Top Five Blade Steels

cpm 30v good steel but really hard to re-sharpen otherwise its my favourite

Mine would be 1/cpm154 2/m390 3/cru wear 4/s35vn 5/ CTS-XHP are my top 5 in order for folding knives fixed blades I’d go with 1/ 3v 2/ A2 3/ 01 4/ 8670M 5/ AEB-L at least at this moment could change tomorrow.I understand u don’t need super steels but if we get to pick our steels why not get the best.Ruike is making knives out of s35vn steel now to .I do like 14c28n and D2 but it doesn’t make my top 5 steels I really hate AUS-8 steel maybe it was the heat treat but I’m definitely done with aus -8.

I’ve got the 810 contego brand new with box and the spyderco gayle bradley in M4 no box but great condition used a few timesIf your looking for a trade I like M4 but on a folder I prefer a stainless blade because I live in northern mass and it’s snows and sleets in the winter and the summer is super humid.Great video like to see what other knife nuts like in style, steel,brand,handle material,and lock up 👍✌️.

Rockstead also uses a cpm Rex121 which is a beast of a steel but sharpening can be a pain and pricey.

How does regular old 1095 compare? Seems like most of the mentioned steels are stainless or somewhat .... Is that the biggest reason for attraction to them? Or are they really truly superior in all ways other than vulnerability by way of oxidation? Me? I dont even know. I know I have much warmer feelings to my 1095 knives than my stainless ....ie 440c etc ....I can always bring back the edge quickly on 1095 whereas the stainless never seem to get back to their original sharpness....That has produced in me a prejudice against the stainless ....perhaps I just never paid enough money?

I personally prefer 20CV over M390

My FAV - FOR A FOLDER VG10 - LOVE LOVE LOVE IT....

VG10 SPYDERCO ENDURA & SPYDERCO DELICA = XO

I’ve apparently never owned a knife with decent steel until recently. Bestech, I know, swordfish in D2. Really impressed and now I’m looking at others. Actually use my knife for work so it can’t be $200 and it has to be tough. Is there a better steel for me? Don’t care about rust, difficulties sharpening or fancy machining. I need a tool that holds an edge on a construction site. Suggestions?

Knife steel for folders doesn't seem to make much of a difference to me because I sharpen and strop. Anything above VG10 is fine, although my ego gets a good boost wielding S90v, M4, 204p. Knife steel for an outdoor knife that will be put through massive abuse has been more important to me because I will not be wasting time sharpening when I should be collecting water, wood, and enjoying nature. 1095 crovan in my BK9/BK2 has been great, I haven't sought replacements in years and conceivably ever. I have an Echo in D2 that will probably last many lifetimes as well.

CPM S90V(420V)
ZDP-189
Elmax
AEB-L
Aogami Super Blue

Your knives don’t even look used dude!

Rex 45
Cruwear
Zdp189
Cts xhp
S30v

Paramilitary 2 in CRUWEAR!

Molibden Chrome steels are my favorites .

My currant favorite steels are
1. ZDP-189 by Rockstead and (1 B) YXR7 with DLC coating by Rockstead
2. M-390
3. S110V
4. S90V
5. S35-VN by Protech (5B) ZDP-189 by Spyderco
6. Elmax
7. ZDP-189 by Spyderco
8. CPM S30-V
9. N690 by Microtech
10. 154 CM by Benchmade
The Rockstead steels are so far above the rest, they should be in another category
all their own, and they are really in price, workmanship and hardness with toughness.
Those steels and knives are a cut about the rest, ( sorry, had to do it). They pretty much require factory sharpening, 60 bucks for shipping and the sharpening is free, they know
you can't do it, but the good news is they stay sharp for years if you are stropping often.
They only use two different steels for all their knives and with over 400 years experience
have a way to heat treat better than anyone in the world. It's legendary steels there and
every collector should save up to buy at least one some day. Or not, depends how much
you are into it. You can't go wrong with any of the steels I listed here.
These are all fantastic steels, and it's spiting hairs as to witch ones shave hairs the best.

