What are your top 5 favorite steels?

[Fireman]

An update to my steel love. It’s a tough battle going on right now between some steels. After doing some EDC with K390 Endura, I can see it’s charms if you don’t mind patina and rust or regular steel maintenance. I think k390 is a great steel to coat in DLC like the REX45 is being done. I would say for my affections, REX45 has an “edge” on it for a place in my heart and Z-Max and K390 are neck and neck. I have come to like ZDP-189 and now have three knives in it but still need to do some real world tests to compare it to SRS13/SUS405. Spyderco is my hero for being a leader in bringing exotic and premium steels to the market for regular joes. I like LC200N and I can’t deny it. The Spydiechef and LC200N is a great combo that I recently aquired and now I have 3 knives in Magnacut now but still putting that steel through the paces. I recently did a torture test with Magnacut so still comparing LC200N to Magnacut.

[Scandi Grind]

I don't have a lot of different steels, but I am definitely a high carbon/tool steel kind of guy. But I am also a fixed blade kind of guy as well and I own more fixed than folding knives. If I could always use a fixed blade I would, but it is not always convenient. For folders I see why corrosion resistance is nice so I don't mind stainless on those, and for me folders don't get used hard enough for any loss of toughness to be an issue. If I use a knife "hard" I use a fixed blade.

Most of the time, cost and quality of manufacture are more important to me than steel for fixed and folders, but there are a few steels that I like specifically.

For fixed: 1095,1075, 5160, 01, A2

For folding: D2, VG10

Whatever happens to be on a quality affordable folding knife that I like the design of is most likely what I will end up with whenever I buy one. I have however become interested in some of the tool steels I've been seeing brought up here like, M4, CPM Cru-Wear, and Rex 45. However I am unlikely to go out of my to get these steels. One day I hope to have an excuse to get one though.

[knivesandbooks]

I'm boring: S30v, M4, A2, Hap40, CTS XHP.
I use 1095 like it's my absolute favorite though haha.

[Cowboyfromhell]

S30v
H1 serrated
Lc200n
M4
K390
Magnacut
Rex45

[legOFwhat?]

CPM 4v really gets me, in a good way.
PMA11/10v are fantastic love a toothy edge.
I have around 20 or so different varieties of Spydies in different steels, but those 2 are my favorites so far.
Throw in something stainless, when need be, and I'd be set. I have Magnacut mules but haven't tried them yet and I'm sure they'll live up to what others are saying.

Since it's top 5, I'd mention PD#1/cruwear, S110v and Hap40/Rex 45 as my bottom 3 of 5 :)

[JSumm]

I cannot really assemble a top 5, but this is what I can say that I like in a steel. I will do my best to organize my thoughts.

It is fun for me to look for steels that combine Ease of Sharpening and High Level of Edge Stability.

- Ease of Sharpening - I am really evolving to preferring steels that I can easily bring back to sharp for me. Based on my use of K390, I have created an abitrary number of no more than 4% Vanadium in steels I want. K390 is not the easiest to get back to a sharp edge for me and my limited experience. I find of all my steels tried, the lower the Vanadium, the easier for me to get back to that nice edge. Obviously, it is a balancing act because you want some Vanadium to assist in Wear Resistance, but I am not looking for the most wear resistant steel. I really like LC200N due to the ease of sharpening, but.....Edge Stability.

- Edge Stability - I am talking here about how well the Apex performs when it hits a hard object unintentionally or you are cutting against a harder surface. K390 has the highest edge stability of any steel I have personally used. I think that is a combination of a lot of things including, but not limited to HRC. I believe a high HRC is one of a handful of things that contribute to good edge stability assuming the steel composition allows for this.

For the combination of the two, so far the steels I have tried that I get excited for are SPY27, CTS-XHP, and M4. From what I have read only, steels I have not tried but are very interested in are: 4V, Cruwear, REX45, HAP40, & Magnacut. These appear to have a higher HRC and stay under that 4% Vanadium abitrary number for me.

And for the record, I have yet to find a steel Spyderco produces that I cannot be happy with. I think design comes first. Then if mutliple steels offered, I'll go with the one I prefer more.

[PaloArt]

I love more "basic" steels. Bellow descending from most favorite:

VG10 - My most favorite due to ease of sharpening and very decent edge holding capabilities
CPM S30V - All time staple of my collection, just love how keen and aggressive edge it holds for good period of time
CTS BD1N - oh boy, sister of VG10 for me
N690 - love what Italian knife companies can do with this thing
14C28 - Swedish steel, fantastic in custom and premium production French knives.

[rooster81]

K390 - for best edge retention and relatively good toughness

3V - for super toughness hard use knife

M390 - for best stainless (Magnacut is a contender here, but no spydercos yet)

CPM CruWear - for best all around and great toughness

CPM M4 - for best working blade (basically like an improved A2).


