So what's the top contender for all around "super steel" these days?

[VashHash]

I think H1 and S90V are pretty super.
H1 is highly rust resistant and shrugs off things that would damage most other steels. In SE I find it performs very well. It seems to do well in PE with a coarse edge too. S90V has high wear resistance and corrosion resistance. It isn't the toughest steel but for a folder or small fixed blade it does fine. I've only had one corrosion issue with S90V and it was because of a coarse satin finish. The rust was easily removed with a fingernail. For bigger knives 3V does well and so does infi even if that isn't a spyderco steel.

CPM 125V is very impressive because even when "dull" it would still cut rope for a long time after. I didn't do any toughness testing because it was hard to get that steel in the first place. The blade was coated so I can't speak on corrosion resistance either.


Magnacut does have some very interesting properties but I can't speak on it yet because I haven't tested it.

[max808]

Just to add:

Now I'm imagining all the arguments over saber beams being too thick, too short, too long, too thin, sh*tty hot spots from the under-developed handles, etc...

At least the matter separation industry has a robust future...

LOL
You're absolutely right, people are so picky these days. We now have professors in metallurgy creating supersteels from the table of Mendelev when centuries ago people's survival depended on a burly dude with a bad temper who was likely hungover from a heavy night of drinking when he forged your blade.

The only premium steel I personally own is the lil 154CM blade on my skeletool cx and it is razorsharp, been my edc for years and that bitset is a nice multiplier but I gotta feeling it doesn't qualify on here

Looking forward to this compendium of supersteel and promise to start using kapitals where appropriate. Have a good one y'all...

[Netherend]

LC200N and S30v have been very good for actual every day use. They both have good edge retention, toughness and corrosion resistance (LC200N obviously being far more corrosion resistant), and they are very easy and fast to sharpen which is important when you are actually using the knives. I love my s90v and 20cv blAdes but I have to take time out of my day to resharpen them(20 minutes or so for the last time I sharpened my s90v) S30v and LC200N sharpen in 2 minutes on the sharpmaker. This allows me to get right back to using them.
They are all super steels in my eyes. It is all about the application

[max808]

As promised here is the list so far in order of appearance. The ones between brackets were referred to as common but were included for good measure. Have a good one y'all.

SuperSteel

M390
CTS 204P
S110V
MagnaCut
K390
204p
H1
S90V
Rex45
S30V
Vanax Superclean
4V
LC200N
D2
(VG-10)
(N690)
(14C28N)
(9Cr18Mov)
20CV
S45VN
SPY27
CPM-20CV
CTS-204P
CPM-S30V
(N690)
(154CM)
CPM S90V
52100
Cruwear
Maxamet
(440A)
CPM-Cruwear
S35VN
XHP
Elmax
CPM 154
BD1N
Super Gold 2
3V
CPM 125V

[steelcity16]

CPM-Cruwear for all-round. Near stainless, tough, easy to sharpen, holds an edge well. Still my favorite. Delta 3V is also great in my CPK fixed blades. Wish we could get it in some Spyderco folders.

[Baron Mind]

K390, 4v, Vanax, Maxamet... I'd say those are your true production supersteels at the moment. They are all really good at one thing, and better at the others than they should be.

[Bemo]

Looks like I need to try some CruWear.

[Fireman]

I think S7 is a super steel. Can we add nitrogen to prevent rust?

[vivi]

I think S7 is a super steel. Can we add nitrogen to prevent rust?

**** yes it is. Been using this S7 chopper for I think 13 years now. Toughest steel I've ever used!




I'd love to see Spyderco run something in S7. Darn Dao sprint?

[Rp5]

As promised here is the list so far in order of appearance. The ones between brackets were referred to as common but were included for good measure. Have a good one y'all.

SuperSteel

M390
CTS 204P
204p
20CV
CPM-20CV
CTS-204P

These are all the same steel, why would you list them separately?

[Fireman]

I think S7 is a super steel. Can we add nitrogen to prevent rust?

**** yes it is. Been using this S7 chopper for I think 13 years now. Toughest steel I've ever used!




I'd love to see Spyderco run something in S7. Darn Dao sprint?

Who makes knives in S7 still? I love that they make jack hammer buts from it. Ever use a 50 lb jack hammer? They are rad.

[Brock O Lee]

IMO best balanced / all round:
- Tool steel: CPM Cruwear
- Stainless steel: M390

I kinda expect CPM MagnaCut to combine best of both based on initial reports.

[Sumdumguy]

Out of all the steels I've used, LC200N shines as the best for an all around beater knife.

Ultra corrosion resistant, super tough, takes an edge easily and holds that edge for a good amount of time.

My Caribbean has seen the depths of ****, many times. Whatever I throw at it, it just shrugs it off and keeps going.

[Fireman]

We speak the same language
Extreme corrosion resistance on an and EDC is quite useful to me. Toughness is great because it’s better to have a dull knife than a broken knife in my work. Edge retention is good but not great but that’s where I come in with the greatness. I can make a knife sharpener but I can’t make it more corrosion resistant or tougher.

Out of all the steels I've used, LC200N shines as the best for an all around beater knife.

Ultra corrosion resistant, super tough, takes an edge easily and holds that edge for a good amount of time.

My Caribbean has seen the depths of ****, many times. Whatever I throw at it, it just shrugs it off and keeps going.

[Fireman]

Dr Larrin, Can we add nitrogen to S7 to make it more corrosion resistant? Trying to have the steel love child of Thor and Aqua man.

[z1r]

If stainlessness is a requirement, I'd probably go with 204p. Holds an edge very well, quite stainless, sharpens more easily than I expected.

If stainlessness isn't a requirement, K390 holds an edge better than anything else I've used.

I absolutely love K390, I think it has displaced ZDP for me. Its ability to hold an edge is impressive but what I like most is just how easy it it to get and keep the edge sharp. I'll definitely be picking up more knives in K390 starting with a Dragonfly.

Next in line would probably be 20CV. Holds an edge, not hard to sharpen, and stainless. My M2, Dragonfly, and Jester all fine examples.

[FRNFanboy]

In a common sense world 14c28n would be near the top of this list. Amazingly tough, extreme rust resistance… it deserves the hype of LC200n, and it’s less expensive.

[Larrin]

Dr Larrin, Can we add nitrogen to S7 to make it more corrosion resistant? Trying to have the steel love child of Thor and Aqua man.

No it doesn’t work like that.

[Fireman]

Dr Larrin, Can we add nitrogen to S7 to make it more corrosion resistant? Trying to have the steel love child of Thor and Aqua man.

No it doesn’t work like that.

Thanks
How can we make S7 more corrosion resistant while not sacrificing toughness?

[Fireman]

What would happen if S7 was given the powdered metallurgy treatment?