1. Geometry 2. Heat treat 3. Steel type 55hrc k390 would hold a shitty edge because it'll just mushroom the cutting edge before the carbides help you. Geometry of a brittle steel will make a tough knife and cutting edge, and a tough hard steel will hold a fine geometry and give much higher edge retention. Steel gives the edge rention and toughness hardness balance, but some are worse than others objectively, but the geometry and having it hard enough matter a lot. Soft edges just mean you need thicker bevels and get even less edge retention, usually in a steel that's already super tough like 420HC. It's like taking a monster truck to a racetrack, it's maximized for the wrong thing. MagnaCut at 62 will do everything well and the geometry will dictate if it's a competition chopper or a Japanese kitchen knife.
This video is well done - I appreciate you not overly "taking a side" when there is so much performance nuance to edge retention/wear resistance, carbon & carbide size, corrosion resistance, toughness - and less understood attributes such as edge stability, microstructure, impact/shock resistance, heat treatment, geometry, sharpening method micro-physics, and hardening potential. Well done - cheers.
Well said. I agree with everything. I took the path of buying many knives over many years and have developed my preferences. An attribute never mentioned I value has been referred to as front end sharpness after I describe it. Working edge retention isn’t something I care about on my EDC. But how much front end sharpness, how long it lasts and how easy it is to maintain along with lateral edge durability are primary factors in my EDC steel preference.
I totally agree with your view on usefulness for an EDC knife. The best for me is Victorinox steel. I can get front end sharpness to my liking quickly and rust is never an issue. Super steels are too hard to sharpen to my satisfaction. I think the tempering has a large affect on getting the edge I want. Geometry also makes a huge impact. Victorinox just has the best QC overall that I have seen. I've spent way too much money over the years chasing better only to be disappointed and not wanting to carry or use it.
@@lordtartarsauceb8348 I'll make sure to have a 1095 sharpened crowbar with me 'in the field' to make you happy, ok? I won't use it, it's only there to make you happy. Are you happy? I hope you're happy. I'm a man of my word.
Sometimes I look at my old PM2 and think S30V is outdated and lame. Then I remember it’s a far superior steel to basically any blade made in all history until the last 40 years. 😅
I feel the same about my S30V Para3. I keep wishing it was Magnacut or something newer and fancier but remember for years this thing has taken a beating and keeps ending up in my pocket over newer knives I’ve gotten. That being said, I will 100% be getting a Salt PM2
Early on in my knife game I chased the 'super steels'. Then I got a good sharpening rig and a good strop. Sure, I still go after the new hotness from time to time. Heat treatment concern was my next evolution. I've found far too many manufacturers under cook their higher end steels and man has that saved me a truckload of money. Design and use case aside, I'll take a Civivi in 14C28N or Nitro-V over We's 20CV.
You trust a company to heat treat a dog shit steel like 14C28N, but not that same company to heat treat their high-end premium 20CV? You must be the type of guy who would say a Corvette is a terrible car and the company doesn't know how to build cars, but a Chevy Camaro, now that's a real car and car company that knows how to build a car.
14c is much less finicky to properly mass heat treat than a more complex steel like 20cv. My examples of both from the same manufacturer have lead me to my opinion. I'm fine to differ with you on 14c being a "dog shit steel" and you assuming I am this kind of guy or that kind of guy. Value is subjective. Thanks for your opinion.
After owning/ EDCing/ sharpening a truckload of knives of varying steels/ quality/ and manufacturers for the last 22 years, I’ve gone full circle and went back to humble roots and became pretty darn content. Amongst the plethora of knives I currently own, I keep coming back to these lowly three: Ontario RAT 2 in AUS-8, Cold Steel Mini-Recon Clip Point in AUS-10, and a Spyderco Persistence lightweight in 8cr13Mov. If you’ve used knives this long, you’ll realize that blade steel is not as important as people hype it up to be. There are many factors that makes a knife great and these factors vary in importance to different people. Super steels are a want, and it is OK to want them. But you don’t need them. I’m not telling you to NOT get super steels. What I’m telling you is to NOT judge how good a knife is by what steel it is made of.
I feel the same way. Steel isn't the main thing I look at when getting a knife. However, I carry a large inkosi and beat the hell out of it. Great knife for me.
I have a friend who knows everything about knife steel properties and is disgusted that I even own 20 Dollar knives. I'm not bothered by the weaknesses of some of my knives, because I simply clean, sharpen and wax them to keep them in shape. His knives look pristine, because he never uses them. I'm not a dick about it, because he provided useful information for special future-heirloom knives I bought. But seriously. Even cheap steel is still steel!
@@JamezEd1tz Of course, I'm not saying that it doesn't matter, but my EDC for cutting baloney, paracord and packages is an affordable Kershaw Culpepper that looks so pretty, old-school and modern at the same time. We have good knives here in Germany, but unfortunately there is a tendency to make all knives look "tactical" which I find pretentious. To me it feels like buying an Iron Cross/Purple Heart. I also have expensive knives I use for serious work when I'm hiding in my garden shack, but they don't look nice.
I've long thought that Cruwear is under-appreciated. For a tool steel, in most environments, it's always been pretty rust resistance. Tough as nails, and holds an edge well. Seems to sharpen up pretty easily too.
Became an immediate fan of magnacut. I personally don't need anything better. Great corrosion resistance for my humid environment and stays sharp for a very long time and is pretty easy to sharpen.
