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What are your opinion on the best steel for an EDC 2.9-3.4" under $200 folder. Here are some choices, but you can add others. The only limiter is that it has to be in regular production and be available in multiple makers/models. S30V, S35VN, CPM154, CPM20CV, Elmax, CTS-XHP, others? I added the size range because I'm talking about everyday knife tasks, not large extreme duty knives. Let the "fun" begin... grin

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Add D2, M390, M4...


Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
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Originally Posted by MOGC
Add D2, M390, M4...

I've read that M390 is almost identical to 20CV. Back to the original question--what's your opinion?

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I'm happy with any of them... But I know you want a pick, so the easy answer is S30V.


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Originally Posted by UPhiker
Originally Posted by MOGC
Add D2, M390, M4...

I've read that M390 is almost identical to 20CV. Back to the original question--what's your opinion?


Worth a read
https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/03...generation-powder-metallurgy-technology/


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PM2 M390


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Originally Posted by MontanaCreekHunter
Originally Posted by UPhiker
Originally Posted by MOGC
Add D2, M390, M4...

I've read that M390 is almost identical to 20CV. Back to the original question--what's your opinion?


Worth a read
https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/03...generation-powder-metallurgy-technology/

I actually understood most of that, but the pictures and charts helped. smile Thanks!

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Originally Posted by MontanaCreekHunter
PM2 M390

I checked with 4 major retailers (DLT, Blade HQ, Knives Ship Free, Knifecenter) and they are all sold out. What would be choice #2?

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Bugout in s30v is a good pick.

Next folder i get will prolly be the Hogue Doug Ritter model.

I carry cheap rat2 everyday at work.

Steel snobs will frown at the AUS8. It’s easy to sharpen.

It’ll work for opening boxes, skinning wire, scraping gaskets amd if lost - ~$25.






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�The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.� Lou Holtz



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Gee, I'm more than happy with my GEC slippy in 1095. Also have an AUS8 blade I use most often when processing game but that's not a folder.

I'm a fan of automatics and prefer light weight knives. 154-CM or CPM-S30V are the steels in my autos. Piranha P1 Pocket is my favorite model.
http://www.piranhaknife.com/#pocket


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I bought a nice folder in AUS8A from a member here. I had read up on the steel before buying. I’m happy with it. Been using the hell out of it for several weeks. I like it a lot. Holding an edge much better than I expected. To this point it’s not been sharpened since it left Cold Steel. It’s the Cold Steel Finn Wolf. The heat treat was done well.

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Originally Posted by MontanaCreekHunter



$95 for VG10 steel and plastic handles? Nope...


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I am carrying a Spyderco Stretch today. Green FRN handle. ZDP189 steel. Worth every penny.

Last edited by Mannlicher; 04/09/20.

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I have knives with D2, S30V and 154CM baldes and can't tell enough difference between them to spit at. If you aren't scared of sharpening a knife fairly regularly even cheaper steels like 1095, AUS8 and 440C will do fine. Nothing stays sharp forever.

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Originally Posted by MOGC
Originally Posted by MontanaCreekHunter



$95 for VG10 steel and plastic handles? Nope...


You can pass all you like but it is still a great knife.


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Originally Posted by MontanaCreekHunter
Originally Posted by MOGC
Originally Posted by MontanaCreekHunter



$95 for VG10 steel and plastic handles? Nope...


You can pass all you like but it is still a great knife.




I like the look of that, very handy.

added; in fact, screw it....I shall order one at my next pay.

Last edited by JSTUART; 04/09/20.

These are my opinions, feel free to disagree.
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UPhiker;
Good morning and Happy Easter to you sir, I hope that all is as well as can be for you and yours considering where we all find ourselves.

Over the decades, I've packed knives from Buck, Gerber, Spyderco, CRKT and Kershaw/ZT, plus a few more that aren't coming to a semi-old guy's memory just now I'm sure. Oh SOG. Lakota and G96 just popped in as well.

Anyway my name is Dwayne and I'm an addict - how's that for a beginning? wink

For much of my adult life we had horses or I was dealing with livestock for a friend regularly, so the ability to open and close the knife with one hand was important to me. As such I picked up one of the very first Delica's to be seen up here across the medicine line and for whatever reason didn't trade it off or give it away like most of the other Spyderco blades I've owned.

To your question sir, when it's not hunting season there is a ZT0566 with Elmax in my right front pocket. As well, I carried it's bigger brother the 0560 before that so have been playing with Elmax since it's been available.

When it's hunting season I have a Buck Vantage Pro with the Paul Bos heat treated S30V in my right back pocket, along with a small fixed blade sheath knife, usually a 52100 blade I bought as a blank, but sometimes another one with Cobalt steel and sometimes a very old Kershaw 1030 I believe it is.

If we are fortunate and bring something home to skin, as opposed to taking it apart on the mountain, I'll sometimes pull my old Spyderco Centofante 3 with VG10 out as the shape on it is "about right" for peeling ungulates or black bears in my experience.

Overall I've come to prefer open backed liner lock type construction if I'm using the knife for gutting as the closed back lock such as the Centofante 3 has is harder to clean all the fat and remnant blood out of. Similarly I don't prefer to fill the bearings and springs of the ZT0566 up with fat and blood either, so skinning is okay, but not gutting if possible.

With the sharpening equipment I have on hand, I personally find it easier to get a slightly "toothy" edge on the S30V done by Paul Bos and company than the other steels, though the VG10 on the Spyderco is close.

Elmax will hold an edge which reminds me of some of the carbide and diamond tooling we used in woodworking/cabinet making that I spent 27 years at in that it's sharp, but never as sharp as tool steel. It will however hold that "not quite as sharp as tool steel" edge for a long, long time. For a knock around working blade then, it's great and as carried in the over built ZT frames is quite robust in my experience.

Anyway as they used to say, there's many roads to Mecca - but while that's still more or less the case, we're not supposed to travel them even if that was our current inclination! laugh

Happy Easter to you and yours sir and stay well.

Dwayne


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The Sog Terminus XR in S35vn can be had for $85. I have the CTS BDZ1 version I bought with Cabelas points that I like so far. They also have a D2 version with G10 scales for under $50. The previously mentioned S30 Bugout would be a good choice too.

I'm not a steel snob though and I'm not afraid to strop a knife after use to keep a good edge so I will likely never pay for super steel.



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