Knife Steels Ranked

[@metal_complex]

My Amazon page! The gear I use here on the channel! - www.amazon.com/shop/metalcomplex Thanks so much for watching! You can support my channel on Patreon here - www.patreon.com/metalcomplex MC stickers! - www.redbubble.com/people/metal-complex/shop?asc=u

[@kjam87gxp]

Can wait to see the channel hit 1,000,000

[@metal_complex]

You're too kind

[@dfoste1487]

Carpenter 204p?

[@CoopKaiju]

Love the breakdown, I'd say I agree with most of the grading. (I'd only bump H1 because it's a perfect one-&-done truck knife. I leave it in there all seasons and never think about it. EDC though, not good at all). That said, I got to the end and was waiting for 20CV on the list. Is that a steel you are avoiding? I thought since it was the M390 killer, for sure you might lean in on it. Also, thanks for making me care about Hinderer and Demko, I think my collection was manageable, but now you are pushing me to different makers.

[@dustindye1044]

@@dfoste1487 see m390 or 20cv, they’re extremely similar metal compositions from 3 different manufacturers. In my own personal experience as an idiot that likes knives, the heat treat and grind makes the bigger difference between the 3.

[@korybenken5089]

This was a great video. watched the whole thing. Very helpful. I took notes, perhaps this will help others for reference. Knife steel rankings - by Metal Complex S: Great: S35 vn, 154 CM, CPM 154, Damasteel, 14C28N, CruWear, S45VN, Magnacut A: Very Good: M4, CTSHXP, Maxamet, Damacor, K390, LC200N, 1095, CPMd2, Rex 45 B: Pretty Good: S30v, ELMax, CPM3V, M390, ZDP189, Nitro-V, D2, tungsten carbide, terravantuim C: Ok: S90v, VG-10, N690, Aus10, 440c D: Crap: S110V, Aus8, 8C13MOV F: Don't buy ever: Surgical Stainless, H1, 420J, Cheap Damascus

[@weaklingv2]

Doin the work! 💪🏿 Thank you

[@zeromalice9981]

Oh boy this could get controversial

[@BasicPsychology101]

I'm 90% convinced he's Jack Black. He even pulls a KungFu Panda all over this vid, like this example: 8:35

[@mothman6676]

Nice to see 154CM getting some love. The old school mid-grade steels like 154CM, D2, and AUS-10A are quickly becoming my favorite category of steels just because of how friendly they are for EDC

[@joeisabella6811]

Same here. People like to forget that not that long ago 440c and the like were the super steel of their day. 20 years from now their will be people talking crap about those people's old garbage knifes being made of S35 and such! 🤣

[@chemislife]

@@joeisabella6811 what do you mean? They already are. The new must have steel to be "cool" is S45VN apparently.

[@Omniseed]

@@joeisabella6811 yeah people have been doing that over S35VN since like, three years before it finally cracked the threshold and became available for a good price instead of as a minor discount vs an M390 knife.

[@TheScottyp1]

good aus 10 a is suprising isnt it. takes a screaming edge and is tougher in my exp that 154 or s35vn. I remember i sliped with a cold steel cutting heather hose and smacked the edge into a steel shelf (HARD), no defamation or edge damage whatsoever. made me take a closet look and i like what i found.

[@mothman6676]

@@TheScottyp1 yeah I think AUS-10A is wonderful for EDC. Cold Steel in particular does an exceptional heat treat.

[@Xerber85]

This is a video I wish was available when I got into knives. After owning and using around 50+ of them in the last four years, I couldn’t agree more with many of your points. Like many knife users, I started out with a focus on super steels. Now I rarely use knives like my S110V Spyderco’s because I hate to sharpen them and much rather use mid tier steels instead. Exception to this rule is when I’m gifting a knife to someone I know won’t sharpen it themselves. Then edge retention becomes a priority.

[@PlatinumRatio]

aren't you nice. I only gift my cheap knives.

[@anonymousl5150]

How is CPM-10V compared to 154 cm?

[@yumtig7444]

Like, 10× better. However, 154CM and 440C can be mirror polished, whereas CPM-10V sadly cannot. This may give the former steels much better corrosion resistance. Otherwise, 10V is better in every (!) one respect. Like, 10× better.

[@JC_1095]

I highly agree with your perspective on steels. Nice to see people who take a more balanced approach and don't prioritize retention only at the expense of everything else like decent toughness and sharpenability. And also aren't heavily biased towards the latest hype and still give good older steels some respect.

