ditto to timberbuck on the folders using the newer alphabet alloys. m4, zdp189, m390 & if one is careful not to twist blades while at bone the discontinued 60v [ but still being used by custom makers]. the super differance is easily verifible by just counting your cuts in the same strength cardboard. if bevels & sharpness are about the same the newer alloys will cut many more times before they fail to slice a page from the yellow pages.i have found buck's heattreat of s30 & the modest price to be a bargain.diamonds are the best way to keep your edges sharp but one advantage is that the least amount of sharpening you have to perform --the longer the knife will last.some of the old alloys such as 1095 & a2 can be tweaked to perform at much higher levels but these custom makers can be much more expensive.cranky72
