Help me defend "super steel" again

[Mk-211]

Awe shucks...

[Albertaboyscott]

Different strokes for different folks. I like carbon in the field but love my "super steels" for daily carry. No one needs to defend or champion anything in my eyes. Just different preferences.

Agreed. If I may ask is the reason why you prefer carbon steel over the super steel in some uses is due to the edge being easier to sharpen and more shock resistant?

Exactly what you said. Easier to sharpen in the field for me. I also like vg10 for that reason. Cheers

[KeepCalm&Carrion]

I can't imagine caring what kind of steel other people are into. This is not directed at OP, by the way; it's just a general observation about people and the strange way they express their own insecurities.

[electro-static]

As someone just kind of an every day user, I like high-wear resistant vanadium rich powdered steels because I don’t have a ton of time for sharpening.

They are pretty easy to touch up on diamond abrasives at high hardness they are very easy to deburr. They hold both a keen edge and working edge way longer for the tasks I do. Knives that don’t have to be sharpened as often also stay thin behind the edge longer so I can enjoy a knife I like’s thin geometry longer as well.

Don’t get me wrong, I do think conventional steels are great too, especially for most people who do abusive tasks on the regular. But I really don’t like a knife going dull when I am in the middle something, and I don’t enjoy sharpening on the regular.

[Danke]

Super Steel might not make it without our help!

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I can't imagine caring what kind of steel other people are into. This is not directed at OP, by the way; it's just a general observation about people and the strange way they express their own insecurities.

Very true. I am with you on this.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Super Steel might not make it without our help!

Just wait until Spyderco figures out how to add and cement diamondoids into powder steel. You will be in utter awe. :)

A knife that can cut down a tree or concrete rebar.

[Tgmr05]

Super steel. What is considered super steel today, may not be in 10-20 years.


One of the best things about spyderco knives is having multiple sizes, handles, steels, edges, and locking mechanisms you can choose from. You can find a knife that fits your hand/general usage, and in some cases still be able to choose different steels.

Having maximum edge retention steel makes sense when on a hike or trip with limited space/weight considerations that may not require a lot of cutting, but having the ability to cut longer is a huge plus.

Having easily sharpened steel makes sense when needing to cut a lot with unknown sharpening capabilities/tools for an unknown time frame.

Having rust resistance makes sense around salt water and knives stored away in a bug out bag, etc.

Super steel innovation gives us choices/options that can fit varied lifestyles and activities.

[Evil D]

For me (I feel the overwhelming need to clarify that part) edge retention hits a point of diminishing returns once it settles down below a certain level of sharpness, so a steel needs to be able to maintain a higher level of "working sharpness" as people call it.

My logic here is that, when you expect a steel to stay sharp for long periods without touching up the edge, you end up spending a far more amount of your time with average or maybe even below average sharpness, all because you're avoiding sharpening. Then on the other side you have a steel with less wear resistance that won't hold that working edge for as long, which pushes you to sharpen it more often, but then you also in turn spend more time with a sharper knife.

This creates a Goldilocks zone for the ratio between edge retention and easy sharpening response, where the steel will hold an edge for a long time if pushed to do so, but also is extremely trivial to touch up on a Sharpmaker. A lot of my favorite steels can be brought back to peak sharpness in less than 60 seconds on a Sharpmaker, I can do that in the morning on my way to work and it's not inconvenient at all. Then if I forget or something, the steel can hold it's own and go a week or two between a more thorough sharpening that includes more grit progression.

This was another ideal that I picked up from Cliff Stamp. He said (in so many words) that for someone like a tradesman that actually uses their knife on a daily basis, they're better served by a steel that is better at resisting edge damage and is very easy to sharpen, than a steel with extreme edge retention that may be a chore to fix if it chips. Cliff was also doing a lot more than most people do with tailoring his edge angles to the work he was expecting the knife to be good at. One of my favorite projects he had was a thinned out and I believe zero grind H1 Pacific that would cut down boxes practically forever because the edge was so thin.

[ejames13]

For me (I feel the overwhelming need to clarify that part) edge retention hits a point of diminishing returns once it settles down below a certain level of sharpness, so a steel needs to be able to maintain a higher level of "working sharpness" as people call it.

