Why Budget Steel Doesn't Suck For Daily Use

The CRKT Piet did everything I needed it to do. And it always does. The steel on it is zero issue.
Thoughts on this? As always comment below or email me at [e-mail]

[@jeremyspaulding7735]

I really don't have a steel preference. I tend to enjoy them all and since I own many knives and can sharpen them the steel really isn't a deciding factor for me. Great video 👍

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Exactly. I wish the collectors would understand that mentality!

[@kevz9364]

Very True, I have a few too many expensive knives but in the end low cost can get the job done. Good video, think I'll keep my few fancy knives. I use them all though.

[@JTsKnifeLife]

I wouldn't get rid of them either hahaha, just saying then cheaper stuff works pretty well too!

[@barrylevitt1170]

I agree with you simply because the super steels are just too hard to sharpen and like you my knives do not get used heavily. My favorite user steel is CTS-BD1N, it will hold a edge almost as long as S30V and strops, or using a sharpmaker, bring the blade back to a razor's edge quickly. The two knives with this steel I use are the Spyderco Para 3 lightweight and the UK penknife. Do you find the Spyderco ASTUTE slippery in your grip or not??? Have you tried the Spyderco CAT, which has the CTS-BD1N steel??? THANK YOU for the information and all the time and effort you put into your informative videos. Have a great day and stay safe.

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Hi Barry, I haven't had any problems with the Astute in hand, been pretty good for me. As for BD1N, I have a Spyderco kitchen knife that has it and I like how easy it is to mantain. I have owned a Cat, but it was an older version in 440C. I knew they had upgraded to BD1, didn't know it was in BD1N though.

[@chronovore3726]

Super steels might require diamond stones or more work to sharpen. However, there are better budget steels like 12C27 that aren't tough to sharpen.

[@randyf.9188]

It is ok for daily tasks of the average user, which includes myself. But I do appreciate the better materials, construction and tolerances. Now I'm behind, gotta rearrange the sock drawer. Thanks for the reminder 😁

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Hahahaha hope you got that sock drawer straightened out!

[@2873lonewolf]

JT I support your point in this subject, yet still feel compelled to comment on it. For those knife people that are NOT knife connoisseurs or multiple knife collectors, that don't use a knife often, CRKT 8cr is enough for them. They can learn to use a sharpmaker and maintain after every use. Where I disagree is, CRKT 8cr is garbage. I would recommend Cold steel 8cr, because the heat treat is so much better and it DOES make a difference. For anyone using a knife 2+ days a week, 9cr would be much better suited and holds an edge/sharp much longer. 9cr wouldn't have to be sharpened after every use. I am a steel snob, yes I am, but I still retain budget steel knives for my everyday carry (9cr or D2). I know its all personal preference and am not trying to knock any persons decision making, but from years of use myself before getting into $100++ knives, I can not recommend 8cr. Thanks for all you contribute to the community, its people like you that keep the hobby going in right directions.

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Thanks a lot for the feedback, much appreciated. I'll disagree with 8Cr being garbage though. If something accomplishes everything you need from it, how can it be garbage? For example, my dad only has a cell phone in order to text or for emergency phone calls. Compared to my phone, his sucks. But for him it does everything he needs and more, so it can't be garbage.

[@2873lonewolf]

@@JTsKnifeLife We can agree to disagree on this one. Thanks for all you do 👍

[@lionknives3]

I like that I can sharpen my Knives real quick. 5 minutes and you can shave your head with it. But sometimes you are tired and what not, and you don't have the time to sharpen every day or twice a week. Greetings from Austria my Friend JT!

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Greetings buddy!

[@Didier090765]

Got my sock drawer rearranged, thanks 😅!

[@JTsKnifeLife]

🤣🤣🤣

[@03_austindrake88]

My sock drawer thanks you. jk lol I am definitely not a steel snob. If there's a knife that I like and it only comes in 8cr13mov, I will still get it and use it. Great video once again JT!

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Exactly! 8Cr13MoV is nobody's favorite, but it's just fine dammit!

[@FYLbingbong]

great looking knife really like the pop of blue 💙

[@JTsKnifeLife]

It is a good looking one, yeah!