Magnacut appeared, everyone wanted knives made of this steel. Sales of knives made of other steels have plummeted. Now all the sellers have run to tell me that others steels good too. Of course, you need to sell stocks of this stuff from warehouses.
Sales of other knives haven't plummeted. The vast majority of people buying knives are not buying magnacut. Most people dont know or care about steel, and most people are cheap and not willing to spend for even s30v, let alone magnacut.
@@Trolldaddy5yeah those are the people who use their knives and are not knife nuts. But the knife nuts are the people who these company’s target because there are weirdos who will buy 10+ CRKs. A knife that’s supposed to be a buy once cry once type of knife is being over bought and out of stock by knife nuts. And once they’ve sold these gullible office dwellers on magnacut they buy em up like candy. Literally printing money. While magnacut is an objectively amazing steel knife nuts buy it for the novelty. They don’t actually use their knives. They play with them.
@@LostTrailX Unless that Magnacut is way too soft (which some manufacturers do, it needs to be hardened to 64HRC for optimal performance) it will hold an edge about three times as long. If they are both at 58HRC they might perform very similarly.
Knife hobby is an N+1 hobby. there is always a room for another purchase. :) currently own a Tenacious, Resilience, Mora 546, Rat 1 in D2 and Esee 4HM. Planning to get a Dragonfly 2 in H2 soon.
Nice. It's a great knife. I picked up a double edged model and the spine edge was a bit rough so I sharpened both edges to two different grits. It's been cool to have a super refined edge and a more toothy one on the same blade. Fun stuff.
I got the tanto magnacut livewire. I love the knife but it sadly was poorly sharpened at the factory. Spent a good 45 minutes getting it nice and sharp and it's been an absolute champ ever since. Been about 4 months now and other than a few strop sessions it's still mad sharp.
@TerminalM193 I of course am not a fan of poorly sharpened blades from the factory but I suppose the silver lining would be at least now you have the worst of the burned edge off. I like this knife so much I've been seriously considering getting that tanto. It's a very slick looking blade.
You know what steel surprised me the most S35VN on my protech SBR with a blade under 3 inches. I batoned (YES BATONED) a 2 inch diameter sapling tree. After I could still shave with it, I could not believe it.
Honestly if d2 is heat treated properly and maintained just a bit its gonna do 99.99% of everything most people would need it to do i would call myself a steel snob but its really really mostly unnecessary
Hardness is often neglected, but imho it is a key factor in a lot of edc tasks. Toughness combines with it to give a good edge stability geometry wise. Those two attributes dictate how thin the blade can be. Then abrasion resistance plays its role in cutting abrasive stuff, which is quite frequent too, and depending on the climate, corrosion resistance will better edge stability and geometry at the very apex over time. So I think the «best» steel should be over 63 hrc and quite tough, with a lot of high carbides, K390 is the ideal candidate for extra thin geometries, Magnacut can be useful for saltwater activities or kitchen knives. I think a good hard D2 is tough enough, stainless enough and will keep a far better edge than 14C or NitroV etc on a budget knife. 154CM and VG10 can be nice too, love how 154CM bites. I find S90V to have the best chainsaw effect and keep it for very long, this thing is a little scary I love it.
I think an important aspect is also price - different price ranges bring different steels to the table and you should consider if that steel is worth that price tag. And also another thing is ease of sharpening or ease/capability of restoring an edge with a strop which might be very important to people who don't have a lot of sharpening knowledge and equipment or people who for example do a lot of backpacking and have a need to restore that edge on the go in the woods for example. Heat treat is also very important... a budget steel done properly will be better than a premium steel with a poor heat treat.
Nah you gotta understand what steel is right for what application. A lot of knife makers make a variety with a range of applications, if you plan on batoning and and beating up the blade, better get one made out of tough steel. Want a knife that's going to retain its edge, for say hunting/game processing etc., get something with more edge retention like s30 on up, in a controlled environment where edge retention is everything, maxamet is your best bet. Underwater rescue in salt water? Lc200
Surprised that you didn't mention CruWear. Even Dr. Thomas will admit that it is better than Magnacut in edge retention and toughness, and still has pretty decent corrosion resistance, great even for a "high carbon" steel.
Awesome vid. I thought I was subscribed, I am now. I bought the BHQ exclusive Kershaw Launch 4 in MagnaCut & Ultem scale. It's a sweet little auto for us stuck behind enemy lines in the P.R.K. I'm in the sandy eggo sector.
Subbed. Awesome channel thx. I sharpen regularly using supposed "Tungsten Carbide" blades from large paper cutters modified for my simple machines. These blades are readily available online in bulk. I'm probably looking to experimenting with making my own blades after your recommendations. 😉
Tbh my Microtech MSI with the m390MK has been working out perfectly for me. Holds its edge extremely well holds up to the light prying I do with it (I have a pocket pry for prying) and even in heavy sweating not a spot of corrosion or even discoloration.
thanks George, a fan from New Zealand (fush un chups bruh) since the Ben and Zac days... and you are living up to their standards, keep it up... but please, don't leave... 😂
Depending on heat treatment and what type of performance you prefer, MagnaCut can flex into multiple uses. MagnaCut ranges between CruWear & 4V in toughness, between S35VN & M390 in edge retention, and right under LC200N/Vanax in corrosion resistance.
Yep. The best heat treatment on Magnacut I have that has been a great and versatile blade is from MKC. It's simply superior to what I have from others.
