super steel

[stoner]

What super steel has been used in Spyderco knives?
I myself have been completely sold on quality steel. But I'm late as always and have believed that the vg-10 is the best.
I am satisfied with the vg-10 do not believe anything else.
But why be satisfied :) . And I would love to have my new super steel blade in Spyderco knives. Thanks

[wsdavies]

S30V and ZDP 189 are both super steels that Spyderco uses that are generally rated as better steel than VG-10

What super steel has been used in Spyderco knives?
I myself have been completely sold on quality steel. But I'm late as always and have believed that the vg-10 is the best.
I am satisfied with the vg-10 do not believe anything else.
But why be satisfied :) . And I would love to have my new super steel blade in Spyderco knives. Thanks

[JNewell]

If you use the "steel selector" on the catalog page, you can see the whole list of steels and which knives have been made in which steels. :)

[unit]

I might go so far as to say everything Spyderco offers (currently) would qualify as a super steel. Certainly if you compare it to what was available 10 or 20 years ago.

To go in another direction, every "super steel" today will likely be considered "commonplace" tomorrow. Things keep getting better and better.

Still another thing to consider is how you define "good performance" in a steel? You have and enjoy VG-10 (which is one of my favorite steels), so you know how it behaves. Generally those who do not like it, will cite the failure mode of the edge is often rolling...and a rolled edge will not cut very well.

By contrast a ZDP-189 or S30V will often micro-chip as a failure mode...but it will still cut, but do so more roughly than it did before the micro-chipping occurred.

I am painting in broad strokes here, but basically what I am alluding to is the idea that a "better" steel in one man's eye may not find favor with yours.

I have many steels in my collection...many would say that most of them are "better" than VG-10. I will gladly tell you why I have VG-10 in my right pocket at the moment though

[The Deacon]

I'd say that almost all every steel Spyderco has ever used was considered a "super steel", or at least a premium grade cutlery steel, at the time they began using it. AUS-6, 440C, and 154CM might be exceptions to that. Beyond that, I'm in agreement with unit. VG-10 may not be the current flavor of the week for steel connoisseurs, but I'm perfectly happy carrying it in a couple pockets right now. :)

[Evil D]

Super is all in what properties you think are best in a steel. VG10 may not be as hard as ZDP-189 but it's more corrosion resistant and still holds an edge like crazy.

[stoner]

I love my vg-10 but that does not mean I do not want to try all steel, and above all they are extreme. Perhaps it would have been a better headline Extreme Steel. I just want them! .. Hey no doubt that all the steel in a spydie is of the highest quality! .. thanks for your quick response .. but not the ones I want unfortunately. so far :)

[Reject]

Forgetting for a moment about the rust resistance of H-1 steel.

Where would you guys place it among the super or extreme Steels?

[The Deacon]

Forgetting for a moment about the rust resistance of H-1 steel.

Where would you guys place it among the super or extreme Steels?

That's kind of like sending a boxer into the ring with one hand tied behind his back. But the answer would depend a great deal on whether you prefer your edges plain or serrated. Sal has commented, more than once, that serrated H-1 holds an edge better than any other steel they've tested. In plain edge, on the other hand, it would be somewhere at the low end of the scale.

[unit]

In plain edge, on the other hand, it would be somewhere at the low end of the scale.

H1 is a very interesting alloy. It is lends itself to a lot of (ab)uses that many would call "extreme". I have seen some demonstrations (and done some on my own) that showed this steel to put up with abuse that would induce fractures in many other steels.

Another rather "extreme" property of this steel is that it is not heat treated...which would perhaps alleviate some concerns about destroying temper with high temperatures?

For plain edge knives that you intend to use for cutting in inland environments...see quoted text above :D

[Blerv]

All the steels Spyderco uses are "super" by the worlds standard. Most knives in the same price range offer 440c and AUS8. For the price of S30v from some makers you get S90v, M4 and ZDP-189. :eek:

VG 10 and 154cm are premium. S30v could be deemed as "super". S90v, ZDP-189, H1 and others are in the realm of "exotic" based on the companies that work with them or merely the few folders that incorporate them.

If you are looking for a quality knife buy it based on how it feels in hand and it's category. You won't be disappointed.

PS: Based on anything classified as "exotic" there may be some drawbacks with insane levels of performance. Trading hardness/toughness for corrosion resistance, etc. You can't comfortably take a Ferrari down a dirt road and you can't enjoy driving a Jeep CJ-5 with 36" boggers on a road trip.

[.357 mag]

I have had my Delica Zdp-189 for 2 1/2 week now and its my first ''Super steel". I put a small coat of oil on it every night and wipe it clean every morning. It holds an edge very well at 15 degree per side and haven't had any chipping. So other than a little oil, its a great trade off vs. sharpening.