My logic here is that, when you expect a steel to stay sharp for long periods without touching up the edge, you end up spending a far more amount of your time with average or maybe even below average sharpness, all because you're avoiding sharpening. Then on the other side you have a steel with less wear resistance that won't hold that working edge for as long, which pushes you to sharpen it more often, but then you also in turn spend more time with a sharper knife.

This creates a Goldilocks zone for the ratio between edge retention and easy sharpening response, where the steel will hold an edge for a long time if pushed to do so, but also is extremely trivial to touch up on a Sharpmaker. A lot of my favorite steels can be brought back to peak sharpness in less than 60 seconds on a Sharpmaker, I can do that in the morning on my way to work and it's not inconvenient at all. Then if I forget or something, the steel can hold it's own and go a week or two between a more thorough sharpening that includes more grit progression.

This was another ideal that I picked up from Cliff Stamp. He said (in so many words) that for someone like a tradesman that actually uses their knife on a daily basis, they're better served by a steel that is better at resisting edge damage and is very easy to sharpen, than a steel with extreme edge retention that may be a chore to fix if it chips. Cliff was also doing a lot more than most people do with tailoring his edge angles to the work he was expecting the knife to be good at. One of my favorite projects he had was a thinned out and I believe zero grind H1 Pacific that would cut down boxes practically forever because the edge was so thin.

What steels have you found that fall into this Goldilocks zone?

[Evil D]

For me (I feel the overwhelming need to clarify that part) edge retention hits a point of diminishing returns once it settles down below a certain level of sharpness, so a steel needs to be able to maintain a higher level of "working sharpness" as people call it.

My logic here is that, when you expect a steel to stay sharp for long periods without touching up the edge, you end up spending a far more amount of your time with average or maybe even below average sharpness, all because you're avoiding sharpening. Then on the other side you have a steel with less wear resistance that won't hold that working edge for as long, which pushes you to sharpen it more often, but then you also in turn spend more time with a sharper knife.

This creates a Goldilocks zone for the ratio between edge retention and easy sharpening response, where the steel will hold an edge for a long time if pushed to do so, but also is extremely trivial to touch up on a Sharpmaker. A lot of my favorite steels can be brought back to peak sharpness in less than 60 seconds on a Sharpmaker, I can do that in the morning on my way to work and it's not inconvenient at all. Then if I forget or something, the steel can hold it's own and go a week or two between a more thorough sharpening that includes more grit progression.

This was another ideal that I picked up from Cliff Stamp. He said (in so many words) that for someone like a tradesman that actually uses their knife on a daily basis, they're better served by a steel that is better at resisting edge damage and is very easy to sharpen, than a steel with extreme edge retention that may be a chore to fix if it chips. Cliff was also doing a lot more than most people do with tailoring his edge angles to the work he was expecting the knife to be good at. One of my favorite projects he had was a thinned out and I believe zero grind H1 Pacific that would cut down boxes practically forever because the edge was so thin.

What steels have you found that fall into this Goldilocks zone?

Many of the more "average" steels that you see clumped together in the middle of those charts are good for this, some better than others. I really like Cruwear and 15V for this though, 15V especially has been really impressive with that ratio between ease of sharpening and edge retention.

Another thing I feel is a benefit for me personally, and particularly because I do touch ups on a Sharpmaker, is I reprofile the bevels to be just below 30 degrees inclusive, so that the 15 degree slots hit the very apex and more or less micro bevel the edge. This makes sharpening a lot faster and more responsive, and it will allow you to quickly choose whether you want a 30 degrees inclusive or 40 degrees inclusive apex, so you can tailor the edge durability to the steel or to what you cut the most.

[ejames13]

For me (I feel the overwhelming need to clarify that part) edge retention hits a point of diminishing returns once it settles down below a certain level of sharpness, so a steel needs to be able to maintain a higher level of "working sharpness" as people call it.

My logic here is that, when you expect a steel to stay sharp for long periods without touching up the edge, you end up spending a far more amount of your time with average or maybe even below average sharpness, all because you're avoiding sharpening. Then on the other side you have a steel with less wear resistance that won't hold that working edge for as long, which pushes you to sharpen it more often, but then you also in turn spend more time with a sharper knife.

This creates a Goldilocks zone for the ratio between edge retention and easy sharpening response, where the steel will hold an edge for a long time if pushed to do so, but also is extremely trivial to touch up on a Sharpmaker. A lot of my favorite steels can be brought back to peak sharpness in less than 60 seconds on a Sharpmaker, I can do that in the morning on my way to work and it's not inconvenient at all. Then if I forget or something, the steel can hold it's own and go a week or two between a more thorough sharpening that includes more grit progression.