@@Swearengen1980 Theres quite a few manufacturers that do MagnaCut correctly. It just depends on your price range and what you’re going to use it for. Mind you, edge geometry and the process of how the HRC is reached, is arguably more important. Is your MKC model the only MagnaCut knife you have/experienced?
@@alexferrara9287 Nope. A Bradford, Kershaw, Spyderco and MKC. In terms of quality, I'd put them at MKC, Spyderco, Bradford, Kershaw....despite me absolutely hating Spyderco's style (great knives, just ugly to me).
A nice knife clipped on and in the pocket an inexpensive small light knife for anything that might damage your knife or to loan to dumb asses that never carry a knife.
Pretty good timing here since I am currently trying to decide on whether to wait for the Spyderco Military 2 to be available in S90v or buy the already available S30c version
Just the three coordinates of wear resistance, toughness, and corrosion resistance provide a 3 dimensional cloud. Add in production knife heat treatment and blade geometries, and its more dimensions than we evolved to understand. That said, there are bargain and best options on all these axes. Wear resistance: D2 (non-stainless) is a bargain. S90V (stainless) is best among common knives. Toughness: 14C28N (stainless) is a bargain. 3V (non-stainless) is best ". Corrosion resistance: H2 is a bargain. Vanax 37/Superclean is best ". Balanced? K390 (non-stainless) may be the best knife steel ever, but it isn't very corrosion resistant. Closest stainless in this multidimensional space is MagnaCut.
Yes, it is… Of course there is no single best steel for all applications, nor are many people likely to agree on the best steel even for a single application! However, if we want balanced steels, with high levels of all 3 major knife steel characteristics, the choice comes down to a few, including Magnacut and a few others among the stainless steels. Also filling the bill (good wear resistance and toughness), apart from the stainless steels are CruWear, M4, K390, 4V and Vanadis 8, among others.
This is a solid into, but there a couple of things I want to correct. Firstly, s90v is generally tougher than maxamet within their respective hardness ranges. S90V is actually weirdly balanced for it's edge retention. Secondly, heat treat is as, if not more important, than steel choice. Ht won't make a bad steel great, but it can make a great steel terrible.
I live in a dry environment, corrosion resistant means basically nothing to me, a good tough knife that will take a beating with minimal care is what i like
Esee runs their 1095 soft since they’re survival knives and they don’t want to deal with warranties left and right. Find some 52100 or 80crv2 at 61-62rc to see how great a simple low alloy can be.
@@LostTrailX s35VN is not bad, but Price and Performance is Magnacut unbeatable NOW! Magnacut is a very fine Struktur, so that u cannot compare to any Steel is the most Toughest Stainless Steel what u can buy! so when u ask me, what is the Best Allround Steel it is Magnacut, without any doubt! Now at the moment!
@@LostTrailXyeah s35 is great but magnacut is as good or better in every category. Still s35vn is plenty good enough and most people wouldn’t notice a difference between the two anyways
80CrV2, AEB-L, and Sandvick 14c28n are some of my favorites out there depending on my purpose. The only "super steel" that I think earns that title is Magnacut, but I don't think it's worth what everyone is wanting to charge for it.
White river just released a new Ursus cub model and their model 1 in magnacut for a fair price imo. They take it to a great hardness and have wonderful fit and finish and grinding. Those listed steels are all favorites of mine as well
Can you recommend a ultra-premium steel for Arizona law enforcement knives? Due to our low humidity, we do not need corrosion resistance, but toughness and edge retention (wear resistance). Our cops use their knives for everything! - screwdrivers, cutting through fences, slicing seat belts from burn victims, et al. We do not need a recommendation on a specific brand of knives - we will find a manufacturer once we learn which steel is ideal for Arizona LEOs. Can you make a recommendation?
CPM CruWear or CPM M4 are my recommendations. Both are super tough and have stupendous edge retention. Neither is stainless, but it sounds like that's not an issue. There are a ton of great knives made with both of these steels, so you'll have no trouble finding your ideal blades. Thanks for watching!
Out of all the different steels I have, Including M390,20cv, Nitro V and others. I'm liking my blah blah with D2. Like anything a little maintenance goes a long way. I kinda like to try the powder steel version but it slipped my mind what it's called. It's something that I heard quickly referenced and that's why I can't remember.
D2 is a great steel. It has a solid balance of edge retention and toughness. It's often called "semi-stainless," so it will resist some corrosion, but I've heard from folks in humid climates that they occasionally see rust spots on it. But it's a great, well-balanced steel. I'm old enough to remember when it was only available on high-price knives. The fact that you can get in budget-friendly knives today is awesome. -George
Great edge retention for the money. As a severely corrosion averse type, I kept away from it for a long time. Eventually I bought a CJRB Agave in D2. I've treated it like my stainless knives for two years. No coating it with oil or EDCi. About a month ago I saw a tiiiiiny spot of rust on the forward finger choil, probably from sweaty hands in summer months. It came off with a rust remover with ease. Other than that, in two years the blade has only darkened some. I'm much less snobby about D2 these days.
@@BladeHQ- I enjoy my D2 Deckhand from Kizer. I'm in Florida and wear it as a neck knife. I had spotting once ... but cured that by using KPL Knifeshield when I clean the tape adhesive off the blade. It's been my experience that unless you are actively dunking your D2 in salt water... as long as you oil or wipe you blade in a protective every day or so you should be good. Obviously... if you've used the blade heavily and worn the coating off you might want to recoat the same night.
