What's the lowest edge retention steel you'd carry?

[vivi]

Thought about making it a poll, but figured there's too many options.

What's the lowest edge retention steel you'd carry on a regular basis.

Spyderco offers everything from Maxamet & S110V to stuff like 3Cr.

What's your cut-off point?

[Naperville]

100% of my Spydercos are premium supersteels, that is one of the reasons why I buy Spydercos.

I do have a few knives that are not in that great of steel, but I try not to use them as EDC. One that I EDC is made from 154CM, an Emerson Tactical Kwaiken...but I don't really like the steel.

A company like Spyderco could really put the hurt on a lot of companies by looking at their tactical offerings and one-upping them in materials. Spyderco could drive them bankrupt!

Imagine if you will:
- KA-BAR in S35VN or 3V produced by Spyderco
- Kwaiken in M390 produced by Spyderco

These other manufacturers should wake the heck up!!!! I wish Spyderco would eat their lunch. I'd buy most of it.

[Naperville]

154CM is the lowest steel I EDC.

[Liquid Cobra]

S30V I suppose.

[kerrcobra]

It varies for me between fixed blades and folders. In a folder, I won't carry anything below one of the "super" steels - like Cruwear, 4V, 204P or M4. In a fixed blade, I'm less discerning although I typically only carry fixed blades in cpm154 or 3V. I do have a new one from Arno Bernard in N690co that I've been carrying daily, and I love my Street Beat in VG-10.

[Bill1170]

The stainless “Inox” steel used in Swiss Army Knives, which is probably similar to Sandvik 12C26.

[Tucson Tom]

1095

[wrdwrght]

1095

Beat me to it. I have an ESEE-6 in my go-bag, but I don’t carry it. Absent an emergency,the bag comes out only for road trips.

Among Spydies, PE (as opposed to SE) H1 is below my threshold. PE VG10 is well above it.

[cycleguy]

VG-10; used to be 420HC.

CG

[Pelagic]

I like Spyderco's 8cr13mov.

But anything worse than that, forget about it.

And that's the overall standard, including secondary carry's. For my primary carry, I'll settle for s30v but prefer something better.

I often consider toughness more than edge retention. If I had my way I'd always use very tough steels.

[The Meat man]

Not sure.... for years I got by quite well with 8Cr13MoV. Now I own Maxamet, CPM M4 and S110V, CPM REX 45, etc.

I like the super high wear resistant steels, but after dealing with them for awhile it's nice to come back to some good old, easy-to-sharpen steel for a change. I like my Super Blue, H-1 (SE), VG-10, and even 8Cr13MoV.

I'm a steel nerd so I'm always intrigued by the cutting edge blade materials, but at some point I realized that wear resistance is only one part of a multifaceted equation.

Practically speaking though, I think my limit would be around VG-10/420HC/1095/8Cr13MoV etc.

[ABX2011]

AUS-8A...although I don't think Spyderco offers anything in that steel. From Spyderco probably VG-10.
I don't go for the Chinese alphabet steels but the reason is not simply poor edge retention. It's because there are a gazillion knives in 8cr and eliminating those knives simplifies my knife buying.

[vivi]

I often EDC CTSBD1, and I really like the steel. Edge holding isn't up to my K390 Police, but it takes an amazing edge in an incredibly short amount of time.

My multitool has 420HC blades that I use primarily for dirty cutting tasks I don't want to expose my other knives to that see food prep. It works well for a secondary knife, touches up fast.

I have some ESEE's in their fairly soft 1095 that I'll carry often as well. A 6HM that's my camp knife and an Izula 2 that's a small woods knife / fixed EDC.

All of these steels are sufficient for my uses, though I do appreciate super edge holding steels.

I don't buy any 8Cr or lower steels, unless they are Byrds. Most companies don't heat treat those well in my experience.

I'm fine with these lower edge holding steels as long as I trust the heat treat. I'll carry a 420HC Buck any day but not an $8 BudK knife in "the same" steel.

[Tims]

VG10.

Anything else I carry regularly is north of VG10 in terms of edge retention.

I’ll occasionally ‘slum’ it with a lesser steel if i’m doing something with the knife I know will cause edge damage so I don’t have to spend too long repairing the edge

[zhyla]

Design + geometry > steel.

I’d rock 8Cr if I had to. No big deal.

[ladybug93]

i carry a resilience sometimes and am happy to. it’s a great knife even though it’s 8cr13mov.

i also carry some other folders in aus8 and d2, and fixed blades in 1095. actually... those are all esee knives.

edit: i also carry moras and saks.

i’ve never had a blade stop cutting during a job though. super steels are cool for the nerd factor, but i’ve never needed one.

[Ankerson]

S30V is the lowest one I carry.

[Kyle8734]

Spyderco's 8cr13mov. Works fine, but i prefer to carry CPM-M4, LC200N, CPM-S30V, etc. Honestly tho the 8cr13mov in my Byrd Robin 2 does fine. I'm sure I would have no problem getting through a normal day with only it.

[basedlarrydavid]

S35VN

[Daveho]

Honestly I’ll carry some no name steel from a random maker-
At the end of the day the steel will cut, when it comes to what I will pay for it’s a different thing