A lot of your opinions mirror my experiences.... Love D2, I know what you mean about that “magical” quality! Easily takes on a great edge, AND super tough! Also as you mentioned, I too prefer S30v over S35VN in a lot of applications. In my experience, S30 has better edge retention and S35 is “chippier”.

As magnificent as RockSteads are, the thing with them is, any attempt to resharpen one is to ruin it. The only blade maintenance an owner can perform is the odd stropping. In the rare event the edge needs to be refinished, it has to go back to the factory. Don’t know if it’s still the case, but they used to offer that as a free service, you just pay the shipping.

I can pretty much deal with any steel that isn't absolute garbage like surgical stainless steel or 440......I don't believe in spending twice or three times as much for a knife that has some super steel that's a pain in the ass to sharpen. something in between absolute crap and the hardest current super steel is what I want. most of my knives are S30V or D2

the worst steel I ever had was S110V. I could never get it super sharp like my other knives. and even when it was sorta sharp it'd be dull in no time. I hated it so much I had to get rid of it quick

I live in Canada so we pay a lot for everything since we don't manufacture anything here. so I just can't justify paying so much money for the latest and greatest super steel. I think most of the people buying them are collectors that don't actually use their knives anyways

I like 154 on protech, and guardian tactical knives. Whatever works for the end user is the only thing that matters. If someone is prone to loosing their knives, get a tenacious. The Chinese junk steel works fine for me.

I've been hunting, fishing and camping for more than 50 years and have used all kinds of knives doing so.
I bought my first knife with one of these steels, a Benchmade 818BK in S30V, just last year.
Yep, it's nice and I use it for my edc but so far as steel preference goes, I'll stick with Buck knives 420HC. Bucks sharpen up like razors quickly and easily and stay that way for plenty long enough for me. I only wish their sheaths didn't suck.

In no particular order
M390, m4, s35vn, 20cv, s90v

I went through quite a few comments and it seems like a whole lot of people are still sleeping on Elmax.

I recently got a carbon fiber Microtech UTX-85 with an Elmax blade and it has been great for me so far.

5. 14C28N
4. D2
3. M4
2. S35VN
1. M390, 20V, and 204P

Favorites...
1. M390, 20CV
2. CTS XHP
3. S110V
4. Maxemet
5. ZDP189

I love knives and I am definitely fascinated with the crazy metallurgy that is going on today, however I consider most "super steels" a negative when deciding on a knife to buy. For any knife that I plan to use (which is almost all of mine) I prefer a steel that is easily sharpened relatively quickly. You are right about Brous blades D2, which is a tricky steel to heat treat and usually is terrible in cheap imported knives, I don't mind paying for an expertly made D2 blade. I love vg-10, aus8, and ats34 /154cm in stainless and 1095, 5160, 52100 in carbons and O1, A2, and D2 in tool steels all are reasonably priced and I feel like they usually outperform their costs if they are heat treated well and ground well and used appropriately. Some of the worst mistakes I see knife makers making involve using the wrong steel for the expected use of a knife - why would anyone need 3V for a sub 3" blade or a carbon steel fishing knife or a stainless machete? Just like Brous's customers benefit from his experience with D2, learning to sharpen a steel really well takes time and as much as I enjoy sharpening I know that the more diverse my collection is the less I will be able to put a great edge on everything in a reasonable amount of time.

Fixed blade - d2, folder: s30v (freek), 154 cm (griptilian) benchmade

Valerian steel
Adamantium
Vibranium
Unubtainium
Chinezium🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪

VG10, LC200N, CTS XHP are my absolute favs.

LC200N S90V XHP M4 S35VN

My favs:
1. M390
2. CPM-S35VN
3. CPM-S90V (hard to sharpen though)
4. Elmax
5. CPM-S30V
6. RWL-34
7. CPM-154

Word of a broke blade lover who can't get the higher shelf things, I love Aus-8. Just because I can sharpen and hone, so I can shave with my Automat Kalashnikov, open and slice things, and quickly bring it back to shaving sharp (I'm talking shaving my face, not just arm or leg). But if you can't sharpen...I guess learn or buy one of these others that retain the edge better.