All of these steels are great, I’m not a steel snob but I really like my S90V knives a little more than I like my S35, S45 and Magnacut but all are perfect for regular edc use!
I think the majority of folks do not require any sort of premium steel and will be just fine with AEBL or good old 14CR Heck there's a reason why Buck still uses 420 in many of their knives. Unless you actually know you need a different more premium steel for specific applications You're probably fine just going with non premium entry unless you're trying to collect or just spend money to spend it
Why do you have to put on a mocking voice when quoting people commenting on your videos? People are entitled to an opinion and you ask them to share it.
![Kodak Black - Versatile 4 [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VcP_1Ua__vY/mqdefault.jpg)
Y is definitely better then X. I mean X is super cool and all but Y is just so much more useful in the day to day.
Meh, Y is alright. Blade retention is rather poor. I find myself drawn to X for its versatility.
The best knife steel is the one you don't own yet.
No. No it's not. Magnacut 🐐🐐🐐
@@MichaelBertolinoyou're right it's definitely not magnacut
I know right... but it should be the one you own
@@StoneHands25 It is... Magnacut is da GOAT
LOL absolutely.
1. heat treat
2. heat treat
3. geometry
4.type of steel
the most important factors
What is the best type of knife design and geometry in your opinion?
1. Geometry
2. Heat treat
3. Steel type
55hrc k390 would hold a shitty edge because it'll just mushroom the cutting edge before the carbides help you.
Geometry of a brittle steel will make a tough knife and cutting edge, and a tough hard steel will hold a fine geometry and give much higher edge retention.
Steel gives the edge rention and toughness hardness balance, but some are worse than others objectively, but the geometry and having it hard enough matter a lot.
Soft edges just mean you need thicker bevels and get even less edge retention, usually in a steel that's already super tough like 420HC. It's like taking a monster truck to a racetrack, it's maximized for the wrong thing. MagnaCut at 62 will do everything well and the geometry will dictate if it's a competition chopper or a Japanese kitchen knife.
"Trash can steel is the best" - Huusk 😂
This video is well done - I appreciate you not overly "taking a side" when there is so much performance nuance to edge retention/wear resistance, carbon & carbide size, corrosion resistance, toughness - and less understood attributes such as edge stability, microstructure, impact/shock resistance, heat treatment, geometry, sharpening method micro-physics, and hardening potential. Well done - cheers.
S30V and S35VN are great all around blades. I love 20CV as well. There are a lot of good knife steels these days!
Well said. I agree with everything. I took the path of buying many knives over many years and have developed my preferences. An attribute never mentioned I value has been referred to as front end sharpness after I describe it. Working edge retention isn’t something I care about on my EDC. But how much front end sharpness, how long it lasts and how easy it is to maintain along with lateral edge durability are primary factors in my EDC steel preference.
I totally agree with your view on usefulness for an EDC knife. The best for me is Victorinox steel. I can get front end sharpness to my liking quickly and rust is never an issue. Super steels are too hard to sharpen to my satisfaction. I think the tempering has a large affect on getting the edge I want. Geometry also makes a huge impact. Victorinox just has the best QC overall that I have seen. I've spent way too much money over the years chasing better only to be disappointed and not wanting to carry or use it.
K390
M4
Cruwear
Magnacut
These have been doing what I need for a while now honestly
In that order as well
Only 1 of those looks like you could give it a good edge in the field.
@lordtartarsauceb8348 a small diamond stone or spyderco sharpmaker can make quick work out of these or an easy touch up
@@lordtartarsauceb8348 I'll make sure to have a 1095 sharpened crowbar with me 'in the field' to make you happy, ok? I won't use it, it's only there to make you happy. Are you happy? I hope you're happy. I'm a man of my word.
Sometimes I look at my old PM2 and think S30V is outdated and lame. Then I remember it’s a far superior steel to basically any blade made in all history until the last 40 years. 😅
I feel the same about my S30V Para3. I keep wishing it was Magnacut or something newer and fancier but remember for years this thing has taken a beating and keeps ending up in my pocket over newer knives I’ve gotten. That being said, I will 100% be getting a Salt PM2
So true.
I consistently get better performance out of Spyderco's S30V than I do We Knives' 20CV.
Same, hard to justify replacing it.
@@charlesburtis2442Spyderco’s S45 is pretty dang impressive.
It’s definitely tempting
The VG10 steel in my Delica 4 has always worked for me
It helps that Spyderco tends to have very good heat treatment protocols for a mass production company.
same here bro!!!!
I shunned VG10 at first, but I now greatly appreciate a Spydie FRN model in this steel.
@@PoetFisherman What doesn't help is Spyderco making very ugly knives
@@Jennie-w6n I suppose this is a good illustration of subjective beauty
Early on in my knife game I chased the 'super steels'. Then I got a good sharpening rig and a good strop. Sure, I still go after the new hotness from time to time.
Heat treatment concern was my next evolution. I've found far too many manufacturers under cook their higher end steels and man has that saved me a truckload of money. Design and use case aside, I'll take a Civivi in 14C28N or Nitro-V over We's 20CV.
14C28N is one of the best knife steels IMO
You trust a company to heat treat a dog shit steel like 14C28N, but not that same company to heat treat their high-end premium 20CV?
You must be the type of guy who would say a Corvette is a terrible car and the company doesn't know how to build cars, but a Chevy Camaro, now that's a real car and car company that knows how to build a car.
