I don't care about stainless *Edited

[Scandi Grind]

With the current state of blade steel technology, I don’t want to get any closer to tool steel than XHP. Just my opinion. I also don’t want a 1950’s vehicle as my primary ride. Harley-Davidson is proof that at some point old isn’t always better. Even they have moved on from cast iron… just say’n….

A shovel head is a whole lot cooler than one of the generic modern Harleys though isn't it? Also not for beginners who don't know how to maintain it. Same goes for tool steels. It's the feel of the deal from behind the wheel to quote Terry Allen.

Dan

No…. ‘57 Chevy was my first car, don’t want another one of those either. Technology march's on with or without you.

I know two things that carbon steels tend to do better for me in general. One is being cheaper. It is a factor for myself, although budget stainless is certainly available nowadays, I find I like budget carbon more than similarly priced stainless. The second thing is being easy to sharpen, which is more important to me than extended edge retention which tends to be the trade off.

A big thing for me though is that carbon steels happens suit my environment and needs well, it isn't a compromise for me, it is exactly what I want and performs well. If I lived by the sea I probably would favor stainless more, and for the added versatility to deal with corrosive environments, I am actually glad my folder is stainless. As for fixed blades, nothing short of a salt water fishing knife is likely to bother me with carbon steel.

When you have Bar Keepers as a friend, it doesn’t matter what steel you use…..

Ha ha, this is close to how I feel! I really don't find maintaining carbon steels to be a noteworthy disadvantage, not for me. Obviously it depends on the person and use. In the end my situation is more like, "What can a stainless steel do that my carbon steel blades can't do as well other than be more expensive." I think it just depends on your use and environment.

[Ferruginous]

I've never used a steel that works as well for a chopper as S7. I might be a "dumb people" for using it over a hatchet + machete but I find it & a folding saw a really convenient trail clearing combo.

I'm sorry I didn't mean to insinuate that it is stupid to use anything but stainless for any knife, there are tasks that truly shine with tool or simple carbon steels. S7 works great for a shortsword.

In South Florida, 99.99% of my outdoors blade work is done with a cheap Cold Steel Barong machete. I'd love it in AEB-L or Magnacut, just to see if I can tell the difference in edge holding, toughness or sharpening from the Central-American pot metal, but only if it didn't cost much because at $25 the cheap machetes are basically disposable.

What does a non-stainless steel knife do, other than rot in its' sheath, that you can't do with Magnacut, CPM-154 or Elmax?

OK these are generalizations based off of my impressions from being on knife forums for a long time- carbon steels can take on a finer edge, can be tougher, can achieve higher hardness. Stainless steels require higher carbide content to give some of these characteristics and that negatively affects the toughness.

That's my point.

I really liked 52100 because of the fine edge and high hardness. I could feel it in use, and when sharpening, but sharpening it was easy for some reason.

AEB-L (very old simple stainless steel) performs exactly like 52100 in my experience. Nathan the Machinist (CPK knives) even uses it because it is surprisingly tough. It takes a very fine edge and sharpens like butter.

My point is that there are stainless steels that perform very similarly to simple carbon and tool steels, often better. After using a great many different steels, damaging and staining them, sharpening out the damage and polishing off the rust, I prefer AEB-L, Elmax, CPM-154, Elmax or similar for a knife. I'll take 3V with the right heat treat for a sword though, please.

[SaltyCaribbeanDfly]

Climb 90’ in a tree then top it out in 100 degree heat with humidity out the a$$ then be fully exposed to the sun and all its glory for a couple more hours while carefully roping down 12’ logs because the job is inaccessible for a crane and let me know how that m4 is faring in your waistband bro don’t be talking about real men till you show me you can do that bud… I bet you’d like a fully serrated large stainless Spyderco with you then huh? And I do it all with a PINK shirt on …just messin’ w/you dude but to each their own…I actually like everything from H1/2 to k390/Cruwear/Maxamet, just depends on where I am, what I’m doing and the weather

The weird things exactly is: I don´t do exactly what you are describing, but I definitely do similar things when it comes to heat and humidty and sweating and hard working (and food cutting in the breaks) with a tool steel folder iwb (would be the REX 45 Manix), or at least VG10, S30V, XHP (not tool steels, I know).