[@anthonym6078]

Dude this was a super interesting video, so much info I'm sure I'll have to go back through and watch it again. I pretty much only bought knives in stainless steel (M390, S30/S35VN, Elmax, etc.) until I started watching a bunch of your videos talking about how awesome some of these non-corrosion resistant steels can be. So I decided to try a Cru Wear Para 3 and now I am 100% sold on those type of blade steels. I never realized how much I was missing out on by only going for stainless steels. But I live in Northern Cali, in the valley not anywhere close to the coast, and I've got the Cru Wear Para 3 and a PM2 and Lil Native in M4 and have had literally 0 corrosion issues. I oil them every couple of days or after I use them hard and that seems to do the trick. Keep up the great content, I'm stoked to see how fast this channel is growing.

[@Averitt13]

S35vn, 14c28n, and 154cm have been my favorites for a long time. This video just made my day. I also have a Boker AK47 in Aus8 that has corrosion. Aus-8 sucks.

[@MarkasTZM]

The more knives and steels I learn about, the more I love my 1095 carbon steel Moras even in PNW. Also partial to D2.

[@mdean1288]

Lived 100' from the water in Florida for 5 years and carried a Benchmade 810 in M4 every day at work (Police) ever since. A little oil and care like once in a blue moon goes a long way 😂... I've even taken it on the jetski multiple times in saltwater and it's survived. Just a good rinse and she keeps on ticking. Actually had the knife 10 years now and it's a freaking beast. Cut off pieces from wrecked cars, saved a baby and a few dogs with the built in glass breaker over the years... M4 is definitely my favorite steel.

[@senthemink]

As someone who absolutely loves sharpening, I prefer steels that can take and hold a fine edge. Stuff like 14c28n, Ar-Rpm9, Magnacut, S30v, and M390 seem to be the best for absolute laserbeam edges

[@peen2804]

Whoah, you prefer steel that can hold an edge better? I cannot even believe it holy crap brother that is 2 wild n also so crazy i cannot even brother wow

[@senthemink]

@@peen2804 I'm talking about the grit that those steels hold well. Lots of steels with better edge retention hold a more coarse edge but I prefer steels that work better with higher grit edges. Reading comprehension clearly isn't your strong suit lmfao

[@Kilt_Camera_and_Carry]

S35VN is my favorite… M390/20CV comes next … Also love my VG10, AUS10 and 14C28N … Hard pass on 8CR unless I want to practice sharpening … Love the video!

[@thestig007]

Totally agree that for a user knife, S35VN is such a nice steel. Been carrying a Sebenza as a user knife and it's been just great. Curious to see how S45VN behaves.

[@adamtrollinger61]

Extremely well! Been carrying spy pm2 s45vn past half year.... just as good but better than s35vn.

[@Phaminator525]

@@adamtrollinger61 i found s45vn to be less tough than s35vn. Mine chipped while cutting a box and hitting a staple. but defitely holds an edge longer and sharpens even easier

[@adamtrollinger61]

@@Phaminator525dang, that sucks... toughness vs hardness, I should've been a little more specific. It's not tougher than the previous version, just harder.... I've seen better wear resistance in the latter tho.

[@Phaminator525]

@@adamtrollinger61 agreed, it's definitely a very good steel would say it's better than m390 because it's so easy to sharpen. But still prefer s35vn as a user steel.

[@adamtrollinger61]

@@Phaminator525 that's like maxamet chippy lol

[@Catboy-hr2qp]

New knife maker here, glad to know the steel I chose as my practice steel which is AEB-L is actually decent, only reason I picked it, is because it's dirt cheap and easy to heat treat

[@pauldayton5285]

MC , you have no idea how happy I was to hear you say "some people say VG-10 is very similar to 154cm". I'm one of those people ! When I first got into EDC knives I bought a Spyderco Endura 4 & a Benchmade 940 in 154cm. Long story short the VG-10 on the Endura 4 was sharper out the box , stayed sharper longer , was easier to sharpen & I could get a sharper finished edge than with the 154cm. Same results with the VG-10 that came on the S.O.G. X-Ray Vision. It was such an obvious difference to me to the point where I purposely stay away from knives made in 154cm.

[@marshallmaia8130]

So would you say the problem with 154cm is it’s not easy to sharpen? I have the same problem with d2 but I’m looking to purchase a knife in 154cm but it also comes in m390 for $60 more..

[@hinklehymer6893]

Didn't feel like an hour at all! Pretty much agree with you on your rankings. Love S35VN and might be my favorite all time steel along with 1095. Both are pretty easy to sharpen and take a fantastic edge. It warmed my heart to see you ranked M390 as "C" lol

[@theknifeconnection9571]

I’m not a fan of s35. I like s45 way bettwr

[@I_Might_B_Wrong]

Happy to hear that. I’m carrying a new Seb 31 in S45 but haven’t touched it up or used it enough to decide if I prefer it yet.

[@mikepeterson2804]

I like s35vn but I feel like s45vn takes a nastier edge...not an expert though by any means.