My favourite is A2

Next to the Valerian steel below, I really dig the Elmax on my ZT-0561. Fine powder metallurgy, stays sharp, supposed to be good when you need to sharpen (I haven't yet needed to myself).

what an excellent channel great information here

1: 20CV
2: M390
3: S110V
4: ELMAX
5: CPM-154

1080, 1084 or 1095 knife build steel at 58 Rockwell with acid patina.
Forge and build your own!

I've come to believe heat treatment is just as, if not more important than the composition of steel. S30V has been my EDC steel for years, with no complaints about it. I've had outstanding blades in ATS-34, 154CM, D2, and good ol 1095, but I've also seen high end steel that was brittle and prone to chipping do to questionable heat treatment. Thanks for your thoughts on the subject.

I agree with your statement at the beginning. Before I got into knives and started looking at them online I didn't even know that super steels existed. Most people where I live are happy with utility knives, knives from Canadian Tire and if you're a real hunter you have a Buck, which people here are very proud of. I grew up with those knives and never felt like the steels under performed. The truth is that most people, even knife people, don't NEED super steels. One of my dad's friends almost never sharpens his Buck because it keeps its edge for a long time. All he does with it is skinning and slicing flesh when hunting, the edge lasts forever. I think super steels are more of a luxury and aimed at hobbyists and not really a necessity for anyone. Unless all you do at your job is cutting rope all day non stop and at that point you're probably not using a knife.

LC200N!!!

three years later--just buy the best steel you can afford from the top brands instead of buying a bunch of cheaper knives. yes, cheap knives can get the job done, but so can a utility knife with replaceable blades.

154cm

Cruwear, Maxamet, M390, D2, S35VN 😎🤘🏻🇨🇦

No laminated cos, Elmax, sliepnir, Cru wear? I am impressed with TRC Elmax. Even though it's not supposed to have great edge retention, my apocalypse never seems to get dull. Same with Lionsteel Sliepner.

INTERESTING… IT IS OF COURSE “HORSES FOR COURSES”… EUROPEAN KNIVES ARE MOST “ECONOMICAL” (QUALITY “BANG FOR THE BUCK”?) IN EUROPEAN STEELS… N.AMERICAN KNIVES PROBABLY IN N. AMERICAN STEELS: BOHLER vs CRUCIBLE. BEING EURO-CANADIAN, ON VANCOUVER ISLAND & ENJOYING HIKING, CAMPING, I USE FOREST-KNIVES MORE THAN EDC FOLDERS. I LIKE STEELS THAT HAVE GOOD COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH, HOLD AN EDGE, OFFER EDGE STABILITY, TOUGHNESS & FAIR CORROSION RESISTANCE… AT LEAST 60HRC (HATE PLASTIC DEFORMATION, & HARDNESS IS STRENGTH). SO, FAVOURITE PERFORMERS IN CPM: S90V (FOR BITE), S35VN (FOR TOUGHNESS, & BALANCE) & 3V (FOR FOREST KNIVES). FAVOURITE PERFORMERS FROM BOHLER (EG FROM LIONSTEEL & CUDEMAN): M-390, ELMAX,

NOT BEING ALWAYS A STEEL SNOB, BOHLER N-690 (CLOSER TO VG-10), & N-695 (440 C) & ABE-L @ 60-61 HRC PERFORM BEAUTIFULLY, IN HUNTING, CAMPING & FISHING, RESPECTIVELY. CUDEMAN (SPAIN) DOES N-690 & N-695 BEAUTIFULLY. (14C28N IS AN AEB-L, NITROGEN IMPROVED: BOTH ARE GREAT FOR FISHING & SLIM FILLETING DAGGERS)

Great video should follow up go deeper into it 👍

K390 is a fine choice, endura