Blade Steel Tier List

[@EverydayCityCarry]

Damn bruh. Your dedication to steel knowledge is absolutely and uniquely unparalleled. And we all appreciate it. Cheers man. Saitama for Life.

[@spicychinchin6597]

@Jacob Dawson far from clueless man, the list is partially based on subjective preference.

[@spicychinchin6597]

@Jacob Dawson yep, just sayin that there's an element of preference in what properties you prefer, every steel has different properties, and people prefer different things, edge retention isn't the only factor that determines the steels perceived value, there is also rust resistance, chemical makeup that determines whether an edge rolls or chips, those differences also determine the type of edge that some super steels prefer, some are toothier, ease of sharpening is a factor, it's a lot. This particular list isn't the be all end all, just one dudes take, but I just wanted to validate the stance he's not clueless, because he has done a lot of testing, and also clarified a lot of what I said just know throughout the video. I dunno man

[@danielcluley870]

I'm just impressed you have used all of them. A lot of these were "never heard of it" for me.

[@karrawr9538]

This video has an insane amount of valuable knowledge for the knife scene and I come back to it every so often when I feel like buying a new blade. Thanks for making it!

[@ArikGST]

Personally I would have put 14c28n in the C Tier. It has some benefits over other steels like D2 or N690 you might be unaware of, as does 12c27. Both of those steels excell at thin geometries. I have a Manly Wasp in 12c27 that is 8/1000 (0.2mm) behind the edge. A lot of steels wouldn`t be able to handle that, but the Sandvik steels do.

[@olafkliemt1145]

thank you !

[@noirdblunds3003]

I agree that the Sandvik steels are good stuff. 13c is the best one they make for his purposes, but 14c is a close second just slightly more stainless at the expense of sharpness. You gotta realize he values wear/abrasion resistance over everything else. He's all about edge retention. That said, any steel with the hardness to support it benefits from thinner geometry. literally if you look at an equation for edge retention the biggest factor is geometry, even more so than the type of steel.

[@bigbadstretch13yrago]

Definately agree!!

[@kittrainbow7]

14c28n heat treated properly in thin blades (folders, slicers) can take a very keen edge, good steel I like it. Edge retention is one criteria but not all SS can take a keen, ultra polished apex. It would be nice to test a straight razor made out of it, where many SS go in crisis (I prefer carbon steel for razors). Sandwik and Böhler make good stuff. 🇮🇹

[@FT4Freedom]

14c is an amazing steel for slicey 3in blades. Extremely well balanced for an edc folder.

[@EverydayCommentary]

This is a brilliant idea. Love tier lists from fighting games and CCGs

[@CedricAda]

I knew youd love it Tony😃

[@EDCwithAaron]

What kind of idiot buys stainless steel tweezers? The MINIMUM steel you should buy for tweezers is 52100 SPRING STEEL. As for nail clippers I only use CPM CRUWEAR for superior impact resistance.

[@sheepdog819]

Damn brother, sounds like your trimming T-Rex toes!🙃

[@jonathangarzon2798]

I buy SS tweezers for hygiene purposes, I don't care about it springing I prefer to apply the pressure by squeezing if it gets me SS

[@green16611]

Ah yes, I prefer to go with the 1738femboy-resistant clippers.

[@hunter-tm2kl]

Nick Shabazz reviewed a comb in S35VN 😂

[@jknifeguy3043]

nice to see people say they appreciate budget steels and test them instead of saying they're "barely adequate". Yes because we all need s90v to open letters and cut apples and cheese at work.

[@puma51921]

After buying a ton of knives and living in Florida, these are my priorities in steel. No rust and doesn't chip......... I don't care if it's hard to sharpen or easy. I've figured out the sharpening skills. Thank you for your hard work and dedication.

[@danielfinger6223]

I'm in Florida too. I totally agree with you!

[@viniciuseleo]

2 years deep into your chanel, seen all your content, but this video never stops amazing me! Constantly come back to the last frame to validate my purchases (little ashamed, but sincere!). Thanks once again for the great service to the Knife Community!

[@somedude1590]

surprised 14c28n was so low. i really like it

[@SwervinSpliffs27]

I agree. It is a budget steel but it's strong, corrosion resistant and holds a decent edge

[@jtallday31]

It has rather low edge retention. Unless you just enjoy spending time sharpening, it's a rather important factor. If I'm processing an animal, I want to spend more time cutting than sharpening. There's just so many steels that do toughness and stainlessness about as well that it can't rank but so high.

