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

[Larrin]

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

It would be unlikely to help because PM helps with carbide size and S7 gets its toughness in part by having little or no carbide.

[Fireman]

Thanks
So is there a way to make S7 more resistant to corrosion?

[Dusty Cliff]

I like steel I don't have to worry about rusting and keeps a good edge. I don't use my knife as a screwdriver or prybar as I have an axe in my truck and leatherman on my hip. M390/20cv or s110v is all very good.

[Fireman]

Is LC200N the toughest stainless or is it AEB-L?

[JRinFL]

You could have S7 coated in some manner, whichever process works best on the steel. That would give protection to all but the edge.

[marty_bill_]

The xhp in my Swayback with the hollow grind is awesome! Maybe not the most hip or newest steel but omg. This thing is real slicer!! Sharpest Spydie I got I think.

[Naperville]

There are a ton of steels that Sal, Eric and Larrin know are coming in the future.

Before they go away I'd like to see more:
Maxamet
MagnaCut (NEW)
K390
S90V
3V
CPM 125V

[kobold]

Chief and Millie in 3V. It's got what delicate tips crave!

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

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

Notice the different spelling, to be complete I included all variations, even if it's just a hyphen. Also not a mettalurgist so couldn't distinguish between any of them, just made an overview for people to easily pick from. There's about 40 alloys on that list and all I know is serrated VG-10 is awesome and is not even considered a premium steel anymore so imagine my excitement learning about all these new SuperSteels.

[Josh1973]

No such thing as a top contender steel.

[max808]

Here's the revised list after removing some redundancy and adding a couple new ones.
Also it's alphabetical now for your convenience...

(Super)Steel

10V
(14C28N)
(154CM)
15V
3V
(440A)
4V
52100
(9Cr18Mov)
AEB-L
BD1N
CPM 125V
CPM 154
CPM 20CV
CPM CruWear
CPM S110V
CPM S30V
CPM S35VN
CPM S45VN
CPM S90V
CTS 204P
D2
Elmax
H1
K390
LC200N
M390
MagnaCut
Maxamet
(N690)
Rex121
Rex45
Rex76
S7
SPY27
Super Gold 2
Vanax Superclean
(VG-10)
XHP
Z-Max
Z-Tuff
ZDP-189

Any suggestions are always welcome... Have a good one y'all!

[dan31]

Need to keep ZDP-189 in the mix, maybe. I think Sal might have said the Hitachi might make the decision for companies. Not the top but I really am starting to appreciate it.

[kadinh]

i enjoyed reading the info and opinions in this thread.

[z1r]

Need to keep ZDP-189 in the mix, maybe. I think Sal might have said the Hitachi might make the decision for companies. Not the top but I really am starting to appreciate it.

Yeah, I still like ZDP and picked up a Caly 3.5 and DF2 in ZDP last Saturday. K390 is pretty darn nice as well.

[Manixguy@1994]

I’m interested in some steels but I try not to be overwhelmed by every steel that comes to market. Yes absolutely I’m very interested in Magnacut. I do my best to look at the whole knife not just the steel if that makes any sense . I think the variety available is fantastic pick what you like . MG2

[z1r]

I’m interested in some steels but I try not to be overwhelmed by every steel that comes to market. Yes absolutely I’m very interested in Magnacut. I do my best to look at the whole knife not just the steel if that makes any sense . I think the variety available is fantastic pick what you like . MG2

Greta advise, I found myself in this position at the Seconds sale when I was grabbing up every steel I have been wanting to try. When I realized I didn't have NEAR enough $$$ for them all, I had to start looking at which knives would I actually use.

A lot of tool steel Manix 2's went back, as did the M4 Manix XL, because I know I prefer the LW version. The only real use I would have for a large, tough knife like the XL is when I'm hiking and I carry a fixed blade then. Don't need a boat anchor in my pocket hiking. But everyone has their preferences, a lot of people at the sale REALLY wanted some of the heavier knives, especially those with copper scales.

[Christian Noble]

H1 buddy. better toughness than LC200N. Less edge retention for sure, but see vivi's exploration revolutionizing the capability of H1, making it a viable edc steel! (tl:dr, low grit sharpening utilizes the toughness to keep the edge sharp)

LC200N is pretty tough stuff according Larrin’s ratings, would be curious as to quantitatively how much tougher H1 is compared to LC200N which was not in Steel Nerds October article. Great article, funny/educational videos and tables by the way

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.

Pretty true statement. I’ve done a lot of bushcraft with 14C28N (and 12C27) and have been blown away by the toughness and an absolute pleasure to use

[Bolster]

Any suggestions are always welcome... Have a good one y'all!

Suggestion: Number of mentions for each!

[Fireman]

Not mentioned yet…
CPM 9V
CPM 1V
Super tough steels but not stainless.
CPM 1V is almost as tough as S7 but keeps an edge like A2.


Tough and keeps a great edge? 9V!

[max808]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, here is the updated list, not yet per mention since that would take me too long. If anyone feels like doing a count I would be more than happy to include them. We're up to 45 different ones, including some (not so super) steels that were mentioned in reference.

(Super)Steel

10V
(14C28N)
(154CM)
15V
3V
(440A)
4V
52100
(9Cr18Mov)
AEB-L
BD1N
CPM 1V
CPM 125V
CPM 154
CPM 20CV
CPM 9V
CPM CruWear
CPM S110V
CPM S30V
CPM S35VN
CPM S45VN
CPM S90V
CTS 204P
D2
Elmax
H1
K390
LC200N
M390
M4
MagnaCut
Maxamet
(N690)
Rex121
Rex45
Rex76
S7
SPY27
Super Gold 2
Vanax Superclean
(VG-10)
XHP
Z-Max
Z-Tuff
ZDP-189

Have a good one y'all!