This was another ideal that I picked up from Cliff Stamp. He said (in so many words) that for someone like a tradesman that actually uses their knife on a daily basis, they're better served by a steel that is better at resisting edge damage and is very easy to sharpen, than a steel with extreme edge retention that may be a chore to fix if it chips. Cliff was also doing a lot more than most people do with tailoring his edge angles to the work he was expecting the knife to be good at. One of my favorite projects he had was a thinned out and I believe zero grind H1 Pacific that would cut down boxes practically forever because the edge was so thin.

What steels have you found that fall into this Goldilocks zone?

Many of the more "average" steels that you see clumped together in the middle of those charts are good for this, some better than others. I really like Cruwear and 15V for this though, 15V especially has been really impressive with that ratio between ease of sharpening and edge retention.

Another thing I feel is a benefit for me personally, and particularly because I do touch ups on a Sharpmaker, is I reprofile the bevels to be just below 30 degrees inclusive, so that the 15 degree slots hit the very apex and more or less micro bevel the edge. This makes sharpening a lot faster and more responsive, and it will allow you to quickly choose whether you want a 30 degrees inclusive or 40 degrees inclusive apex, so you can tailor the edge durability to the steel or to what you cut the most.

I need to try some 15v. So far for me, K390 has been king in this regard. It just cuts and cuts, but touching it up with a micro on the SM mediums like you're saying is trivial even after hundreds of feet of cardboard.

[Pacu0420]

I guess some people would rather drive a Toyota Corolla than a Corvette.

[Scandi Grind]

You could also look at it as some people prefer to pay the cost of buying and maintaining a Corolla over buying and maintaining a Corvette. Sometimes the Corvette is a lot more money than someone wants to pay when they will be going the speed limit with either vehicle. But it all depends on your personal situation and preference.

[Naperville]

You could also look at it as some people prefer to pay the cost of buying and maintaining a Corolla over buying and maintaining a Corvette. Sometimes the Corvette is a lot more money than someone wants to pay when they will be going the speed limit with either vehicle. But it all depends on your personal situation and preference.

TRUE! But FALSE too!

TRUE: A Corvette will cost far more in maintenance and insurance than an economy car. The OEM brake rotors, discs and pads on a vette must be enormous.

Well, sort of FALSE: That is why they publish 0 to 60 times. 65MPH in the USA is the maximum speed limit in most places. So how fast can you get to 65MPH? That is my question. Can you outrun the semi truck bearing down on you? We do OK in our 2025 Toyota Camry SE. It's funny, new cars are as fast or faster than many old sports cars. But new sports cars and supersport Japanese motorcycles are blinding fast to 65MPH.

I'd buy a vette in a heartbeat if I had the money. Alas, the Camry is the best we can do and we are more like Scandi Grind.

[vivi]

horse power isn't everything

https://www.carfax.com/blog/manual-transmission-cars

to me it's like the difference between carrying a top end spyderco and a pair of kids safety scissors.

might not always have the fastest car in the neighborhood, but ive never purchased an automatic and I intend to keep it that way as long as I can.

[sal]

Hey Vivi,

Shifters & Clutches are getting harder to find these days.

sal

[vivi]

Hey Vivi,

Shifters & Clutches are getting harder to find these days.

sal

I know

Last time I went car shopping I'd walk up to a lot with 1,000+ vehicles and ask to see their manuals.

The most any shop had at once was 2.

Test drove some 2024 WRX's recently and enjoyed how they drove, but I'm not about having a tablet built into the dash.

Keeping my eyes open for a well maintained 2016-2020 manual of some sort since my 2014's odometer is getting up there.

[sal]

My current "toy" is a Honda Sport 2000, '07, 6 speed.

Had to give up my "crotch Rockets" when I turned 65, so I went back to cars.

sal

[Evil D]

My current "toy" is a Honda Sport 2000, '07, 6 speed.

Had to give up my "crotch Rockets" when I turned 65, so I went back to cars.

sal

The S2000 might be the greatest road going vehicle that Honda ever made besides the original NSX, it still baffles me that they stopped making it.

That saying "if I won the lottery I wouldn't tell anyone, but there would be signs" well for me one of the first things I'd probably buy is a '90s NSX lol.