[@dunndicles]

7:39...”Knife review is a young man’s game”. 😂 Great video! I do crap like this with my knives all the time. I have “good knives” and “cheap knives” and they all seem to get the job done. Thanks for the vid, Brother! 🍺

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Thanks for watching! Glad I gave you a laugh!

[@gt-ct9012]

I think a lot can be said for a steel can do all that cutting, then be run over the bottom of a coffee mug or strop and be back to 90% of where it stared. I carried 8cr for years and years and never felt the need to buy crazy expensive sharping systems or stones. It really is more steel than most will ever need

[@JTsKnifeLife]

I really understand some of the frustrations people have with it when it comes to competitive value, but in a functional sense, I just don't see it as a problem. Sure, I've had some crappy 8Cr, but that's more if an issue with Grind or heat treat than the steel itself.

[@gt-ct9012]

@@JTsKnifeLife yea at a certain price point it not ok anymore, think that's why I stayed away from Al Mar for so long. Which is a shame. I recently got a little $30 dollar AlMar flipper from Drop and while its cheap in most senses of the word, their is something surprisingly pleasant about it.

[@paulaustin1234]

Your right JT about budget steel.

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Much appreciated!

[@matusknives]

That Pilar is a great little knife, just to state the obvious. And yes, you have a point. If the knife holds an edge to get through the job it needs to do for a couple of days, then the steel is probably good enough.

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Well said. Thanks for watching!

[@rickkerans8485]

For most days it would be fine. Cardboard, letters string are easily handle the majority of my cutting needs daily. Thankd for this video. What a sharpe knife. What do you use to sharpen your knives??

[@JTsKnifeLife]

I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker. Nothing fancy, but it works well provided I don't completely dull an edge.

[@rbs1889]

Totally agree with all points made.

[@JTsKnifeLife]

👍 Thank you!

[@majergens]

Not all 8cr's are created equal: quality of the raw materials which make up the steel aside, it really depends on the heat treat. A well-done 8CR could outperform a poorly done S35VN in some applications.

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Exactly! Which makes the stamp on the blade even less important!

[@chronovore3726]

Based on what I've experienced, the best 8Cr13Mov still falls well short of the worst S35VN. However, we do see that kind of overlap with the next level up in budget steels like 14C28N and 9Cr18Mov.

[@majergens]

@@chronovore3726 good to know!

[@chronovore3726]

@@majergens Check out Outpost 76's channel for cut tests on those steels. Also, King Crimson is amazing.

[@majergens]

@@chronovore3726 Thanks for the referrel! I went ahead and sub'd as it looks to have a ton a great info. Long time fan of King Crimson. :-)

[@BornIn1500]

People use the excuse of "I need better steel" to try and justify their expensive pocket jewelry purchase. 8cr would just fine for nearly everyone.

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Exactly!

[@Rick-mo2zm]

It's true in a sense, though those of us that really use our knives fairly hard on a day to day basis (warehouse work) tend to like something better than 8cr. Yes, it will certainly do the job that day...but will it perform the same 3-4 days later as it did the first day? Absolutely not. If you're someone that doesn't have free time once you're home to sharpen or touch up your knife every day or every other day, then a premium steel is the better choice.

[@JTsKnifeLife]

@@Rick-mo2zm You are 100% correct there. That type of situation is exactly what I was referring to in the closing summary of the video.

[@Sherrodja]

Now available in D2 blade steel

[@stephenbarone4053]

Even though I lean towards the high end steels, I am constantly stroping them so I don’t have to sharpen them. So I’m basically in the same boat either way.

[@tranders365]

I agree. I actually prefer the budget friendly steels. Easier for me to sharpen without elaborate stones. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@JTsKnifeLife]

That's the truth!

[@patrickg8744]

It's like any technology, its "good enough" until you look back 10 years later and wonder how anyone got by! sure these budget steels arent so bad, but I think the steels are used for market segmentation. I think they intentionally put 8Cr on some of these knives, knowing it will push the steel snob towards a more expensive option. The rising tide floats all ships, and it will be wonderful when a legitimately excellent steel like BD1N is what they are using for budget knives. I dont know if we'd ever get there without steel snobbery

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Snobbery does move the needle of quality, but man I gotta say, quality is already pretty darn good.