14c is much less finicky to properly mass heat treat than a more complex steel like 20cv. My examples of both from the same manufacturer have lead me to my opinion.
I'm fine to differ with you on 14c being a "dog shit steel" and you assuming I am this kind of guy or that kind of guy. Value is subjective. Thanks for your opinion.
I have a couple knives in 14c, no complaints. The other dude is just talking 💩
After owning/ EDCing/ sharpening a truckload of knives of varying steels/ quality/ and manufacturers for the last 22 years, I’ve gone full circle and went back to humble roots and became pretty darn content. Amongst the plethora of knives I currently own, I keep coming back to these lowly three: Ontario RAT 2 in AUS-8, Cold Steel Mini-Recon Clip Point in AUS-10, and a Spyderco Persistence lightweight in 8cr13Mov. If you’ve used knives this long, you’ll realize that blade steel is not as important as people hype it up to be. There are many factors that makes a knife great and these factors vary in importance to different people. Super steels are a want, and it is OK to want them. But you don’t need them. I’m not telling you to NOT get super steels. What I’m telling you is to NOT judge how good a knife is by what steel it is made of.
Most people would be surprised how well budget steels will work on both folding and fixed blades
I tend to carry Opinels and SAKs, but I do like 14c28n if it's done nicely. Magnacut seems OK, tbh
I feel the same way. Steel isn't the main thing I look at when getting a knife. However, I carry a large inkosi and beat the hell out of it. Great knife for me.
that's a lot of words just to say you're poor
@@macdaddysmurf05 OK man… must be nice to have tons of money, like you. Wait, just let me get down on all fours so I could kiss your boots for a bit.
I have a friend who knows everything about knife steel properties and is disgusted that I even own 20 Dollar knives. I'm not bothered by the weaknesses of some of my knives, because I simply clean, sharpen and wax them to keep them in shape. His knives look pristine, because he never uses them. I'm not a dick about it, because he provided useful information for special future-heirloom knives I bought. But seriously. Even cheap steel is still steel!
Great points. However when doing lots of work, you want a steel that can hold an edge
@@JamezEd1tz Of course, I'm not saying that it doesn't matter, but my EDC for cutting baloney, paracord and packages is an affordable Kershaw Culpepper that looks so pretty, old-school and modern at the same time. We have good knives here in Germany, but unfortunately there is a tendency to make all knives look "tactical" which I find pretentious. To me it feels like buying an Iron Cross/Purple Heart. I also have expensive knives I use for serious work when I'm hiding in my garden shack, but they don't look nice.
"7cr13 is the best steel" - Gerber
😂
😂😂😂
Crkt begs to differ..
Hehe
Bitch please, generic nameless “high carbon stainless steel” is the best.
I've long thought that Cruwear is under-appreciated. For a tool steel, in most environments, it's always been pretty rust resistance. Tough as nails, and holds an edge well. Seems to sharpen up pretty easily too.
One of my EDC folders is Cruwear and I've had no issues with it at all. It's been great.
Among people that have tried everything, it seems that CruWear, K390, MagnaCut, rex 45, and humble 14c28n are among their absolute favorites.
Became an immediate fan of magnacut. I personally don't need anything better. Great corrosion resistance for my humid environment and stays sharp for a very long time and is pretty easy to sharpen.
Magnacut appeared, everyone wanted knives made of this steel. Sales of knives made of other steels have plummeted. Now all the sellers have run to tell me that others steels good too. Of course, you need to sell stocks of this stuff from warehouses.
Sales of other knives haven't plummeted. The vast majority of people buying knives are not buying magnacut. Most people dont know or care about steel, and most people are cheap and not willing to spend for even s30v, let alone magnacut.
@@Trolldaddy5yeah those are the people who use their knives and are not knife nuts. But the knife nuts are the people who these company’s target because there are weirdos who will buy 10+ CRKs. A knife that’s supposed to be a buy once cry once type of knife is being over bought and out of stock by knife nuts. And once they’ve sold these gullible office dwellers on magnacut they buy em up like candy. Literally printing money. While magnacut is an objectively amazing steel knife nuts buy it for the novelty. They don’t actually use their knives. They play with them.
I like this style. Way to go Blade HQ!
S35vn is well rounded
I’ve always felt like a well treated s35vn could go up against magnacut honestly
When done right, it's in the top of my list of favorites. The Spydercos with the blue FRN scales; man the S35VN is so good on those.
S35VN on my Cold Steel Recon1 is extremely well treated
@@LostTrailX
Unless that Magnacut is way too soft (which some manufacturers do, it needs to be hardened to 64HRC for optimal performance) it will hold an edge about three times as long. If they are both at 58HRC they might perform very similarly.
3V for my bark river for batonning and tom follery outdoors. M390 for my daily folder.
Love me some 3v and A2
Knife hobby is an N+1 hobby. there is always a room for another purchase. :) currently own a Tenacious, Resilience, Mora 546, Rat 1 in D2 and Esee 4HM. Planning to get a Dragonfly 2 in H2 soon.
My personal fav is CruWear.
Just got my first Magnacut Kershaw Livewire. Impressed so far
Nice. It's a great knife.
I picked up a double edged model and the spine edge was a bit rough so I sharpened both edges to two different grits. It's been cool to have a super refined edge and a more toothy one on the same blade. Fun stuff.
Gotta love Kershaw. It's been my favorite brand by far for years now.