[@dilloncornett1539]

Same, I like it because you can put a killer edge on it with a river rock and it keeps it for a decent amount of time. This dude seems to rank knife steels exclusively on edge retention.

[@mikafoxx2717]

​@@jtallday31And yet most butchers use steel just like it, because they can sharpen it and keep a razor edge on it the entire time with a few passes on a rod. High edge retention steels don't hold a razor edge any longer than low edge retention steels

[@ihaveaheadache4657]

1095 below 440c? That just pisses me off, lmao. Awesome video, man.

[@GutiTheJ]

This is a good idea, very good way to check steel at a glance

[@David-ci2yt]

blade steel tier list ❌ edge retention tier list ✅

[@joshcoar7386]

I see you tend to prefer the high carbide steels in particular. They are great steels, but I feel that for most applications they are way too lacking in toughness. I find the Cru-wear, V4E, M4, V4 to be a great sweet spot for edge retention and toughness balance, myself. If you are using a high edge retention steel like Rex121, you are going to have chipping issues if your bevel angle gets too low. If you are comparing 40 degree bevels in those steels, it's all well and good, but drop down to 30 degrees (inclusive) and it's a whole different story. Toughness is more important than I think many give it credit. Of course, personal preference and application plays a massive role in this. I also don't understand a lot of your ranking disparity between steels that are nearly and effectively identical. A good example being 4v and V4E.

[@acid6urns]

cruwear is a beautiful steel imo. as is magnacut, it’s essentially completely rust proof 4v steel, so it’s got the toughness and edge retention of cruwear with no worry about rust

[@joshcoar7386]

@@acid6urns Yeah, most of the knives I am making these days are Magnacut. Larren Thomas really made an amazing steel! And Magnacut can be heat treated to 64-65 Rockwell, which gives it the edge retention of a lot of the high chromium carbide steels but with double the toughness. Cruwear/Z-Wear still slightly outperforms Magnacut, and so I still often use it when I don't care about the level of stainless that Magnacut provides. 3v is also an amazing steel if you get it at 63+ Rockwell.

[@acid6urns]

@@joshcoar7386magnacut is so easy to sharpen, i have a spyderco native in it and it was honestly baffling. i also have a cruwear pm2 and that was also ridiculously easy to sharpen. i’m a big fan of the medium edge retention high toughness steels. i do own some k390 which is ridiculously high edge retention and decent enough toughness, but i haven’t tried it much yet. i’m a huge fan of traditional slipjoint knives as well, and i also like a lot of the very simple carbon/stainless steels in those. case tru sharp and well treated 440a on rough ryder knives may not have outstanding edge retention but the edges im able to get on those steels is absolutely INSANE.

[@mikafoxx2717]

Cliff stamp found that the M4 4V, S30V range has the best edge retention in real use with carpet and such due to the geometry limitations - he would always maximize the edge geometry. His rex 121 just couldn't hold the same edge geometry without fracturing the apex cutting through carpet and the like, yet even basic 12c27 could hold that angle without significant rolling on carpet. And as stated, the MagnaCut etc range is the best he tested overall thanks to the carbides but ideal hardness to toughness balance. The lowest edge retention steels ironically hold a razor edge the longest thanks to maxing out toughness to hardness ratio - stuff like 52100 and 13c26. They can hold the finest angle, though even with it the usable edge retention doesn't equal as much as M4 etc, with its lowest stable geometry.

[@joshcoar7386]

@@mikafoxx2717 I've been having great success with my 64 rockwell Magnacut heat treat. I've essentially stopped working with any other steel at this point because it's so great.

[@wadejensen3301]

I can't agree on your grade for 14c28n....I put it slightly ahead of nitro v. It doesn't warp like nitro v and it is slightly cleaner when finishing the knife.... and it's not just me either...knife steel nerds rates it higher than Nitro v and have rated it their favourite budget to mid range steel!

[@Skipper_Jimmy]

If I knew how to make a Knife Video Tier List, your steel review videos would be at the top

[@Surago]

NeeeeEEEEEEeeeerrrrrd

[@Undefinedmark]

Awesome video. Thanks mate. Couldn't ask for more. Love the different / official fonts and presentation. Kudos to you!!!

[@jackamtg]

I'm so happy. Thank you for making this 😂. It's hilarious looking at these comments where almost nobody gets the reference

[@conductorcammon]

Your disregard for M4 angers me. Love ya Pete.