But I still just do not experience any corrosion issues that would even remotely come close to a problem...

UNLESS perhaps "edge degredation", so that the knife dulls a bit quicker due to corrosion right on the egde, and I don´t notice it but think it is all from work. Don´t know, but this could potentially be the case.

I don’t know Gernot, maybe it’s my body chemistry or something but at the end of a workday there is a distinct line of dried up salt that runs across the entire blade that touches my skin (IWB carry)… most times I just rinse it off but every now and then I forget and the next day I pick it up and see that line of salt then realize why I love stainless…on the other hand when it’s time to break down a shi.load of cardboard I always pick up my Delica k390 and slice away for days…one of my favorites is the DLT Endela Cruwear, I have borderline abused that thing in all kinds of scenarios and it hasn’t shown any corrosion so idk…on the other hand my Goddard is a fickle son of a gun and I’m careful when I bring it out…no IWB for that dude

[kobold]

Another swamp dweller here. So far only SK85 and K390 rusted/pitted (red rust, despite the patina) on me in a substantial way. So much so, I don't think I will be buying any more knives in these steels.
In my experience, D2, A2, M4, 3V, Rex45 are all doing okay, developing patinas, with some minimal care, even in the kitchen, where most foods are acidic..

But for prolonged carefree use outdoors I am glad H1, LC, MC steels exist. In a "reliable workhorse" category.

[XjJunky]

I like both stainless & non-stainless steels depending on what I'm doing. Mostly use stainless though for sure. But you can't beat a good patina on a tool steel blade. My Rex 45 Manix has been a dedicated fruit and vegetable prep knife( mostly apples and oranges). Patina is coming along great, just something you can't get with the stainless blades.

[Ryder]

I have grown up with carbon steel and really nothing else has ever felt right. Please leave the chromium out of the equation.

My very first knife was a carbon steel folding camp knife I souvenired from a vase on the kitchen table hidden in a maze of pencils and what not when I was four years old. My kitchen knives are a San Mai santoku and an Opinel paring knife, both carbon steel. I have used many carbon steel knives in my time but when Spyderco introduced K390 that did it. It is the super version of carbon steel and is much tougher than some let on, holds a surreal edge and takes very little effort to guard against corrosion. A quick swipe with some mineral oil that is lightly infused in this little micro fiber cloth, kept in the little compact flash card case every once in a while does the job. K390 really makes an unassuming little blade morph into something much more than the sum of its size and diminutive nature.

[aicolainen]

With the craze magnacut has generated, it's only reasonable to assume the demand for that level of corrosion resistance is somewhat exaggerated.
I like tool steels and wish I could use them more, but my experience is that non stainless steels rust very easily in my use. I live close to the sea, but much of my use is in the mountains further inland. I don't carry tool steels IWB, but still something like 3V will rust in no time. It's just too impractical to worry about my knives rusting when I have an option.

Admittedly magnacut and other blade steels used in salts are probably a bit overkill for many of my activities, but they still make up the majority of my knife collection. And that's simply because they usually omit the liners, which translates to lighter weight, even less parts that can rust and less nooks and crannies where gunk can get stuck.

Work and projects around the house has become my arenas for enjoying tool steels, it's a controlled environment and I can easily go get a stainless knife if the job gets too nasty.

For any prolonged- or high output outdoor activities I can't imagine changing out my stainless knives. Backpacking, fishing, hunting, skiing, search and rescue work.. stainless makes a lot of sense.

I like them both though. No need to pick just one. My main EDC and most used knife is K390, but most of my knives are stainless - salts even, because those are suitable for most of the tasks I do, so that's where I need the variety.

[JayHenMac]

I am really wanting to love K390. It just keeps developing tiny red spots. For those who do not experience daily red spots, how do you do it? I have tried a forced patina using vinegar thinking it would help. I have not noticed any improvement. Is there a method of patina (meat/proteins, acids, bluing...) that works better than others?