[@hansross7417]

@@theknifeconnection9571 can you explain why

[@Phaminator525]

@@mikepeterson2804 s45vn definitely takes a nicer finer edge. But I don't like it as much as s35vn because it isn't as tough.

[@brinkee7674]

I have a bunch of VG10 and VGmax in my Japanese kitchen knives and it has stellar performance with being reasonable to sharpen. I also like M390 very much, holds an edge wicked awesome

[@underskillednunderpaid]

VGMax is wicked... super awesome food prep steel.

[@epicsasquatch452]

Thumbs up from the guy who used a Kershaw leek for 8 years. Sandvik 14c28n is one of my favorite steels. And whenever I sharpen my leek the edge feels like shattered glass. I usually just take it out to open a box or something and that's it. No fidgeting at all, no funny business, I'm freakin scared of the thing. I once closed it and accidentally sliced off a callus on my thumb, gladly it wasn't enough to make me bleed, but I was in disbelief of what happened for a few seconds. Now that I work at sportsman's warehouse, people wonder why I usually buy kershaws instead of CRKTs and Benchmades. It's simple, the steel, the lifetime warranty, and I used one for years.

[@doransponsel4813]

Same man, I lost my leek in 14c camping but I liked it so much I got another one. Got the copper handle with cpm 154 and have had it for a few years now, still my edc (although I do plan on buying a spiderco in maxamet soon)

[@adrianenciso9277]

Definitely with you on CPM-154 being as great as it is, along with AEB-L, RWL-34 and Damasteel. They take on and keep a razor sharp edge for what seems like forever, plus they’ve got tons of toughness to boot. There’s a reason why it’s the steel of choice for so many kitchen knife makers.

[@michaell397]

RWL-34 steel was developed by my mentor years ago. It is a fine, competent steel. A little hard to heat treat perfectly though. RWL-34= Robert (Bob) W. Loveless. He also introduced 154-CM to knifemaking, and flew to Japan and talked Hitachi into producing ATS-34, the equivalent of 154-cm when it became hard to get for a while. For the best edge retention on these steels, we found that a 600p grit then lightly stropped worked very well and gave it a very toothy edge. Even more can be accomplished by using a 300 t 400 grit on one side of the blade, and 600 to 1000 on the other an lightly stropped. It can more than double the edge holding of the edge. KnifeMaker

[@steelovan]

Fun video. I'd definately rank some of them differently but I admit I generally prioritize corrosion res over edge retention. Great job MC!

[@benjaminbradburn3718]

Yes from Louisiana👏

[@butcheredalive]

Same here. I’m about 20 miles from the Atlantic

[@jlock9085]

@@slicksalamander72 Lc200n is prob top 3 steels for an EDC of all time. Super balanced.

[@Zero_8347]

I'm the opposite, I would take K390 for all my knives. Let them stain! Idc as long as they're freaky sharp

[@michaell397]

@@Zero_8347 Me as well. these people are the new lazy arse generation. Any effort is above them. Bless their pitiful little lazy arse hears. Everything has to be done for them. GRRRRRR!!!!

[@_BLANK_BLANK]

I think everyone should check out big brown bear. He does a good job of showing that just because something is commonly believed about a steel doesn't mean its necessarily true. Like so and so steel is too brittle, so and so steel is too hard to sharpen, so and so steel doesn't hold an edge. There are no hard and fast answers. A decently thinly ground s110v or maxamet knife will sharpen easier than a super thick m390 blade for example. Also a well heat treated knife with good edge stability will make it less likely to chip than a poorly heat treated knife. He also has a plethora of general sharpening, and steel knowledge in general.

[@NighthawkEnforcer]

Nice breakdown. I don’t agree with all your ratings, but like you said, my uses and needs are different than yours. My current favorite steel is k390, but m4 is a easily a close 2nd. My 1095 slippies are some of the best work knives I own. My GRE bullnose is indestructible.

[@ModestGuitar]

I'm using my S110V PM2 daily for everything. I'm always out in the yard doing work with my garden and wood shop. It takes on everything. I've been told by everybody that it's going to chip or break, and the PM2 blade is so thin at the top that it's going to break off. I've had zero issues, been damn near abusing it for 2 years and it's still in perfect condition

[@Mrsmith1082]

I've had my adamas cru-wear for 2 years now as my edc and only had to hit 5 or 10 times on each side about once a week on ceramic rod. My favorite underrated steel for hard use like chopping and axes would be 5160. Tough stuff!

[@geomardomingo1672]

Thanks for making this video. Another reference video the internet didnt ask for… or deserve. Merry Christmas!