[@bobmellon]

Agreed, a good heat treat on m4 is unbelievable

[@retardno002]

For sure, M4, 4V, V4E, Rex45, K390, CruWear, Vanax, Magnacut, S35VN, these are all extremely well balanced steels and S tier in my opinion. I value balance above toughness or edge retention, and toughness above edge retention. So 10V beats 3V beats Rex121 in my book.

[@BeginnerOutdoors]

Lol all my favorite work steels are bottom tier : h1, 52100, n690, 1095, 420hc, vg10, aebl, 440c Although his a class is top tier Forsure: love me maxamet, m390, k390. Lol yeah I use a lot of steels New favorite super steel has to be magnacut for its balance

[@mikafoxx2717]

For actual work, the basic steels work. You have to sharpen them anyways and the fancy steels aren't leaps and bounds above them in real world use when you get your sharpening angle thinned properly.

[@kittrainbow7]

I like a lot this channel, very interesting and well done, plus highly charismatic😃👍 Edge retention is one aspect but not everything, there is also toughness and ability to develop a very keen, ultra polished edge. For example 14c28n heat treated properly, in very thin edges can take a very keen, ultra polished edge, even without huge amount of carbon. I will be curious to test a straight razor, made out of it, I like it (in general for razors I prefer carbon steel). An intriguing steel, interesting. D2 never dissapoint, always a great performer, especially in thick obtuse blades, same thing for DC53 (also great and similar), I have many knives out of them. VG10 and N690 are some of my favourite SS (with cpm S30v) and I can't distinguish between the two. 1095 at 60HRC is a good choiche for utility blades, tough, cheap and good performer but I prefer D2/DC53. Corrosion is not a problem for professionals users with modern oils, for only LAND operations (near sea better SS). CPM s30v heat treated slightly soft (first generation Manix, black back lock, never know HRC of it) was super easy to sharpen, I mean ultra easy to sharpen, "light saber" with minimal effort, I like it even if now I prefer 60HRC. Ease of sharpening is highly subjective, I strongly prefer very high carbon steels (carbon or SS), like D2 / DC53 or S30 but there are exceptions like 14c28n with moderate carbon that are very unconventional and pleasent to sharpen. Softer low carbon stainless steels "in general" give terrible sharpening feedback. CTS XHP was also super nice on Cold Steels, liked a lot. Thinner blades with very acute geometries can implement poor SS and still work decently, instead obtuse blades absolute require richer steels to compensate inferior geometries. I always avoid these: 440A e B (C is good) and 7cr and lower (9cr and above is good, 8cr is a "mystery"). ...all continents have very good steels to choose from, I have a very international collection. To be sure to what you have in hands, it will require an analizer and HRC tester... sometimes steel declared and HRC declared are not true. 🇮🇹

[@bunyipdan]

Great content Pete, just a couple of things, considering edc and knives you actually use, I feel it would have been really useful to employ a two axis rating matrix with edge retaining/toughness and corrosion resistant qualities, this would have allowed others to interpret your experience with knife steels and balance it with their needs. I'm from a different part of Australia than you, but there are some words you pronounce in completely different ways, I find very difficult to interpret.....like (@17:44 prodigiously) Keep up the good work, thanks for sharing

[@jtarkov1398]

Agree with you on almost all of these! 👍only one I outright and strongly disagree with is 52100! Should be a little higher imo. In my observations there are only a handful of factory production knives with this steel and based on that, keep your mind open when you finally get a properly heat treated custom optimised for cutting in 52100. I've seen some amazing hunting knives in this steel. Several Finnish Smith's also do wonders with it. 😊

[@Mrsingingdude1]

Run around 62-63, it's a wonderful steel for edc. I've used mine extensively for cutting cardboard this last month and it still shaves hair. It's a great steel, there's a reason it's one of Sal's favorites

[@budthecyborg4575]

Keep in mind K390, A11 and CPM10V are all (practically) the same alloy. The Molybdenum and Cobalt in K390 is probably just there to make it a High Speed steel: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_speed_steel which allows it to retain hardness at high heat (Red-Hardness), such as for use in drill bits. Different foundries have different PM processes, but the biggest difference between the three is probably going to be in the heat treat by the knife maker.

[@jslaughterofthesoul4939]

Love it, appreciate your dedication and presentation, sometimes gets new through the day. I found it interesting the disparity you made between Vanadis 4E and CPM-4V, because they are supposed to be identical compositions IE 20CV, M390.

[@Pew7070]

Steel geeking at its best! Cheers Pete!