I got the tanto magnacut livewire. I love the knife but it sadly was poorly sharpened at the factory. Spent a good 45 minutes getting it nice and sharp and it's been an absolute champ ever since. Been about 4 months now and other than a few strop sessions it's still mad sharp.
@TerminalM193 I of course am not a fan of poorly sharpened blades from the factory but I suppose the silver lining would be at least now you have the worst of the burned edge off.
I like this knife so much I've been seriously considering getting that tanto. It's a very slick looking blade.
Avoid the urge to go with the trend for a second camera shooting from the side of the face... It's just awkward! Good information otherwise!
Keep these videos coming guys!
You know what steel surprised me the most S35VN on my protech SBR with a blade under 3 inches. I batoned (YES BATONED) a 2 inch diameter sapling tree. After I could still shave with it, I could not believe it.
That’s pretty normal for even non powder steel
Tell me more about “edge geometry and grind angles “
YES! THIS!
Edge geometry and grind angles... We can help with that!
Outstanding job my friend this is one of the most thorough shows I have ever seen God bless you brother keep up the great work.
I think for edc knives, edge retention is the go-to for me. I don't have to sharpen it every single week. it is really satisfying.
CpmCruwear has been one of my favorites.
For light EDC tasks my favorite knife blade steel are AUS8, 14C28N. Budget steels but easy to sharpen and no corrosion at all.
Nice video. You definitely kicked it up a notch. Great production quality. I like the background especially in the opening seconds
Time stamp plz?
Vibrainium is obviously the best knife steel.
Wolverine would disagree with you. Adamantium all the way!!
Honestly if d2 is heat treated properly and maintained just a bit its gonna do 99.99% of everything most people would need it to do i would call myself a steel snob but its really really mostly unnecessary
Hardness is often neglected, but imho it is a key factor in a lot of edc tasks. Toughness combines with it to give a good edge stability geometry wise. Those two attributes dictate how thin the blade can be. Then abrasion resistance plays its role in cutting abrasive stuff, which is quite frequent too, and depending on the climate, corrosion resistance will better edge stability and geometry at the very apex over time.
So I think the «best» steel should be over 63 hrc and quite tough, with a lot of high carbides, K390 is the ideal candidate for extra thin geometries, Magnacut can be useful for saltwater activities or kitchen knives.
I think a good hard D2 is tough enough, stainless enough and will keep a far better edge than 14C or NitroV etc on a budget knife. 154CM and VG10 can be nice too, love how 154CM bites.
I find S90V to have the best chainsaw effect and keep it for very long, this thing is a little scary I love it.
How come we never wound up with these kind of debates when we talk about hammers, axes, crowbars, screw drivers, or pliers?
People 100% do, you're just not digging deep enough to find it.
Lol. You'd rather be talking about pliers? 😂
I think an important aspect is also price - different price ranges bring different steels to the table and you should consider if that steel is worth that price tag. And also another thing is ease of sharpening or ease/capability of restoring an edge with a strop which might be very important to people who don't have a lot of sharpening knowledge and equipment or people who for example do a lot of backpacking and have a need to restore that edge on the go in the woods for example. Heat treat is also very important... a budget steel done properly will be better than a premium steel with a poor heat treat.
Actually "it depends, buy a bunch of knives and find out the best steel for you" pretty much fits my tendency and is the perfect answer for me
Buy a knife from a knifemaker you admire and trust that they've made the right decision for you.
Nah you gotta understand what steel is right for what application. A lot of knife makers make a variety with a range of applications, if you plan on batoning and and beating up the blade, better get one made out of tough steel. Want a knife that's going to retain its edge, for say hunting/game processing etc., get something with more edge retention like s30 on up, in a controlled environment where edge retention is everything, maxamet is your best bet. Underwater rescue in salt water? Lc200
This is the first video of yours I’ve came across. Great information, thanks. Subscribed 👍
Awesome, thank you!
Wanna try 3V. I hate when my edge rolls from accidentally hitting a stable or something.
Well said George!
Surprised that you didn't mention CruWear. Even Dr. Thomas will admit that it is better than Magnacut in edge retention and toughness, and still has pretty decent corrosion resistance, great even for a "high carbon" steel.
Awesome vid. I thought I was subscribed, I am now. I bought the BHQ exclusive Kershaw Launch 4 in MagnaCut & Ultem scale. It's a sweet little auto for us stuck behind enemy lines in the P.R.K. I'm in the sandy eggo sector.
Subbed. Awesome channel thx. I sharpen regularly using supposed "Tungsten Carbide" blades from large paper cutters modified for my simple machines.
These blades are readily available online in bulk. I'm probably looking to experimenting with making my own blades after your recommendations. 😉
Tbh my Microtech MSI with the m390MK has been working out perfectly for me. Holds its edge extremely well holds up to the light prying I do with it (I have a pocket pry for prying) and even in heavy sweating not a spot of corrosion or even discoloration.
thanks George, a fan from New Zealand (fush un chups bruh) since the Ben and Zac days... and you are living up to their standards, keep it up... but please, don't leave... 😂
I ll use and sharpen anything . Learn to sharpen and all will be well . That new Hapstone rs is pretty sweet for pocket knives imo . 👍🦅
Have the blurple spyderco 2 S 110 V steel and have been loving it.
I really like the cpm cru wear. Its holds an edge, very tough and easy to shatpen.