[@Mridgwell]

It's official MC you completely lost your mind !! Cool video thanks for filling my work day with entertaining videos my boss hates you

[@SpankyK]

This is all conjecture and personal preference. I can understand every point you bring up MC, my opinions differ but my needs differ. Great video my man, keep up the great content. 🤟🏻🤟🏻🤟🏻

[@xdfanatic]

Interesting ranking, the one thing that i didn't understand was why you ranked S30V 2 tiers below S35VN when most agree that there is little practical difference between those two steels. you probably have more experience with knives than I do, but i have several knives with both of those steels and don't really notice a significant difference between edge retention, corrosion resistance, toughness, or sharpening. Did you skip 420HC? so many of us are forced to use that steel at times because of leatherman tools.

[@machtmer]

In all practicality, from what I know and based upon EDC use as a pocket knife, relatively speaking all of these rankings make sense and confirm hypotheses. Can’t see anyone really having major issues with anything you’ve said, MC. Good video! 👍

[@machtmer]

I kinda feel like tungsten carbide is kinda like the 2020 version of ceramic some were messing with 20 years ago. Maybe that interpretation isn’t quite right, but I get a similar sense.

[@matthewp2209]

U just destroyed my enthusiasm waiting for my first XM-18 Slicer in M390.

[@mrj3711]

Almost a year later I bet you're still happy with your knife

[@matthewp2209]

@@mrj3711 Nope, sold it and picked up Manix M4.

[@spyhunter6411]

I'm like 8 minutes in and you ranked s35vn and s30v over s90v. Thank you! People love to prioritize these super edge steels amd I just hate them. Yeah they're great while they're sharp, but they suck so much to ReSharper I half feel like binning them.

[@michaell397]

Odd. I can re-sharpen a s90v blade in under 5 minutes. And this includes getting out my stones and cleaning and putting them away. Proper stones for the proper steels people! Sometimes it takes longer. Why? because I enjoy it and find it relaxing. But then again, I use knives for real cutting. Not just cardboard and twine. What ever the hell twine is. (Real twine was what the postal office used to use. It is a very thin, grassy cord. No one really uses it any longer. I haven't seen real twine in years). Knife Maker

[@spooldup4431]

Have an ol Kershaw with 14c28n... Love it. Carried for a decade, still looks good and really holds an edge

[@appalachiangunman9589]

In my experience S35VN seems to be harder to sharpen than S30V. My S35VN knives are a Chris Reeve Pacific fixed blade and a ZT 0450. S30V is Spyderco PM2 and Para 3, and a Benchmade 945 “mini Osborne”.

[@TheCrimsonWolf]

I just love it. All the info, the attitude, the stories, I loved hearing about it. I do not own any cool knives (a cool knife being an actual knife and not an imitation knife box cutter) at all, but very recently I've decided that I would love to make the jump and purchase something I would love showing off. Your experiences in this video have been SO informative, and helped me select the perfect knife for me. I unfortunately have Hyperhidrosis, which means that any blade I hold or touch that doesn't have much corrosion resistance will probably crap up since I SWEAT like an orangutan in the Sahara idk

[@I_Might_B_Wrong]

CPM-154 and 154CM being “stupidly underrated” is spot on. They straight up perform even to this day. They just aren’t the latest and greatest.

[@jonathanoehlert5672]

Glad to hear this. I have a 154CM that can't hold an edge. So, it must be a bad heat treat.

[@I_Might_B_Wrong]

@@jonathanoehlert5672 That's likely. The best 154CM I've used has been from Emerson Knives, though a lot of people consider them out of their price range for what you get for the money.

[@daveyboy6985]

@@jonathanoehlert5672 definitely must be a bad heat treat. 154cm should have good edge retention.

[@drscopeify]

Good video! My backup knife is the SOG that has like 10 different names, Access Card, SOGAC79, money clip knife, whatever it has VG10 and even though it sits in my wallet I actually end up using it more than anything else I own and after so much abuse, cutting wires, boxes, poking things, as a screw driver, I even use it pretty often to carve numbers on wood so someone knows where it goes and yet I only end up putting it to the leather randomly. It probably cuts like crap now but its my totally unexpected workhorse hah.

[@brianw8243]

Let’s see if this helps after our long debate about the D2 and CPM-D2 and so on from last nights live! Lol thanks MC!

[@DB.KOOPER]

I live in the PNW and spend a considerable amount of time each year in the backcountry using a knife whether it be rafting or hunting or just camping... my most used knives are 1095 (Tops Brakimo and an ESEE 4HM). IF you take care of knives "corrosion resistance" is really a non-issue and surface rust can be easily cleaned up.

[@oasisborja6885]

Great vid. Thanks for making the time to make this. It helps me a lot. Now that i am starting to sharpen my own blades.