My next purchase will be vg-10 in the Bill Morgan knives.

[bada61265]

while i dont consider vg-10 a super steel, it is super steel in many respects. there are many steels now that rate higher in toughness and edge holding. cpm s30v is probubly the most popular of what some consider super steel, i think zdp is there as well as d2 and cpm m4 and others that are out or soon to be. i think those not satisfied with vg-10`s performance might be falling victim to the hype of getting a sharp edge down to such a small angle and are not able to see this translate into ability to hold that edge past the first few cuts. vg-10 loves a 30/40 bevel. my endura rocks with that. and falls on its face when i have tried to go for a 30 deg cutting edge or less. where as cpm m4 can and does hold a 30 deg edge very very well. which is why its a super steel. im going to go off this list and throw in behind a decent 1095 steel with proper heat treat can keep up with the best of them. and its been around the block a few times. just have to learn what amount of bevel your steel can live best with. zdp 189 is one i have gone back to the basic 30/40 bevel on due to its tendancy to chip with finer bevels but seems to be amazing with a 40deg bevel. ive had this steel at much lower edge bevels, probubly in the neighborhood of 20deg, super sharp but it will chip. this is one area where spyderco shines, in its bringing these many great steels to afficianados who love experimenting with them in the form of such a wide selection of knife styles/ designs. gotta love it.

[SQSAR]

Well Said Blerv. (Ferrari vs. Jeep)

I'd say the cool thing about blade steels is the fact that there are so many that do so many cool things. Metallurgic technology, like so many other things, is constantly evolving and this is great for knife guys. I’m very content with VG-10 , , , for now, , , , just as I am with S90V, ZDP-189, etc, etc. But I likely won’t be huge fans of them in 10-15 years. That said, I used to like 440C many years ago, and I don’t care for it now because there is much better availible. But that’s cool, it’s an ever evolving field and I think that’s part of what makes it great. The knives I had 25 years ago, may not be made of the latest ‘super-steels’ of today, but through the years, the knives I’ve opted to keep are now valuable to me for the memories they hold rather than the edges they keep. IMHO

[Nonprophet]

Unit, I'd be interested in hearing why you have VG-10 in your pocket right now! I'm always open to hearing an informed person give an informed opinion so that I may learn more!

[xc6w]

imho, buying a Spyderco is a combination of folding knife + great steel which makes it very exciting.

[The Deacon]

Unit, I'd be interested in hearing why you have VG-10 in your pocket right now! I'm always open to hearing an informed person give an informed opinion so that I may learn more!

I'm not Unit, but my reasons for liking VG-10 would be that it provides what I consider to be an excellent balance of edge retention, rust resistance, and ease of sharpening. On top of that, there's the factor that several of my favorite Spyderco models, most notably the Kiwi, are only available in it. That gives me more experience sharpening it than other steels, which tends to make sharpening seem even easier.

[Joe Talmadge]

I have a VG-10 knife in my pocket also. The #1 reason is that a knife is a lot more than the steel, and the waved endura is such a great knife, I'd be carrying it even if it was ATS-34, or probably even 8A.

Beyond that, VG-10 is a great steel. I find it's one of those steels that I just have an easy time getting an screaming sharp edge on, and holds up to my usages fine even with a fine edge.

[unit]

Wow, it seems Paul, Joe and I are pretty much together on this. I would answer with the same points they made, and make one addition remark about VG-10 and *my* use.

I am sort of silly about my edges...I like an edge that is so sharp that almost anyone who sees it will agree that it is as sharp as anyone could ever imagine for EDC. I sharpen for people, so it helps showcase my abilities, but it is a hang up it have...and I won't try and justify it any farther than that. With that said, there is only one other steel that allows me to so easily maintain this level of sharpness with such ease (and it is not available on many knives at the moment).

With VG-10 I not only get the Endura/Delica platform which many can identify with (it is a home run in terms of affordable performance and functionality), but I can touch up the blade each night and inside of 5 minutes (usually 30 seconds) I have a VERY sharp edge.

If you want to sell someone on sharpening, pull out a knife that they know only cost 50-60 bucks...and looks like it gets used ALL THE TIME (because it is) then let them experience an edge that can remove text from a phone book page...Instantly they learn that a 50 dollar knife (and bit of care/education on their part) will not leave them wanting more...good for me, good for Spyderco...good for VG-10.

I love some other steels, but as long as I do not get utterly STUPID with my folders, VG-10 will maintain an amazing edge with less time investment than I spend loading my pockets every morning.

[Mjolnir74]

So, does VG-10 hold an edge better than ATS-34/154CM?