[@jameshiers5451]

Thank you so much for doing this, this is the first time I’ve really understood why one steel is better than another, super kudos

[@nedflanders9045]

I have a knife with s30v and it has held up very well and I am very rough on it I have swam in the gulf with no rust and it holds an edge very well

[@cp1532]

Lowballing the 52100. And I think Maxamet should be an S. 2nd highest wear resistance on the planet. I can see your points though, and how you were working the tiers. Fun video

[@CJ-hw4zc]

True, also k390 up in the S

[@cp1532]

@@CJ-hw4zc I'm ok with it being the very top of the A tier, but I could see making it an S. Or move some of the A's to B, and some of the B's to C. I'd have to make my own tiers to sort it all out lol

[@d4mdcykey]

Fantastic video and a perfect reference with concise explanations for each ranking. This will now be my go-to video link to send to anyone that asks me about blade steels for now on. REALLY appreciate you uploading this, Pete. To borrow a line from AdvancedKnifeBro: this is the Trucks Balls.

[@KarlRadekBonk]

I have only used like 3 of these steels to open boxes and cut string off my shirts but I SOME OPINIONS ON YOUR RANKINGS

[@bushmaster8912]

Based on edge retention I agree, for hunting vanadis4E, M4, Elmax, cruwear and m390 variants maybe. Everything else in A and S is useless in my opinion. For camping and such I would limit myself to 3v, 4v, elmax, sleipner, cruwear, A2, 80crv2 and even though I’ve not had very good experience based on other people maybe M4, large chopper I would limit myself to the tough low edge retention easy to sharpen steels and everything else for folders. The A and S tiers seem great until you have to reprofile them or take out a large chip.

[@hydrostaticshock978]

Awesome as always. It does look like you're taking guff for your 52100 ranking. It's simple and it rusts but at 62-64 hrc it's an amazing steel.

[@johnryan6658]

Is it brittle at all? I actually have a Cold Steel Drop Forged Boot Knife in that steel, and I'm curious. I'm not that worried about the rust because it's a coated blade.

[@spiderdavis3296]

I checked your rating for K390 Spyderco para2 before I ordered one.Thanks for making this video and all the others too.

[@theariesexperiment4642]

Gooooood Looooooord!!!! I had no idea there were so many useable steels for cutlery. My lands I'm lost.

[@lordtartarsauceb8348]

I think you bias far too heavily toward edge retention when judging knives. Some of these steels will snap when you drop them. Some people are doing more than cutting tomatoes and cardboard.

[@mcr0741]

I kind of agree with you, but there are some caveats here. Maxamet, for instance, is basically as brittle as glass and I just don't want there to be a day where I'll need to sharpen it, but, it's edge retention is just god tier. It does not dull whatsoever. Feel the same for D2. Don't know why it's hyped as much but I feel like that steel is basically good for nothing. Retention might be good for cheap price but, literally chips away as you sharpen. The only stable d2 manufacturers in my book are Steel Will and CJRB, wherein atleast their performance is consistent across multiple knives. Whereas knives like the infamous Ontarios in D2 are so inconsistent that you buy 10 Rats, all 10 will perform differently. I would much rather get the Aus8 versions of them.

[@retardno002]

​@@mcr0741 you can make a perfect knife out of any steel as long as you shape it accordingly and use it for the right task. All my longer and thinner blades are made of tough steels like Magnacut, CruWear, 14C28N. My thicker mid size blades are made of stuff like S30V and SPY27. The small but thick ones are brittle / high edge retention steels but the geometry makes them robust, so I have Maxamet, S90V, M390 on those. The small but thin ones are in stuff like Nitro-V and K390. D2 and VG10 have been top blade steels for decades, but now suddenly D2 is brittle as glass, eh? Laughable take...

[@brockbakke3305]

How much have you used 52100? Your own cut tests put it above all non powder steel for edge retention and equal to some powder steels. Its also very tough.

[@CedricAda]

Yeah; I’m hearing from viewers its probably been put a little low. Probably need to spend more time with it still.

[@Nudel-nc1cp]

@@CedricAda Don't forget to put Maxamet right where it belongs (cough) S category

[@gooe9561]

Another good comparison would be the same steels from different manufacturers. They all use different processes with the steels which has a tremendous impact on the performance of the product. Additionally, the sharpening process for each steel will have an affect on the performance as well. So, another comparison would be great.

[@retardno002]

Do you mean different steel manufacturers as in how does M390 compare to 20CV, or different knife manufacturers as in how does Spyderco's S30V compare to Benchmade's?

[@chronovore3726]

I was surprised that VG-10 couldn't crack into C tier. How about the Acuto 440 that Tangram uses? Is it enough of an improvement over 440C to reach the next tier?

[@ibpositivemostly7437]

Very cool. I’m fairly new to knife collecting, but I am lucky enough to be able to afford some higher end knifes. Your videos are very informative and helpful I believe you have a very broad knowledge of metallurgy I appreciate time and effort very much. Thanks a lot.

[@evictioncarpentry2628]

Now can you do a correlation based on this of knife steels that sit in a box for bragging rights versus ones that actually get used.

[@njo9966]

I enjoyed the bejezus out of this. Thanks!

[@FT4Freedom]

I made my knife out of a 5cm length of 25mm D hex wrench, AISI S2 tool steel. Tough steel, easy to strop up, quite hard. Rusts. But it's great on a bushcraft knife. 55c but I think it takes on more carbon during forging. Convex edge is a plus.

[@timothybracken1728]

can you do an updated tier list?

[@gabeelkins9059]

Great list, definitely would've put 5160 in high c tier due to it's toughness and ease of honing in the field.

[@Shanes_Sharp_Sheet]

That is so cool!!, I agree with you mostly, except I would put 52100 higher and Haitch 1 lower lol, but great tier!!

[@hydrostaticshock978]

Yes...52100 got hosed.

[@Mrsingingdude1]

52100 is my favorite. Holds a shaving edge extremely well and beyond easy to sharpen. One of the best steels ever made imo

[@matthewmcnabb7437]

52100 is probably lower than it should be because it has a finicky heat treat that few companies really nail. It’s like benchmades 3v puuko. Great steel technically, buts it’s original heat treat was disappointing

[@cameronchicken8439]

14c28n is better than D2. I was looking at blade steels for a chef knife im going to make and I was surprised to see that 14c28n is the cheapest stainless steel material I could find. Not the best I could find, but literally the cheapest. I carried just one knife, a Kershaw OD-1, as my EDC for 9 years in 14c28n. It works great with a thin edge and was produced for razor blades.

[@cameronchicken8439]

Chromium carbides make a larger grain steel. 14c29n takes a very fine edge.

[@theodorosmalliopoulos7231]

Only one question about it. Why is 4v so far away from vanadis 4e , since they are so similar?

[@theodorosmalliopoulos7231]

@Event Horizons I have since tried both. It depends on the heat treatment and geometry of the blade. If the 2 steels are treated the same and ground thin, then the difference can be negligable. This is my opinion, from my experience so far. I am no expert. Please take it only for what it is.

[@theodorosmalliopoulos7231]

@Event Horizons You are right. It is better to enjoy the knives that we have already than trying to figure out which is the next super steel addition to the collection.

[@knifetech101]

Loved this video! You should do another one ranking them by stainlessness, or another one based solely on edge retention.

[@Greg_M308]

I love the steel ranking videos and is why I am a patreon for this channel.

[@austinfox4130]

Would it be beneficial to record how much time it takes you to sharpen? That might give us an idea, when combined with cut test results of how "hard" the steels are to sharpen.

[@Paul_Ironwolf]

Mora knives tend to say its either carbon or stainless steel on their knives and they tend to be perfectly adequate for what they are 10-20$ fixed blades for any kind of use. From what i hear their Carbon steel is about the same as 1095. I always have a few Moras all around, one in a garage, one in a glove box, on my back pack, in my shed.

[@jayweast1306]

Have you considered doing cut tests for ZT's CPM-20CV now that it's their main steel? I remember when their S35VN performed poorly and I'm curious how they would do with CPM-20CV. Would also love to see a cut test for CPM-20CV with the Bos heat treat which you can find on SK Blades editions of the 110 called the Silver Fox.

[@CedricAda]

Josh W check out my zt0479 review - thats got cut test in it 😊

[@jayweast1306]

@@CedricAda Thanks for the info. It looks like their CPM-20CV underperformed but not as dramatically as their S35VN. I suspect they may run their steels softer than other manufacturers to make them more durable for hard use but honestly that's at best an amateur's guess and at worst a fan's excuse.

[@jayweast1306]

@@CedricAda and I think you mean ZT0470

[@MFD00MTR33]

From the tests I've seen it performed well. It beat out Spyderco and Benchmade. Then again it was the ZT 456 which has an advantage in tests due to it's curved edge shape and that it's a shorter blade.