[@eduardorivera4100]

For the performance and ease of sharpening I would have gave S30 an A

[@jonesman.556]

Spyderco zdp-189 is excellent and sharpens super well, ive done 16 and 19% edges and it does great for both. Now i do handsharpen on dmt diamond stone so that could be different

[@janjimpson240]

I've noticed that 3V is pretty stainless. I have a bradford guardian 3 and 4 with uncoated 3V. The guardian 4 has lived in a leather sheath and I've had them for about a year, no blemishes or hints of oxidation. Noted, I don't live in a humid area (did carry the g3 for two months in midland Texas which gets very humid), and they're like a polished stonewash, but there's no signs of patina. Also very easy to sharpen and holds its edge fairly well

[@treypayne2717]

Plus it's much tougher than 1095 and 1095 is a beast

[@aznelite325]

I have to agree with you, my 3V has been surprisingly decent at corrosion resistance for not being stainless. Definitely a step above the standard carbon steels and even Cruwear in that regard.

[@AVH8TOR]

The maxamet knife you got from your wife back in the day. It was the one that got me into maxamet. Ended up getting the same one with the gray g10. Love it. Oh, and I sharpened mine once in two ish years. I used a super fine diamond plate 1200, with a .5 µm diamond strop. Cuts finer than frog hair.

[@tormentedslayer7498]

ROTFLMFAO! The cave man voice when you started talking about 14C28N, ohh god..had me cracking up!

[@jeffhicks8428]

zdp holds an edge like 10v and sharpens like vg10. It's an amazing user steel for things like high end high performance kitchen knives especially but edc also. It's stainless enough for most things. It's tough enough for most things, but nowhere near something you'd use for a machete.

[@snapdiscgolf]

ZDP-189 on the dragonfly has crazy edge retention. I cut boxes with it all day, every day, and then strop it at night to keep it shaving sharp.

[@michaell397]

Exactly! ;

[@slick3129]

I use D2 exclusively for working knives; I can beat the hell out of it and touch it up later. It's also getting to a point that D2 is very affordable so there are more price points. I'm not knocking any other steel, just stating a preference for a blade I'm not afraid to use and abuse.

[@voltsoftruthBSbuster]

If you like D2, look in DC53 its a modified version of D2, basically D2 on steroids. Typically A2 is considered tougher than D2 but DC53 is as tough as A2 if not slightly tougher. Lots of large blades are made from it

[@slick3129]

@@voltsoftruthBSbuster Thanks, I had never heard of it. I like D2 for my everyday work knives. it's very good, cheap, and sharpens easily.

[@northeastpsychos]

I imagine the carbide will require special stones or will be just impossible to sharpen. It’s incredibly hard. I’m a machinist and use carbide endmills to mill carbon steel and stainless, even hardened D2. Usually need a diamond grind wheel to put a properly new sharpened edge on it.

[@michaell397]

They do make synthetic diamond stones ya know. Gesh!

[@PlatinumRatio]

only diamond will touch it. No stones will, and aluminium oxide might scuff it at a push... depending on the tungsten.

[@PlatinumRatio]

@@michaell397 All diamond grit is synthetic. It's still not cheap. Would cost a few $1000 p/gram. 2000 grit will act like about 800 grit on tungsten, regards the finish, and you'll bet at it for days.. depending on the carbide.

[@jamesgentry6864]

" knives are expensive, I'm not made of money" as he slides his damacore custom and rockstead out of the way! 🤣 I love it!!

[@jameshealy4594]

OMG how did I miss this! MC suggests all 420J knives be put on an island and nuked, all I can think is "420J is Japanese steel". 😅😂

[@MrJohnny333]

I have a knife in Adamantium steel and i absolutely love it, the best steel in my opinion.

[@CapFlipGaming]

It's a little too heavy to EDC unless your name is Logan.

[@Make-Asylums-Great-Again]

I got a Para 2 in S45VN it’s all murdered out factory and I love it.

[@DecayingReality]

M390>cpm-154>M4 my top 3 steels of all time. It’s all about heat treatment anyway. Vg10 laminated is insane...if you cut a lot of carpet m390 is the only blade that last all day for me.

[@ikemanreed]

I just bought a used sandrin Torino carbon fiber and it had tiny chips in the blade and was filled with mud and I sharpened it for like an hour or two with the worksharp precision adjust sharpener (120$) and I got it from super dull to insane level sharpness and I was able to get rid of both chips. Love the knife so much I'm cleaning it now and Polishing. I might polish the blade to mirror finish

[@sman5517]

MC was born to make KZbin videos.. dude even starts this video off by pretty much saying "I don't really know what I'm talking about" buuuut... guess what? I watched the whole damn thing and enjoyed it... 😂. Great job MC, I really appreciate your content!

[@CarlAquaForce]

I just took my Benchmade 154cm Autostryker to my new Work Sharp Precision Elite and it made that thing shine like a mirror, scary sharp. 👏

[@DeltaBadeMaker]

I am a maker and work mainly in 52100 whiich is a great steel. I made myself and a couple other knives in cpm d2. I really have liked using it. A big part of the cost however which is not thought of is grinding difficult. I will burn through 2x to 3x more abrasives on the d2 than with others, easily spending 15 ti 20 bucks on abrasives just to grind a really small knife. Sharpening is oddly not much more difficult just because of how thin I grind my knives. They are half to a third the thickness at edge compared to factory knives. For this reason I also gravitate to more tough steels that allow the thin-ness without chipping. I can not wait to try cpm m4. I also agree that stainless is overdone somewhat. I live in arkansas where it feels like a wet blanket outside all the time. WIth a good finish such as stone wash, acid etch, or even fine satin with wax just does not rust very easy. I have so much I could say more but really you did a good job in the video. Mr Thomas is awesome by the way,, he has helped me a lot with his website make my knives better! Qvist blades is another great guy, he is super nice and actually is the person that designed my logo!

[@grantwitt4962]

I just put this on while I was sharpening my 20cv bugout. Entertaining to here you rant lol. Helps pass the time.

[@GLOCKsh00ter24]

I cut up a ton of boxes with my Slim in M398. After I was done it didn't seem like I cut anything. Still shaving sharp. I'm sure the geometry of the Slim helped quite a bit.

[@CameronDC-Grimes]

I have a Damascus Folding knife with VG-10 core and it holds sharpness very well. The knife was on sale for $37, the Damascus has 38 Folds per side for a total of 77 Folds. In my experience, it's easy to sharpen, holds it's edge but it can get dings in the sharp edge when widdling wood but only when hitting wood hard and easy reshapes and holds 59-60HRC and it's a great stainless steel with enough carbon to add sufficient hardness while being hard to chip. I have no clue if VG-10 has multiple grades, I just know that many high end Japanese Chef kitchen cutlery blades use VG-10 Core with Damascus bonded jacket, sometimes with a copper inlay for a dope look.

[@mattadler4710]

all in all, I agree with a lot of what you said here. I'm absolutely nuts about S35VN too. I think I like AUS10A a bit more than you do, and I think I hate AUS8 a little less, but mostly, Ive had a lot of the same experiences with these steels. Nice job on the video man.

[@Drewski423]

I’ve got a Benchmade Mediator in s90v. A Bugout and 940 Osborne in s30v. I’ve used them all for months and months and they’ve all hell a hell of an edge. I’ve cut rope, cardboard, hay string, rubber, you name it.

[@guyfromnj]

I have a really funny visual in my head of you killing wolf spiders with that tiny spiderco. Lol. Best quote ever-Surgical Stainless=POOPOO TOWN!!!

[@nicodiaz627]

I agree with most of this, but I do have to say s110v is way better than s90v in my opinion. Its easier to sharpen and although its not the greatest, I enjoy it a great deal for my personal use. Other than that I placed most of the steels in the same tiers.

[@revolvermaster4939]

I used a Spyderco Military S30V working offshore for years. I could do the whole 14 day shift without sharpening or cleaning it. Now retired, my EDC is a K390 Police 4.

[@matthewlaidlaw1570]

I recently bought a cold steel Ad-15 and I was overjoyed to hear it's well worth what I've heard of it's steel quality

[@timtitus2532]

I agree with almost every choice you made, some more than others. Some of these I have no experience with as the material exceeds my ability to purchase. Keep doing what you do, I appreciate your efforts and guidance in the world of folding knives.

[@jonnybgoode8044]

S90v happens to be one of my favorites. Can’t say it’s harder to sharpen (freehand) but it will take longer even at 60 Rc. But that edge lasts longer than s35vn.

[@CNYKnifeNerd]

S90v is my favorite stainless steel, but I certainly understand how it could be a C in some people's opinion. Sure, if you're cutting clean cardboard all day long then s90v has better edge retention but in real word, non-ideal situations the extra toughness of s35vn helps preserve the edge from things that would dull s90v. Also, s35vn is one of the easiest/quickest stainless steels to strop back. I don't even particularly like s35vn, but for many people it could be the absolute best steel for their uses.

[@newhuskytwenty]

My EDC is a sprint run Delica in CPM S90V for good reasons

[@lymedog3176]

Larrin Thomas said next to Magnacut , 14c28n probably is the best overall pocket knife steel. I gotta say , I don’t always agree with you on knives and prices , but I’m definitely on par with you on steel level choices! Good job on the level picks! I literally picked identical to your picks except AUS 8 and k390 I’d give aus8 C tier and k390 S tier (with k390 most Knife YTers would agree including Pete from Cedric and Ada)

[@GymmyJosh]

We could have all gotten through this much quicker if he didn’t speculate on how much people disagree with him

[@brutusgallicus3568]

My experience with VG-10 steel has been mixed. I had a Spyderco that was hard to get a really good edge on, but would lose that edge quickly. I actually just left the knife at the range so I wouldn't have to see it again. On the other hand the VG-10 in Fallkniven knives has been superb, extremely sharp and easy to touch up. It's hard to beat an an S-1 in laminated VG-10 for a field knife.

