Blade Steel Doesn't Matter 

You have spoken the unspoken words that shall not be mentioned. You mentioned so many things that I'm guilty of. Especially the grabbing of a lesser quality knife to do a job. Brutally honest video. Way to go! Now I'm going to start using those higher dollar knives for tougher tasks.

I'm just a knife steel nerd! I've got everything from an Opinel in carbon steel to some of the latest in MagnaCut. I love reading about the variety of steels and their different properties. It's fascinating to me how the content of the steel and the way it's processed and heat-treated results in so many different characteristics.

I could almost argue that heat treating is as important as blade steel!

Could not agree more. My grandfathers Old Time 8OT with 1095 blades has seen more hard work than my high end blade ever will. After 20+ years of him carrying it and me having it since his passing in 2013 it’s still a good knife that will cut whatever I need to cut.

Absolute facts !!! Thank You 🙏 amazing facts & Points !!! Wholly agree with everything you’ve stated!!! 👍

For me, steel doesn't really matter. If I'm going to clear my property, I'll take the right tool for the right job. So it's just for the value of collection. If the knife speaks to me...I want it! Thanks TC!

This discussion reminds me of the 9mm vs. .45acp argument.

I’ve been thinking about this subject a lot lately. I have a couple of really nice knives that have been pocket princesses for a while. But I came to the realization that those materials were used so that it can withstand hard use. The hardest things I cut on a regular basis is either wood or large plastic straps that tie pallets together.

Thank you for the video. My father is 70 and inherited an Opinel from his father, it's.... really old. No supersteel, no Magnacut, just plain old carbon steel Opinel still uses today. It gets the job done since decades and still gets used almost daily.

I couldn't agree more! Thank you for the content!

Basically I second your thoughts. When it comes to sharpening, I like the differences in how the edge strops to a sharp edge. Celery root can be pretty tough as well as sweet potato. Edge geometry in the short run provides a significant difference in performance. Elmax, 15V and S45VN are my current favorites for different tasks. Cheers from Germany 🍻

The problem is they don’t name cool looking designs with cheap blade steel

I owned a couple of nice knives... until they were stolen. