Which would you prefer and why? I like 1095 but a couple of S35vn knives caught my attention recently and I have no experience with it.

You are trying to compare two steels that are totally different. Both have good qualities. Comes down to intended use, design, heat treat, geometry, profile, and grind. My best advise to you is if you don't know let the maker tell you which they think is best in your application.

Gotcha. No bushcraft stuff just mainly skinning and general camp use.

Again two totally different steels. Both are decent nothing to exotic but both will do the job you are looking to do. The obvious would be if stainless is desired.

Been pleasantly surprised with S35VN lately.....I’ve used CPM154 exclusively in my stainless knives I make. S35VN is getting a more serious look from me now.

How does it sharpen? Does it hold an edge?

Short answer, if it were me I'd go with S35. Properly ground and heat treated of course.

Google can be your friend. Why not Google 1095 vs. S35N and check out the numerous links in regards to those two steels among others. That might give you a basis from which to begin making a decision.

You say you like 1095, so it would seem you have at least one knife made of that steel. Perhaps you have used a knife with a 1095 blade in the kitchen or to skin game with. Perhaps you've even needed to sharpen it. If patina on a knife is a problem, then 1095 is not for you, as it is a carbon steel.

If you have the financial wherewithal to do so, why not buy a fixed blade knife in S35VN from a reputable source and test one blade against the other, to see which loses it's edge first and which was the easiest/hardest to restore the edge to the sharpeness you desired. Then you will know for yourself!

ya!

GWB

Sharpens very well and edge retention is extremely good. Talked with some fellow knife makers this past week on this very subject. CPM154 is our standard go-to stainless steel (and there is nothing even remotely wrong with it) but some of the guys have made a switch to S35VN.

As for me, the jury’s still out, but I’m very impressed with what I see thus far.

GWB...you just make too much sense

Of those two steels, I'd prefer S35VN. Much more resistant to rust. Much better edge retention with similar blade edge geometry and heat treat. Not a big difference in toughness. I have one 1095 blade, and while I don't have S35VN, my son has one, and I have two in it's close brother S30V. S30V holds a working edge for a good while, and is not difficult to sharpen, altho not as easy to sharpen as 1095. S35VN is supposed to hold a hair splitting sharp edge for longer than S30V. 1095 in the hands of a skilled maker will i'm sure produce a good knife, but there are many, many steels that have much more desirable characteristics. So, as stated earlier, S35VN would be the logical choice for me. Your use is similar to mine, and edge retention and relative ease of sharpening are top characteristics, with rust/stain resistance and toughness not nearly as important. I bet if you got a nice hunting knife in S35VN, with an edge angle of 20 degrees per side or (preferrably a little less), you would be very happy.

fwiw
White River Knife and Tool has switched over to S35VN on a lot of their blades.

With similar and proper preparation their is little difference in the performance of many
steels in the field.

If you are referring to ESEE knives, by all means buy the S35vn steel if you can find it. 1095 is a decent, though rather pedestrian old school steel. I have ESEE 3 knives in both steels. I find that the S35vn blade gets sharper, stays sharper, resists staining, cuts better and overall far outperforms the same knife in 1095.

Steels really don't matter, is how you keep your tools clean and dry, cpm 35 sv is a nice stainless steel, to keep the edge sharp takes a bit to get used and 1095 is just easier to keep sharp, both are good as long as the maker made a nice bevel edge and heat treat to it, the rest is all hype bs imho.

I have used 1095 for many years and it worked well for rough use. I still like it for big choppers, hatchets, machetes, etc. I have several CPM S35V knives and for my use here in Alaska I prefer CPM 35 for my skinning and fish cleaning. It takes and holds a very sharp edge and does not rust easily like 1095 or 5160 or OB1, which I prefer over 1095.

I have a production Fiddle Back Forge Bush Finger made with S35V and it is my go to knife all of hunting season. It is a user friendly tough beast made even better because of the super steel, S35V. Trying to decide which grand kid to give it to some day is the hard part, might have to buy another one..........