[@TheScottyp1]

aus 10 puts vg10 to shame. vg 10 is only good for chefs knives imo. verry thin sharp edges maintained daily

[@gmoney5947]

🤣😂 I guess blade design and heat treatment play a larger factor than the blade steel? Or at least this is the case for the spyderco.

[@jimmycricket7946]

Don't like vg10 at all I'd rather have a well done AUS10 it's much tougher too. I've always really liked m4 but after using Rex45 @67 HRC it easily became my new favorite steel.

[@dustindye1044]

I’m glad this video exist, it makes me feel normal for my love of 154 and 14c28n in a daily pocket use. They take stupid sharp edges without hours of madness on a stone. Plus chainsaws and axes are more effective at chopping down trees, bricks are better breaking windows, an actual screwdriver works better than the spine of my knife, and i can buy a “box-cutter” and dozen razor blades for 20 bucks if the cardboard robots take over. But that unexpected moment when I get a chance to cut the tape on a package, shave my own arm hair, or even cut a piece of thread off my clothing. those are priceless moments that make me a proud knife nerd.

[@Cyanoblades]

i think coated M4 is one of my favorites.

[@richbroadway4059]

Great video MC! So glad you explained the difference between D2 and CPM D2. Now I know why my Praetorian Scout is so expensive!!

[@richardbridges7962]

Enjoy your videos, even the ones you yak for almost 4 minutes before "getting in to it" But your yakking is informative lol, thanks for all the info

[@knownaigm]

I agree with so much of this and honestly appreciate you cutting through a lot of the steel snob mysticism and bullshit. All these people chasing the ultra god-tier edge retention are either A: not sharpening their own knives, B: not actually using them as a regular tool, or C: all of the above. I actually stopped carrying my really high hardness edge retention knives to work because, like every steel, they DO go dull at some point and they're a fucking nightmare to sharpen on the job. Doesn't matter if it's a $5000 ultra premium highest edge retention knife... the fucking thing WILL go dull in a day to day working tool role. Ease of sharpening on the job can make a basic steel a better choice than some super steels. I also don't understand why everyone these days is so obsessed with corrosion resistance when 98% of any corrosion issue is instantly eliminated by simply wiping the fucking blade off. Hell I've taken D2, 1095, 1084, and other carbon steels on rainy kayak camping trips and, sure, you get some rust spots... but do you know how long you'd have to intentionally neglect even simple high-carbon steels to actually cause any damage??? A long fucking time. So so so so much of the steel nerd hype shit is just marketing BS meant to sell more knives and so so so many people eat it up hook line and sinker. Furthermore, geometry and heat treat play a much bigger role in the function of the blade than a lot of people realize.

[@felurianmasters4369]

I mostly agree with you here. But edge retention god tier is most important to me as I can plan and predict sharpening schedule for it. But use my knife all day nearly every day. Just my 2 cents, but so far the carbon steels have way out performed the stainless anything hands down. Carbides are helping me and I'm always handling my knife so the lack thereof benefits me zero, as corrosion doesn't come into play. I feel like stainless is only desirable for food utensils, or sterile operation.

[@felurianmasters4369]

I use lansky diamond crossed with there carborundum and haven't run into a metal i can't sharpen. But having a knife go dull then have to pull out the carbide razor blade that I have as a back up, defeats the purpose of the knife, and the carbides aren't cheap to replace. They last very long though.. but still. Just saying as a data point. If it matters to someone somewhere

[@roydied15]

I have a protech Emerson CQC auto that I’ve carried daily for the last 5 years. I have to agree that 154CM is a god tier steel. It gets RAZOR sharp and holds an edge for a long, long time. And once it’s dull, it’s personally one of the easiest steels to sharpen if you have a good sharpening system. I use the “work sharp” which kinda messes up the factory edge, but like the OP said, I too detest sharpening knives (and cleaning guns and all that other stuff that fudds find therapeutic) so 154CM is a god send to me

[@motivationseeker60]

Fun video. 154CM got me excited when i saw it as your top favorites

[@louferrigno4712]

I love how you used the anime ranking system.

[@AVA787]

Every now and then, I come back to this video just to hear you call surgical stainless “poo poo town.” Warms my heart.

[@zyrelcampo2402]

I totally and absolutely agree with your assessment! Wouldn't change anything!