[@SignifiKent]

I can tell a lot of this is based on the specific knives and not the steels. That is to say, much of this is going to be based on the heat treatment where you can find 440c from kershaw being pretty meh but from Buck 440c or older Bokers that stuff is really another tier up from what you'd get with Kershaw. And even then, the Kershaw stuff might come out different based on where it was made (US vs China) etc etc. So while it's neat to see this list I'd say the most important thing is to look at the steel in question when applied to a specific knife or manufacturer. Just seeing something like the difference between M390 from WE (which is an awesome maker and the steel is great) compared to M390 from Adam Purvis can really be eye opening and goes to show there is more to it than just the name (especially with stuff like D2 where CJRB, Civivi, and Steelwill are all producing it with mixed results).

[@impermanenthuman8427]

If you just wanted a blade for chopping and batoning through tough hard knotty wood that won’t chip or snap after years of use what is the best to choose? 5160? I’m considering the Ontario SP 50 Bowie or 53 Bolo. Something I’ll be happy to beat on rather than a collector closet princess. It needs to be very reliable and last a long time at processing wood. Open to tomahawks and hatchets in the toughest steels if necessary. Thanks

[@nebulamask81]

Fine list (no hate) and I get that this is basically just edge retention and then other factors after, but I would have liked to have seen a more overall judgement and including price, how easy something is to sharpen, how stain resistant, etc. as a bit more of a factor.

[@MatRocht]

Where do you think Fallkniven CoS would go?

[@schneir5]

I just added a Spydiechef to my collection and I love that LC200N steel so far!

[@WvMnts]

Nice video👍🏻 I’m just getting into knives and had been going by benchmade’s list on like edge,toughness,corrosion. Would be nice if you did a list kinda like that for noobies

[@robnowe5464]

SInce you often note that the Buck BOS Heat Treated 420HC is a notch above, perhaps you should differentiate on your chart with a 420HC and a Buck BOS 420HC. Thanks for all your hard work!

[@the.shotgun.approach]

Very informative video, even though I'm a few years late. Where would you put M398, s60v, and Magnacut?

[@jetdr]

I have had great experience with O1 in my Randall Made, it is a great blade, high carbon so it will rust, but it will take a beating. I love s30, s35 and 3v. I have a fixed blade in 3v, that is tough steel, will hold an edge a long time.

[@darichard11]

Great idea... S tier is of course awesome. Probably 95% agreement from me on the steels I've played with. I was eagerly awaiting the K390 placement. I might put it above Maxamet for the better toughness and maybe move a couple of other A tier steels around. The groupings look very solid.

[@fuzzuck]

Informative & helpful, especially coming from a guy whose obsession with practical testing makes his opinions on blade steels as reliable as anyone else in the knife geek sphere. I was surprised with a few of the results, like seeing Elmax rank higher than S110V; the latter has performed well in terms of edge retention, & Elmax has issues with corrosion resistance, at least according to a couple isolated KZbin tests I've seen. Maybe separate tiers would be appropriate for these steels in terms of application... i.e. folders & fixed blades. Toughness isn't as important for folders, while edge retention & stainless properties clearly are.

[@brainiacacademy497]

Uhhh Petie, it's been 2 years can you please give us an updated list! I would like to know where S45vn stands. Thanks you are the best!

[@isthebeeflol]

I wanna see aus10a

[@benmacdhui]

Good list Pete. Wanted to add that N695 is the inferior steel to N690/N690Co due to its added cobalt - similar to a BDZ1 to BD1, but not to that extent. Agree not to pay too much for either 'N' steels. Surprised Maxamet wasn't in the top row though

[@holdernewtshesrearin5471]

Ive never been impressed with N690/CO. It just doesnt offer anything over much cheaper steels in my experience. 440C or perhaps VG-10 level edge holding, decent toughness but it rolls too much for my uses. Atleast thats the case with my Boker and LionSteel knives in it.

[@mcr0741]

This is a very valuable video for referencing.

[@jodyfree953]

😵‍💫🙄 Back watching this again. 🧐 Well organized data. 💯

[@Abbbb225]

Interesting rankings! I can see your logic and basically agree with a lot of the choices, however since my personal use is more geared to fixed blades for bushcraft (though I also like folders), I would have had different priorities. It seems edge retention and stainlesses for folders were your main criteria (more than toughness or ease of sharpening, or ease/potential of heat treat, getting into the custom realm). I thought 10v and a11 were the same - can someone clarify? Also, thought 52100 would rank one higher. It seems you got much better wear resistance with 52100 than A2 (like 100 more cuts). Compared to other basic steels you tend to see in fixed blades (like 1095, O-1, or 5160, maybe even A2) 52100, I believe, has the most potential for bringing out different qualities in the heat treat; I think it can be ran harder, while also remaining tough, and you tend to see it in custom knives (Winkler, comes to mind, though know he's moved on to 80cr I think...also some custom kitchen knives). Not sure if it is shallow hardening or takes well to differential heat treat (which can make for a tough core with a hard edge in a fixed blade) compared to others.