Brilliant video, very interesting, made me laugh at the end when George is standing out in the rain for no reason 😂👍🏻
Four traits Toughness, Hardness, Resistance to corrosion and ease of sharpening.
Depending on heat treatment and what type of performance you prefer, MagnaCut can flex into multiple uses. MagnaCut ranges between CruWear & 4V in toughness, between S35VN & M390 in edge retention, and right under LC200N/Vanax in corrosion resistance.
Yep. The best heat treatment on Magnacut I have that has been a great and versatile blade is from MKC. It's simply superior to what I have from others.
@@Swearengen1980 Theres quite a few manufacturers that do MagnaCut correctly. It just depends on your price range and what you’re going to use it for. Mind you, edge geometry and the process of how the HRC is reached, is arguably more important. Is your MKC model the only MagnaCut knife you have/experienced?
@@alexferrara9287 Nope. A Bradford, Kershaw, Spyderco and MKC. In terms of quality, I'd put them at MKC, Spyderco, Bradford, Kershaw....despite me absolutely hating Spyderco's style (great knives, just ugly to me).
Enjoyable video, thanks!
Well done Broh!
Great video! Thanks for the info, George.
great video guys, thank u
That was a great video George!
Got a Buck folding Alpha hunter in 154. VERY TOUGH. Got a maxamet spydie N5 for abrasion resistance and LC200N N5. Got it covered yo
George, did you script this? Great video.
I did! We tried something new, and I like how it turned out. Thanks for watching! -George
A great to this question: 'Carry more than one knife and each has a different blade steel.'
😮
A nice knife clipped on and in the pocket an inexpensive small light knife for anything that might damage your knife or to loan to dumb asses that never carry a knife.
Pretty good timing here since I am currently trying to decide on whether to wait for the Spyderco Military 2 to be available in S90v or buy the already available S30c version
I jumped on the s30v version and love it. If you like PM2’s you will LOVE the Military 2. Cants wait for the cruwear version 😅
@@DuhYaThink This is going to be my first Spyderco Knife. Second that I have bought for myself
@@valderhide1674 Very nice 👍🏻
Just the three coordinates of wear resistance, toughness, and corrosion resistance provide a 3 dimensional cloud. Add in production knife heat treatment and blade geometries, and its more dimensions than we evolved to understand.
That said, there are bargain and best options on all these axes.
Wear resistance: D2 (non-stainless) is a bargain. S90V (stainless) is best among common knives.
Toughness: 14C28N (stainless) is a bargain. 3V (non-stainless) is best ".
Corrosion resistance: H2 is a bargain. Vanax 37/Superclean is best ".
Balanced? K390 (non-stainless) may be the best knife steel ever, but it isn't very corrosion resistant. Closest stainless in this multidimensional space is MagnaCut.
Great show George…thanks!
D2 and 1095 baby
How much does 1095 cost per pound is it good for beginner's
5:05 “I assure you you have to film in the rain, it is CRUCIAL to letting the viewer know what steel they should look for”
S90v is my favorite steel. It's what I look for in a knife now.
Solid video! 👊🏼👊🏼
The best knife steel doesn't exist. Only the correct geometry and edge on the right tool.🧐
Great video!
Fun episode. I can't wait for more, maybe even longer.
Me and my blue paper steel 90mm hegonakami just chillin
Yes, it is… Of course there is no single best steel for all applications, nor are many people likely to agree on the best steel even for a single application! However, if we want balanced steels, with high levels of all 3 major knife steel characteristics, the choice comes down to a few, including Magnacut and a few others among the stainless steels. Also filling the bill (good wear resistance and toughness), apart from the stainless steels are CruWear, M4, K390, 4V and Vanadis 8, among others.
This is a solid into, but there a couple of things I want to correct.
Firstly, s90v is generally tougher than maxamet within their respective hardness ranges. S90V is actually weirdly balanced for it's edge retention.
Secondly, heat treat is as, if not more important, than steel choice. Ht won't make a bad steel great, but it can make a great steel terrible.
Yes, often times people forget about heat treat.
I live in a dry environment, corrosion resistant means basically nothing to me, a good tough knife that will take a beating with minimal care is what i like
52100, 5160, CPM-3V, D2
@@MB-jg4tr thx for the recommendations, been liking esee’s 1095 will have a look at those steels though
Esee runs their 1095 soft since they’re survival knives and they don’t want to deal with warranties left and right. Find some 52100 or 80crv2 at 61-62rc to see how great a simple low alloy can be.
I have not tried MagnaCut yet but my favorite steel is the s45 that is on my inkosi
I have a few MagnaCut Spyderco’s. And have used the Native 5 lw serrated a bunch and it’s fantastic 👋
the "best" balanced Steel , so alround steel is now CPM- MAGNACUT
S35VN is great too magnacut got a lot of hype
@@LostTrailX s35VN is not bad, but Price and Performance is Magnacut unbeatable NOW! Magnacut is a very fine Struktur, so that u cannot compare to any Steel
is the most Toughest Stainless Steel what u can buy! so when u ask me, what is the Best Allround Steel it is Magnacut, without any doubt! Now at the moment!
@@LostTrailXyeah s35 is great but magnacut is as good or better in every category. Still s35vn is plenty good enough and most people wouldn’t notice a difference between the two anyways
80CrV2, AEB-L, and Sandvick 14c28n are some of my favorites out there depending on my purpose. The only "super steel" that I think earns that title is Magnacut, but I don't think it's worth what everyone is wanting to charge for it.