[ChrisinHove]

From my first car to more recent Italian scooters, the battle with rust has been real for me, and I can never quite get past the thought that the better material must be one that stops a treasured item dissolving in front of my very eyes!

I do enjoy tool steel in knives. Just coated ones. Coated k390, please!

[Scandi Grind]

I am really wanting to love K390. It just keeps developing tiny red spots. For those who do not experience daily red spots, how do you do it? I have tried a forced patina using vinegar thinking it would help. I have not noticed any improvement. Is there a method of patina (meat/proteins, acids, bluing...) that works better than others?

Have you tried any oil to protect it? Some peoples environments are more corrosive and more difficult to prevent rust in.

[Wartstein]

I am really wanting to love K390. It just keeps developing tiny red spots. For those who do not experience daily red spots, how do you do it? I have tried a forced patina using vinegar thinking it would help. I have not noticed any improvement. Is there a method of patina (meat/proteins, acids, bluing...) that works better than others?

You don´t like those spots aesthetically or think they will become a real, functional issue over time?

Cause I found that the latter never gets the case, not even close - red or black spots are just that: Discolorations, that some like (i do, just like a patina they make a knife more special, unique and "personal" and it´s cool to see how a steel "lives") and some not (which is perfectly fine too of course).

But I never on any knife (talking mostly non-Spydies anyway) experienced any real stability or functional issue whatsoever.

[JayHenMac]

Have you tried any oil to protect it? Some peoples environments are more corrosive and more difficult to prevent rust in.

I try to keep my tool steel knives oiled like I do my guns. Except the knives get mineral oils while the guns get Eezox. I don't like an "oily" knife or gun so its usually just a wipe down at the end of the day.

You don´t like those spots aesthetically or think they will become a real, functional issue over time?

Cause I found that the latter never gets the case, not even close - red or black spots are just that: Discolorations, that some like (i do, just like a patina they make a knife more special, unique and "personal" and it´s cool to see how a steel "lives") and some not (which is perfectly fine too of course).

But I never on any knife (talking mostly non-Spydies anyway) experienced any real stability or functional issue whatsoever.

I was thinking about function/degradation. I like the patina look. I was concerned about the red spots being the beginning of rust issues. This is the first tool steel Spyderco I've carried and used and it's become my favorite knife/steel combo. I have some 1095 traditional folders that see a lot of pocket time, but those have always developed the classic grey/black patina without the red.
I was concerned because after a couple sweaty hours in the pocket while I was splitting firewood, I saw red spots. I noticed them previously after a hike.

[standy99]

Have you tried any oil to protect it? Some peoples environments are more corrosive and more difficult to prevent rust in.

I try to keep my tool steel knives oiled like I do my guns. Except the knives get mineral oils while the guns get Eezox. I don't like an "oily" knife or gun so its usually just a wipe down at the end of the day.

You don´t like those spots aesthetically or think they will become a real, functional issue over time?

Cause I found that the latter never gets the case, not even close - red or black spots are just that: Discolorations, that some like (i do, just like a patina they make a knife more special, unique and "personal" and it´s cool to see how a steel "lives") and some not (which is perfectly fine too of course).

But I never on any knife (talking mostly non-Spydies anyway) experienced any real stability or functional issue whatsoever.

I was thinking about function/degradation. I like the patina look. I was concerned about the red spots being the beginning of rust issues. This is the first tool steel Spyderco I've carried and used and it's become my favorite knife/steel combo. I have some 1095 traditional folders that see a lot of pocket time, but those have always developed the classic grey/black patina without the red.
I was concerned because after a couple sweaty hours in the pocket while I was splitting firewood, I saw red spots. I noticed them previously after a hike.

Have done a bit of mule testing on patina.

But for Maxamet that was getting red spots I found cranberry juice a good forced patina.

[Ramonade]

I'm definitely a tooleroo...and still think Magnacut is way overrated

It hasn't blown me away in any category. Clearly as a tooleroo, I don't care about corrosion resistance. Ho hum edge holding, and sharpening hasn't seemed any different than most steels. I really don't get it.

Well, it can't blow anyone away in one particular category, since its merits are in the fact that it's above average in all categories !

Best medium steel ever