Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Which Steel to Select?

I know I'll get some good answers here. Base your answer on a hunter knife, opening big game, sharpness,and edge holding quality. I've never had a custom knife and just recently started entertaining the idea.
Tim

there are so many good choices these days it's hard to narrow it down. For a general purpose knife that has a great balance between edge holding and ease of sharpening in the field, it's very hard to beat 154CM, or ATS34. My new personal favorite is Elmax. It will hold an edge longer than damned near any stainless out there except a few of the super exotics and has toughness qualities that allow it to compete with some of the best carbon steels out there. I build all my personal knives out of elmax. Honestly you will hear it repeated constantly but edge geometry and heat treat are more important factors than the steel. I would take 440c with a proper heat treat and a good grind over the highest end super exotics that were ground badly or poorly heat treated.

as dale stresses, heattreat done poorly makes a dog of a knife even if its a true super steel. as a user of many older & also the newest powder steels i have had experience with many of carbon & stainless alloys. i've noticed many younger users prefer no stain blades; since i'm older than god i have no problem with carbon alloys. i grew up before s.s. was used on guns & most knives. if a person is not experienced with heavy duty knife usage; they might opt for 3v or even newer 4v. these alloys are super tuff & have exceptional edge holding. elmax at present seems to be the best alloy for long edge holding, stainless, & certainly the most tuff at sideloads of all the 3rd gen. powder alloys.one big advantage of elmax is for hunters in washington & oregon areas is you need not worry about the continual rain during hunting season. the last 5 or 6 years have brought out stainless alloys that actually hold edges longer than most carbon steels. you do give up some tuffness when opting for s.s. but knives not used as axes or machetes need not be a worry to a sensible hunter.---cranky72

As noted above which steel is used is not the only or most important issue with performance in the field.
I would suggest you buy from a reasonably reputable maker (there are quite a few right here) and focus more on the knife design and how well it will meet your working requirements.
They can tell you of the specifics of the steels and process they use. If you follow their suggestions, you will most likely be extremely happy with your new acquisition.
jmho
Tim

You will likely find not all steels are offered by a knife maker and will have those steels the maker is familiar with offered. First pick out the pattern you desire then contact the knife maker of your choice and give him a call, expect to be asked for your planned uses and ask for his suggestions. Working with the knife maker on the design is one of the joys in getting a custom knife .

A lot of super steels out there, and if you are looking for low maintenance then one of the SS might be the way to go i.e. Elmax, CPM-154, etc...

However, you might want to consider a good carbon steel for ease of sharpening as well. It will require a little more maintenance in the way of oiling and such, but hard to go wrong with a good carbon.

My personal recommendation for a skinner would be 52100.

154cm hands down is the best steel for hunting use

I opted for a Dozier Modified Personal, should be here in a week to 10 days. I'll post pictures when it arrives.
Tim

Rick,
Here is one of yours (Ivory Trapper) made from 154cm. I'm BUMMED it sold!! I love this knife!!

http://www.menefeeknives.com/ivory-trapper.html

Eric

wish a had 100 of that pattern. They would all sell

No mention of D-2?

No doubt, it's a sharp looking knife and great pattern! I'd like a clone of this knife!

Eric

154CM is great. There are others 1095,L6,W2,A2 these can rust if left unattended.
Some people make this a big point, I don't know about you,but when ever I come in from hunting I go over my gear, dry it down if it needs it, and give it a light coat of oil if it needs it. It is just something I do without exception so the carbon steels are fine with me.
There are some new crucible steels out there that have some promise to have better edge retention. BG42,CPMD2,3v.
I must admit that I am just now learning that blade geometry plays a pretty big role in how the knife performs. Must admit that I am also becoming a big fan of Convex grinds.

The Dozier that will be shipped tomorrow is D2.
Tim

I have wonderful knives made from a variety of steel. A2, D2, O1, 440C, S30V, CPM 154, ATS34, S3V, INFI, and others.
Not a dog among 'em. All the blades came from reputable custom makers, or from higher end production companies.
As Tim alluded to, while the steel is important, it is not the only factor. Who makes it, their ability to heat treat and grind, and how well the end user cares for the knife, are all important.

I try my best to keep my gear in good condition but have been on several hunts where it rained most days, my gear got wet, and I was mighty glad it was mostly stainless. My point being, one should consider what type of hunting they are planning and factor this into their choice of steel. Then there was the time I watched my hunting partner dig a tent pad with his A2 custom made blade, had a pocket knife rust in my pocket during a day's hunt, etc.

You are not going to be disappointed in the Dozier D2. D2 is an excellent material and Dozier gets the best from it.

I can only go by my own experience. Here in Ky. I have spent many a day from dawn to dusk in rain. When I first started hunting rain gear was poor to say the least. Maybe why I have not experienced rust on my high carbon knives is I like to force a patina,this acts like gun blue and keeps surface spot rust form occurring temporarly, that and a light coat of oil has kept mine, in what my friend from Wyoming called my area as sub tropical in the summer. lol

j2 has a good point as to forced patinas for carbon alloys in tropical climes. i usually do white vinegar on my user gecs & have'nt had rust pitting.spent a year on okinawa & phillipines & we had no rust but all equipment had to be oiled every 2 days. even our shoe soles had to be buffed daily.[ the dress shoes at bottom of foot lockers]. more maintenance but as you know marines were used to staying busy.---cranky72

I live in Florida, with not only lots of rain, but lots of salt from the Ocean and Gulf, high humidity and heat.
Even so, with some basic care, you can keep your carbon steel blades rust free. In the safe, they are lightly oiled. In the field, they are wiped down with a very lightly oiled cloth. I keep a small piece of oiled cloth in a zip loc bag.
There are several hundred knives, of various sizes and shapes in the house. The only ones that show any ill effects are some French carbon steel kitchen knives. I think they look good with a bit of patina.