52100 honorable mention for a super tough, easy to sharpen low alloy steel.

Magnacut looks super promising for stainless category.

[kirilpetkov]

Nitrobe-77
10V
SG2
M4
RWL-34

[Wdr65]

20CV
ZDP-189
S90v
VG-10
H-1

[Senfkarte]

At the moment, in no particular order:

- CPM S30V
- REX 45
- M390
- CPM CruWear
- CPM M4

I think, I have a new top 5:

Again, in no particular order:

- CPM M4
Has absorbed CruWear. Seems to have the better combination of properties for me.

- K390
The new one on the list. May be replaced with CPM 15V, if I will be able to get that steel.

- REX 45
Still like this one a lot.

- LC200N
Another new one on the list. This is my "no worries steel". Absolutely rustproof and no worries about chips.

- M390
Has absorbed CPM S30V. For cutting longer. All other things pretty similar.

[jegred2]

LC200N, I don’t have to worry about rust and it has been super easy for me to keep sharp

[USMC-88]

52100…….
And serrations

[Unluckycharm]

At the moment, in no particular order:

- CPM S30V
- REX 45
- M390
- CPM CruWear
- CPM M4

I think, I have a new top 5:

Again, in no particular order:

- CPM M4
Has absorbed CruWear. Seems to have the better combination of properties for me.

- K390
The new one on the list. May be replaced with CPM 15V, if I will be able to get that steel.

- REX 45
Still like this one a lot.

- LC200N
Another new one on the list. This is my "no worries steel". Absolutely rustproof and no worries about chips.

- M390
Has absorbed CPM S30V. For cutting longer. All other things pretty similar.

I agree with is this list, as it would have been what I submitted as well. I struggle with M4 vs CruWear but would be happy with either as they are the most balanced steel I have used. Really interchangeable for me. K390 and Rex 45 are stupid good steels.

Well said.

[vandelay]

-K390 - Seems like a really good balance of toughness and wear resistance.
-15V, Maxamet - Pushing the limits of edge retention as far as possible is fun.
-LC200N - Super stainless with good toughness and decent wear resistance. Seems to take on a really sharp edge too.
-Cru-Wear - Seems like a pretty good steel for anything that needs toughness.

[sethwm]

in no particular order:

* LC200N - easy to sharpen, edge lasts long enough. can carry anywhere.
* SPY27 - super easy to sharpen. edge lasts long enough. can carry almost anywhere.
* K390 - edge lasts forever. my cardboard shredder.
* Magnacut - Really good balance of everything
* ??? Maybe XHP because I like the chaparral and it's the steel that's on it, and is pretty easy to sharpen.

[steelcity16]

Delta 3V
CPM Cruwear
52100
H1
K390

[Pacu0420]

I have knives in 25 different steels. The ones I
picked are my favorites based mostly on edge retention and toughness. I don't care too much if it's stainless since I always clean my knives after use. I also keep a coat of oil on al my non stainless steel. Anywho, these are my top 5.

#1 S90V

#2 MagnaCut

#3 K390

#4 M390

#5 S45VN

[Albertaboyscott]

Maxamet
S110v
Rex45
Zwear
Vg10

[endura3]

Great thread! In no particular order:

S90V: I love the cutting aggression and wear resistance you get from vanadium carbides (especially against abrasive materials like carpet, cardboard, etc) and the wear resistance-toughness balance of this steel is really fantastic. It's also perfectly corrosion resistant for my needs, probably about equivalent to VG10.



K390: amazing beater steel, it holds a working edge on tough jobs forever and I'm continually amazed by its strength and edge stability. It has just enough corrosion resistance that I feel like I don't have to worry too hard about it as long as I try to keep it dry and wipe it down after use.



H1/H2: grouped together because I can't really tell any difference between them in use thus far, but they're both fascinating alloys. I used to be strongly in the "only for SE edges" camp, but Vivi's posts have clued me in to how well this also works in PE with a coarse edge which was a big aha moment for me. Easy to sharpen, ridiculous toughness, and obviously can't corrode either. Such a low-maintanence alloy.



VG10: this was the first steel I learned how to sharpen well and it will always have a soft spot in my heart. It feels like a great balance of properties, it's easy to sharpen and keep sharp, and the balance of toughness and wear resistance is perfect for a pocket knife in my opinion.



52100: my first knife in this steel was a Swamp Rat that was my beater farm knife for about 5 years. I'd use it to cut all kinds of things like electric fence tape and it would take minimal edge damage and sharpen back wonderfully (it also has the geometry of a brick, to be fair). As soon as the 52100 PM2 came out a few years back I jumped on one of those too. It's one of the easiest steels to sharpen I've ever come across. The corrosion resistance is pretty poor of course so I've moved away from it for beater knives due to the maintenance requirements, but it's still a tremendous joy for me to use, carry, and sharpen.