[@mountaingoat4124]

Fantastic table. I suggest you revisit this given one year has lapsed and beyond. Good idea to provide criteria on each level so that you can provide slightly more objectiveness, otherwise this is great.

[@Thepreppersbunkeroutdoors]

I think ill do a similar video, although ill focus more on toughness and sharpenability based on fixed blade use, and i will have a LOT less steels on there. Good video, and good idea!

[@Kevinclearysharpstuff]

Great work this is an excellent reference point that I'm sure I'll use and share a lot

[@jmunsamy]

Appreciate the video and all your effort it took to get here. Could you provide a download for your list,pretty please.

[@libbya2]

Great job, really enjoyed the video.

[@paulvictor9368]

Great tier list. I probably would shift S110V up a bit personally, but then you are much more of an expert than I. Now to save and find knives in your S list.

[@patrickbledsoe2176]

I really enjoy your videos and this is great wealth of information... i know this is a old video ive seen case has up'd theyre steel in a couple knifes i hope they continue because i really enjoy those trapper style of knife.

[@Nillaferilla]

I agree with you on the no name steels. Though I have been slightly impressed by the Ozark Trail folders believe it or not. Not a bad knife to beat the crap out of.

[@godforever27]

My first pocket knife was an Ozark trail and it got really sharp. That was back in 2004 or 2005. It has a wood handle and recurve blade.

[@Vex319]

Nice video! I would prob put 52100 slightly higher in C and I could definitely see S35VN and XHP being A tier as well

[@Aerzon1v1]

How are Vanadis 4E and CPM 4v so far apart when they are the same alloy, but from different manufacturers?

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

It's hard to find information on Bohler K110. Any thoughts? I've got a Maxace Goliath with that steel and feel it's around D2 or just below.

[@samrobinson3685]

This is your best video. Can you make this an annual thing?

[@holdernewtshesrearin5471]

CPM M4 is still my favorite. I love its edge holding and edge taking ability. I just get crazy sharp edges out of M4 and they have that sticky sharpness i really love and its toughness is all i could need for a folder. It will stain or even rust if youre not careful but who cares. Its character. If i could only have one steel id probably go with CTS XHP or 154 CM or even Elmax but for max performance M4 is my baby. CPM S110V and S90V will also work.

[@wizbangdiving]

Hey Pete, any chance of an update on the list? A rejig and add the new comers and talk about any steels that have piqued your interest or worthy of comments since the original. Great work and thanks for your efforts, much appreciated.

[@frederickj.7136]

Thank you -- cool video; useful points of reference! Could you provide an 'evolved' opinion on ZDP-189's corrosion resistance, Pete? Will a very sharp ZDP-189 *cutting edge* (Spyderco) hold up well against deterioration due to *corrosion* , especially in the case of a folder kept for a longer period of time inside an EDC day pack or messenger bag? Thanks!

[@benmacdhui]

Yeah that corrosion comment referring to ZDP-189 had me scratching my head a bit. Spyderco lists their formula having 20%Cr in it - which is a lot. Chromium is not only to add toughness, rather its resistance to stain and corrosion.

[@austrofinn4524]

@@benmacdhui Seems that lots of that chromium in ZDP-189 forms carbides with the carbon and the amount of "free" chromium that battles corrosion is relatively low.

[@Nudel-nc1cp]

@@benmacdhui Chrome and toughness rofl:D Cr promote corrosion and wear resistance, hardness, hardenability, refines steel grain but no way it promote toughness man. Nickel, Molybdenum and Vanadium promotes toughness.

[@frederickj.7136]

@ Red rum1... Austrofinn has it pretty much right from the online analyses I've seen... which is *precisely* why I asked the question I did. Er, no answer forthcoming to date, I observe...

[@markgoldstein6265]

Hap 40 ? How does it rank

[@Robs_Nerdy_Knives]

Have you updated this with Magnacut?

[@thiago.assumpcao]

(Wrong info on this comment, Please read comment below ) I like the idea but I miss other info. For example Rex121 and Vanax are extremely hard to find and you need special equipment to resharpen it. Even diamond stone is not enough, you need diamond sand belt for it. It's good for a collector but it's a deal breaker if I actually want to use the knife.

