I really don't care anymore. I started collecting, not caring, and then became enamored with super steels. But the more of them I used and the better I became at sharpening the less I cared. Until I came all the way back around to not really caring. 1095 or better, and I'm good.
It all really is a matter of perspective. Any good steel will do if you know how to keep it sharp. 1084 is still one of my regulars for plain old beater knives
@@petergestels AUS-8 is a great steel... Although is not my most carried. Look, I'm 52 and served for 2 years on my country's military too (I'm portuguese). At the time, the instructors (and pretty much all the brass) were veterans of the colonial wars and one could carry his own knife but... It had to be STAINLESS! Why? To deal with injuries, cutting the fatigues of wounded comrades, and to cut through food and medical material, so we were said... So... I carried a german Solingen combat knife (don't know the model) it is just marked Solingen Rostfrei 440C East Germany. An ol'n goodie combat knife but... I'm carrying my RAT 1 D2 for years!!! And it performs great 👍👍😄😄
@@petergestels I don't have a whole lot of personal experience with heat treating/testing it; but from what I know, and from similar military knives I've had in the past..it's a pretty good all-around steel. Not really stainless, but not really not, lol. Sort of like a good quality version of 440C if it had a baby with something like A2. It's well used in many factory catalogs, and well respected 'basic' steel with good edge retention. I thought about fooling around with it years ago, but was introduced to RWL34....and that pretty much ruined me for anything else, lol.
The knife steel I've carried most has definitely been 154cm. I've had a griptilian in my pocket since 2011. Before that it was a kershaw leek. I replaced my old griptilian last year with a new one with s30v.
I really love AEBL and that family of steels. 14C and Nitro V are there with it.
All my knives, 95% CPM 90V 400grit satin finish
I really don't care anymore. I started collecting, not caring, and then became enamored with super steels. But the more of them I used and the better I became at sharpening the less I cared. Until I came all the way back around to not really caring. 1095 or better, and I'm good.
It all really is a matter of perspective. Any good steel will do if you know how to keep it sharp. 1084 is still one of my regulars for plain old beater knives
Vg-10 was my first "super steel" lmao
D2... So far back, it was a "premium" steel back then...Love it! 👍
Classic!
What are your thoughts on AUS8 ? Most of my military use knives were made out of it. They Always performend very well.
@@petergestels AUS-8 is a great steel... Although is not my most carried. Look, I'm 52 and served for 2 years on my country's military too (I'm portuguese). At the time, the instructors (and pretty much all the brass) were veterans of the colonial wars and one could carry his own knife but... It had to be STAINLESS! Why? To deal with injuries, cutting the fatigues of wounded comrades, and to cut through food and medical material, so we were said... So... I carried a german Solingen combat knife (don't know the model) it is just marked Solingen Rostfrei 440C East Germany. An ol'n goodie combat knife but... I'm carrying my RAT 1 D2 for years!!! And it performs great 👍👍😄😄
@@petergestels I don't have a whole lot of personal experience with heat treating/testing it; but from what I know, and from similar military knives I've had in the past..it's a pretty good all-around steel. Not really stainless, but not really not, lol. Sort of like a good quality version of 440C if it had a baby with something like A2. It's well used in many factory catalogs, and well respected 'basic' steel with good edge retention. I thought about fooling around with it years ago, but was introduced to RWL34....and that pretty much ruined me for anything else, lol.
W-2 or W-1. Before that, it was 440c and 154CM.
For folders I carry s90v
, before that d2 and I make most of my knives out of 1084, 80crv2, and 52100, I stared with 1095,
The knife steel I've carried most has definitely been 154cm. I've had a griptilian in my pocket since 2011. Before that it was a kershaw leek. I replaced my old griptilian last year with a new one with s30v.
154CM is a notable classic! I’ve made a lot of knives with that stuff, and always had good report.