I was gonna say Elmax also, problem is I still haven't really used it and sharpened it.
I guess I am not real picky in regards to steel being stainless or not, as long as it is done correctly. Each year I happily tote 1095, D2, A2, 52100, and/or or O-1 afield more than any of the stainless steels. 5160 and 1076-6C also.
If you think about it:
1095 remains the most popular knife steel of all time.
D2 is favored by more custom makers than any other steel IMO.
Convex ground A2 is the favorite or most widely used steel by Bark River. Which produces arguably the most popular and best made semi production fixed blade knife today.
Convex ground 52100 (ball bearing steel) is what Marbles used a lot of, and their knives are known to flat out cut. It is also a very tough steel. They remain one of the top 3 most collected knives in the world.
FWIW, Marbles also just happened to put out some the best (heat treated) 1095 of probably anybody ever. Not JMO, but Bob Dozier's and Ed Fowler's as well (amongst others). The 1076-6C they put out was amazing in several rope cutting tests.
And O-1 is what Randall uses. The most well known custom knife maker in the U.S. and maybe the world. Jim Behring of Treeman knives is a huge fan of Scagel, Randall, and Marbles. He uses mainly convex ground O-1, and his knives cut better than well.
He!! I used a Buck 105 on probably 20 whitetail. They do 420 as well as anyone ever has. It doesn't hold an edge as long as the others, but sharpens extremely easily and I don't know wtf it would take to make it rust cuz believe me, I have tried. It is easily the most rust proof knife steel I have ever encountered. Touch it up after every 1-2 critters, and it is good to go. I will probably hand that knife down to my nephew in Colorado.
LOTS of great steels out now. I have nothing bad to say about the stainless S30V, 154, Elmax, VG-10, or ATS-34. Have even been known to slum some 440C.
But when it comes down to it, I still think convex ground tool steel with a wicked heat treat is the most cuttingest stuff out there.
JMO....