I picked up a Manix 2 lw in MagnaCut for $115. But did have lots of rewards points 😅
White river just released a new Ursus cub model and their model 1 in magnacut for a fair price imo. They take it to a great hardness and have wonderful fit and finish and grinding. Those listed steels are all favorites of mine as well
I second 14c28n
Can you recommend a ultra-premium steel for Arizona law enforcement knives? Due to our low humidity, we do not need corrosion resistance, but toughness and edge retention (wear resistance). Our cops use their knives for everything! - screwdrivers, cutting through fences, slicing seat belts from burn victims, et al.
We do not need a recommendation on a specific brand of knives - we will find a manufacturer once we learn which steel is ideal for Arizona LEOs. Can you make a recommendation?
CPM CruWear or CPM M4 are my recommendations. Both are super tough and have stupendous edge retention. Neither is stainless, but it sounds like that's not an issue. There are a ton of great knives made with both of these steels, so you'll have no trouble finding your ideal blades. Thanks for watching!
3:20 hammering a cold steel knife with a brick/lock during extreme tip test, feels like joex reference
Joe X is a LEGEND! I only wish I was that cool! -George
Out of all the different steels I have, Including M390,20cv, Nitro V and others. I'm liking my blah blah with D2. Like anything a little maintenance goes a long way. I kinda like to try the powder steel version but it slipped my mind what it's called. It's something that I heard quickly referenced and that's why I can't remember.
CPM D2
20cv all day I enjoy my magnacut but I have tons sharpen it 5 times for every 1 time one 20cv and I've never had a problem with corrosion with either
M390 (and analogs), Elmax (my favorite), and of course Magnacut. NO CORROSION!
I have a MKM timavo with titanium handle and M390 blade steel... Its by far the best (and most expensive ) letter opener I've ever had. 😅
I've wanted one of those for some time. Have you used it enough to get a feel for the heat treatment?
@@PoetFisherman can't really say, only had it a short time. But the build quality is excellent! The feel, the lockup, the jimping are amazing.
I’m relating. I keep a budget friendly D2 knife at work to switch over to lol.
Can someone tell me if D2 is good ? I got my qsp penguin and im in love with this knife, so i wanna know on what should i be carefull
D2 is a great steel. It has a solid balance of edge retention and toughness. It's often called "semi-stainless," so it will resist some corrosion, but I've heard from folks in humid climates that they occasionally see rust spots on it. But it's a great, well-balanced steel. I'm old enough to remember when it was only available on high-price knives. The fact that you can get in budget-friendly knives today is awesome. -George
Great edge retention for the money.
As a severely corrosion averse type, I kept away from it for a long time. Eventually I bought a CJRB Agave in D2. I've treated it like my stainless knives for two years. No coating it with oil or EDCi.
About a month ago I saw a tiiiiiny spot of rust on the forward finger choil, probably from sweaty hands in summer months. It came off with a rust remover with ease. Other than that, in two years the blade has only darkened some.
I'm much less snobby about D2 these days.
thanks !
@@BladeHQ
@@BladeHQ- I enjoy my D2 Deckhand from Kizer. I'm in Florida and wear it as a neck knife. I had spotting once ... but cured that by using KPL Knifeshield when I clean the tape adhesive off the blade. It's been my experience that unless you are actively dunking your D2 in salt water... as long as you oil or wipe you blade in a protective every day or so you should be good. Obviously... if you've used the blade heavily and worn the coating off you might want to recoat the same night.
The perfect knife steel DOES exist! It's called Unobtainium. 😮
OOOOOOOO! Excellent!
What was the cpm 3v knife?
Where does damascus steel fit? Besides looking pretty, what is it's true strength as a blade?
Quit using the quartering profile shot with the camera. It’s just dumb.
Whats the hatchet on the back wall next to the hammer?
All of these steels are great, I’m not a steel snob but I really like my S90V knives a little more than I like my S35, S45 and Magnacut but all are perfect for regular edc use!
I must collect them all!
Yeah that’s what I was thinking about 2 years ago. Now I have over 150 Spyderco knives and need to sell a bunch 🤦♂️
@@DuhYaThink I try to mix it up over my year
CPM Cruwear - Non Stainless
S35vn - Stainless
14c28n - Budget
I think the majority of folks do not require any sort of premium steel and will be just fine with AEBL or good old 14CR Heck there's a reason why Buck still uses 420 in many of their knives. Unless you actually know you need a different more premium steel for specific applications You're probably fine just going with non premium entry unless you're trying to collect or just spend money to spend it
I wish Spyderco had more aeb-l on their knives. It’s a great steel. Very tough.👍🏻
@@DuhYaThinkI wish the same. I've given thought to buying the aeb-l mule and putting scales on it.
@@matthewweaver1123 That’s the only model I have on aeb-l
Aebl or 14c really are great steels. Cheap, easy to sharpen to a razors edge, great edge strength/stability and stainless
Elmax is my opinion is the goat, it's sooo good. I'll take it over anything🤤
Why do you have to put on a mocking voice when quoting people commenting on your videos? People are entitled to an opinion and you ask them to share it.
"wHy Do YoU hAvE tO pUt On A mOcKiNg VoIcE wHeN qUoTiNg PeOpLe CoMmEnTiNg On YoUr ViDeOs?"
Thank you
It's almost like knives are tools and tools are built to their needed task 😮