[@jamespinkston2988]

Loved the video. I know you went through a bunch but there were some I would have liked to see you rank. Like 9cr18mov and 10cr15mov. Also, I think in the lower brackets, it's more about the heat treat than the steel itself. I'd take Buck's 420 over pretty much any 8cr13mov.

[@ziggarillo]

Buck 🤣

[@tonysa2337]

​@@ziggarillo Is Buck beneath you?😂

[@acid6urns]

spydercos 8cr is better than bucks 420in every way except maybe toughness. that’s one thing 420 steels have going for them is ridiculous toughness

[@HugeCoffeeAddict]

What about 20CV? I just ordered the kershaw link in it, and was hoping to see it in the list. Hope I didn't just space out if you did cover it lol edit: nvm remembered 20cv is supposed to mirror m390

[@meloralovesdarkness2495]

You know your steel and knives pknolage all! Do not discredit your Knolwege ever! You are smartter than you think!I learned lots from you! If I want to learn more, I will go to higher professionals! Thank You for sharing your knolage to us! As I do as well!

[@shadygraves]

"Knives get up to a thousand bucks?" 🤣 So far, I've only seen a couple of $45,000 knives personally. I just got my 5th Benchmade, which is the Bailout. That partially serrated CPM M4 tanto blade makes it my favorite knife of all. It's like 3 blades in 1! I own knives that cost twice as much but I just love this one.

[@deplorabledave1048]

I've made the deep dive in to knives now. Steel comparison. Life is a balance between brittleness, edge retention and EASE of sharpening!!!

[@1337flite]

I totally agree - I want easy to sharped as much or more than edge retention. And I want to be able to get a fairly sharp edge. Both ease of sharpening and ability to gain a sharp edge are higher than edge retention for me.

[@chawnslopoke2619]

Just realized I'm old lol Ats 34 5160 o1 420 hc 1055 were really common before I've carried 154cm for 20 years straight awesome, replaced it with cpm 145 and just got a livewire in magnacut. Never even heard of it but it seems nice so far. Thank you

[@JayMCalhoun]

Fantastic video! Very useful- thanks!

[@havoc1zero]

I use thin ground Japanese carbon steel knives for my food prep. But I cook regularly and love to maintain my kitchen knives. To me, there’s no competition when it comes to long, hard use kitchen stuff.

[@AaronDennis]

D2 has been the most variable steel I've ever used and sharpened. Some D2 has been really good and other has been chippy crap. Obviously geometry and heat treat likely has a lot to do with it. I also think much of the cheap Chinese D2 is either cr12mov (still considered D2 with lower vanadium) or is something else and labeled D2 which may made a difference.

[@Existntlangst]

GREAT VIDEO!!! THANK YOU! This "expert user" opinion video provides such great info. Thanks!

[@little2826]

I don't hate aus8. Its stainless and very easy to sharpen. It has about the same edge retention as d2 in my experiance and perfectly fine for a 35 dollar knife in my opinion. I have sone old aus 8 knives I bought before i was a real collector and they are still slicing away. I dig 154cm and s35vn.

[@bullridermusic2054]

Man was I so happy to see you loving 154cm and the other variants along with s35vn I got my Pro-Techs (TR-3 and SBR) with those Steels and I got to say, they do absolutely fall in with the best as far as functionality. I just can't believe how sharpe of an edge I get using my Wicked Edge System on my TR3 with 154CM, it's unbelievable, great video man!

[@aberdeenblades]

Fun video - can’t wait to see what types of steels are yet to come, that we haven’t even seen yet 👍

[@CNYKnifeNerd]

Vancron is the closest current example of what future knife steel is going to be.

[@barkingspider2007]

Spyderco does a great job with ZDP189 S class in my opinion. Thanks for the video 😎👍

[@Algarvian2001]

Honestly if some goblin secretly swaps all my knives into aus-8, I wouldn't notice 🥲 Nice vid

[@traviswrigg5158]

On the Tungsten Carbide, allegedly (not speaking from my own experience, just going based off what Sandrin has to say) it's really hard to sharpen and their expectation is that once your Sandrin goes dull you send it in to them because they have the special tooling to do it. According to them, it's been a hilariously low number of knives that have been sent in for touch ups

[@julianpetkov8320]

It is easy to sharpen, it only takes longer.

[@Spanky8402]

I love my Nitro V knife. I am so glad that you said something good about that. Yeah, you put it in the B category, but I don't have experience with good knives. Most of my past knives were garbage knives. The only past knife that lived through my childhood is a D2 knife. It's hilarious that both are B category for you. If I bought a more expensive knife, like the Damascus knife I just bought, I would probably shelf Queen it. I definitely see what you mean by garbage Damascus and good Damascus.

[@darryljuice9058]

I thought you were going to spit on the floor after mentioning H1. Lol. Hilarious