[@johnscarborough4746]

I'm ok with 8cr as a floor for EDC as long as the knife is priced accordingly. My primary disqualification for budget blades is "D2" steel, just because of the vast disparity in performance from maker to maker.

[@JTsKnifeLife]

It can fluctuate quite a bit, that's for sure

[@markcoffman494]

Ohhhh man what a great video!! Try the Byrd line, their 8cr is incredibly good

[@JTsKnifeLife]

I've had a few Byrds. Spyderco in general seems to do a solid job with 8Cr.

[@chronovore3726]

While 8Cr13Mov isn't the worst, better steels are becoming more available at competitive prices. If you could have 12C27, 14C28N, 9Cr18Mov, Acuto 440, etc. instead of 8Cr13Mov for around the same price; why wouldn't you want the upgrade?

[@JTsKnifeLife]

I definitely would want the upgrade. But I'd rather have a knife design that I love with 8cr on it than a knife design that I just sort of like with a slightly better steel, if that makes sense.

[@chronovore3726]

@@JTsKnifeLife I get it. Since Tangram, Civivi, and Ruike came onto the scene, I stopped buying 8Cr13Mov even when I liked the designs. Companies like CRKT, Kershaw, Gerber, etc. keep using 8Cr13Mov (or worse) because they can. Being in big box stores has helped to protect them from the brands using better steels at the same prices. Since the pandemic, I've been hoping to see that change. I want to stop seeing cool designs "wasted" with bad steels. I say "bad" versus those other steels: 9Cr18Mov, Acuto 440, 12C27, 14C28N, etc. All of those steels can cut circles around 8Cr13Mov and aren't hard to sharpen. All of those steels can be had around the same price. I think those big brands need a kick in the pants. I'm sure they could give us better steel, if they felt the need. So I'm quick to challenge anyone defending their status quo, if that makes sense.

[@jonrost5574]

I am not real picky about the steel on my knife. Even some buck 440hc won’t let me down in daily use. Literally the only time I really care about the steel on my knife is on my bushcraft knife because my life literally depends on it.

[@omegarad123]

These days it's hard to tell where budget steel ends and high end steel begins...cpm s30 v and cpm 154cm use to be considered higher end knife steels but now they've seemed to have fallen drown the steel charts..almost a (budget highend) if you will...sliding into that same category you'll find vg10 as well.

[@bigsean2473]

cpm154 or 154cm not cpm 154cm.

[@JTsKnifeLife]

When I started in knives, S30V was the be all end all. Everyone wanted knives with that steel, it was so premium and cutting edge. Now steel has advanced, sure, but has cardboard? Has rope? Is S30V any less great than it was? Nope. It's still great.

[@omegarad123]

Agreed...just saying what use to be the blade steel to have is now going on less expensive knives...when ZT knives first came out s30v is what put the price up so high for example.

[@stephenbarone4053]

I remember when the original Native was the only knife you could get in S30v for less than $110.

[@bigsean2473]

@@stephenbarone4053 so when did the s35vn one come out? and why they stop makingit?

[@kidseatfree]

How do I like this video more than once?

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Create a second account? Hahaha thanks for the support!

[@tacticalcenter8658]

You can keep all the crkt knives for yourself.

[@JTsKnifeLife]

I will!

[@napsterninja]

No Star Wars memorabilia?!

[@JTsKnifeLife]

I try as often as possible to squeeze some in!

[@Zen_Ali_123]

"What needed to get cut, got cut." Of course, everyone should grow and evolve n'all, but damn it, I just can't resist. DON'T EVER CHANGE JT ✊

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Hahahaha thanks buddy, I appreciate you!

[@gregorywalker4997]

my five dollar folding razor knife has cut bales of this stuff probably faster and easier.

[@JTsKnifeLife]

Which only helps solidify my point. 👍

[@jpolhamus71]

8 cr isn't that bad sharpens easy. Its a working man's steel

[@JTsKnifeLife]

I agree with that. 👍