[@noirdblunds3003]

That's not accurate. People make way too big of a deal about this stuff, usually it's people who have zero actual experience and they just repeat forum myths. Also, steels like that don't even really serve much purpose. once you get into the stuff he has listed around the higher end of the B category and up, at RCs 63 and above with steels like that, you really don't benefit much from anything beyond that in real world use. It's cool to have it. But after a certain point the material has all the properties it needs to perform as well as it needs to in the real world. And it's important to remember he only really cares about edge retention. His tests are basically all about wear resistance and nothing else. He's got a damn accurate rating of steels in terms of that.

[@thiago.assumpcao]

@@noirdblunds3003 My bad. I saw a video quite a while ago with a ceramic blade that was very hard to sharpen. It wasn't even Vanax or Rex 121 I just confused the materials when I posted the comment above. I'll leave it just for the discussion. Any diamond plate can cut Vanadium carbides and even aluminum oxide stones can. Aluminum oxide is softer than Vanadium carbides but there are studies with electron microscopy on Science of Sharp showing that it actually cut these hard carbides. I still don't know how that works but the fact is that it does work. Even standard waterstones can sharpen Vanax and Rex121. The guy making the video on the ceramic blade also messed up badly. After that I've seen another video of ceramic blade sharpenning and Ito managed to get to a hair whittling edge on ceramic knife without any sand belter.

[@noirdblunds3003]

@@thiago.assumpcao Yes sir. Most people just suck at sharpening or they've never done it and just repeat forum myths,

[@noirdblunds3003]

@@thiago.assumpcao Also, watch Jende use basically 3M diamond lapping film and fixed angle system to take a ceramic blade from dull to sharp enough to shave his head.

[@thiago.assumpcao]

@@noirdblunds3003 Edson Ito managed to get a ceramic knife to hair whittling by free hand sharpening with diamond stones and diamond strop. I'm beginning to experiment with hair whittling edge but it's just standard AUS10 steel, he is on another level.

[@tombrown8800]

I'm satisfied with your tier list. I personally would rate edge retention then toughness then rust resistance , but thats just me. You can only rate them based on your own experience ( lot more than mine ) & the priorities for your use. Overall very informative , thanks.

[@joshwokojance3790]

I agree. The only thing is, that if you rate by edge retention, or toughness, or rust resistance, then you would have three different tier lists. For example, in my experience I have a knife made out of O1 that holds an edge better than some of 8cr13mov. But it’s more rust resistant than the O1.

[@MichaelE.Douroux]

Excellent work! Head and shoulders above the repetitive knife-flipping crowd who are only concerned with pandering subs and freebies. And boy, if you dare mention the obvious, they freak.

[@tonysmith9061]

Awesome video! My new steel bible.

[@grumpyoldwizard]

This is a very, very, interesting presentation. Thanks.

[@papasauce234]

Dutch Bushcraft knives tested Maxamet against K390 and it outperformed it by quite a lot.

[@geoffwatson8007]

Outstanding video mate!

[@dimi7055]

why is this channel so small i dont get it, are there so lil nerds out there? lovely job! this video is exactly how i had it in mind. ofc its hard to rank steels as it all comes down to what you prefer, toughness 3v would shine, corrosion resistance lc200n wud be way higher.. i came to find myself care about these 2 a bit more then wear resistance as i like resharpening knives anyway ;] and realistic even s30v would keep a good edge for a week of hard use and who cant realisticly get to a sharpening source in a week time if they wanted to right. great vid tho!!

[@lukaspfeiffer4751]

Why do you rate s30v higher than rwl34/cpm154 ?

[@Oozy9Millimeetah]

Because it's basically better steel, usually if you get a rwl34 knife it probably rocks a little better HT than average production s30v

[@Nudel-nc1cp]

@@Oozy9Millimeetah Bullshit... cpm154 gets finer edge, its tougher and easier to sharpen than s30v. Edge retention is just at the same level.

[@Best-gv1dm]

Is X50CRMOV15 good steel for kitchen knife, or in general?

[@Iamthedudeman00]

Great video been waiting for this video for ever! Thanks for the upload !

[@mikeydudek2885]

“X steel: I like it a lot, it has a lot of good attributes, really great stuff… D TIER!!!” Lol

[@BranGrizz]

didnt know there was a maxmoefoe equivalent for the pocket knife community, but it is a welcomed discovery for me.