels more like carbon steel than stainless and they all go to silly sharp with minimal effort. :)

Nothing more beautiful than a natural patina. The 'show your patina' thread is pure eye candy. There is a superblue Caly there that is the bees knees! Also, there is an M4 Manix that has a really nice patina.

[Skidoosh]

You do not need non-stainless blades, I am willing to assist in your cleansing.

[jpm2]

The benefits of one steel over another can only be realized with use.
If you find there's no advantage over s30v, then no need for it.
If you ever get to the point of thinking s30v could be better in some way, besides more stainless, try your cruwear or m4 and see.

[Bloke]

Nothing more beautiful than a natural patina. The 'show your patina' thread is pure eye candy. There is a superblue Caly there that is the bees knees! Also, there is an M4 Manix that has a really nice patina.

Brian, you're a man after my own heart!

The Caly I've ogled on a few occasions and I'll look for the Manix.

I wish Spyderco would produce more solid slab blades in SuperBlue and HAP40 and the blades I have weren't laminated. :rolleyes:

[vivi]

Advantages:

- They're usually easier to sharpen than stainless steels.

- They're usually tougher and more resistant to chipping than stainless steels.

- Patinas look pretty cool with age.


I like carbon steel for fixed blades but prefer stainless for folders. Pivots aren't as easy to keep clean as a slab of steel between two chunks of micarta.

[BrianMcCord]

Nothing more beautiful than a natural patina. The 'show your patina' thread is pure eye candy. There is a superblue Caly there that is the bees knees! Also, there is an M4 Manix that has a really nice patina.

Brian, you're a man after my own heart!

The Caly I've ogled on a few occasions and I'll look for the Manix.

I wish Spyderco would produce more solid slab blades in SuperBlue and HAP40 and the blades I have weren't laminated. :rolleyes:

I'm sorry Bloke, I don't think dating is a good idea. Long distance relationships never work! :p

Kidding aside, we do seem to have the same tastes. Let me find that picture and I'll post it...

[BrianMcCord]

Bloke, here's that sexy beast, courtesy of BravoTango...

[koenigsegg]

I really liked the Caly with the weathered handle posted by PanChango

[BrianMcCord]

I really liked the Caly with the weathered handle posted by PanChango

That's the one! Thanks for posting Kings Egg :)

[Bloke]

Bloke, here's that sexy beast, courtesy of BravoTango...

Big Bravo Zulu to BravoTango! :)

I've never had a patina as pretty as that or the Caly.

Sure beats scratches!

[Hopweaver]

After making this post I did a lot of research and found CPM-20CV very interesting. Since l cut a lot of fruit, I tend to think stainless may be best for my needs, but since joining this forum a year ago y'all are crazy about all the steels!

Here is a link to all of the current popular blade steels which I found very helpful in my research. It does a good job of breaking down the steel's characteristics in layman's terms. (EDGE RETENTION, CORROSION RESISTANCE, EASE OF SHARPENING)

http://knifeinformer.com/discovering-th ... ife-steel/

FWIW, right now my most common EDC knives are both non-stainless (Spyderco Manix 2 LW Maxamet and Bradford Guardian 3 V4e).

@TomAiello, I have two Guardian 3s in M390 that I frequently EDC as well. It is a fun knife!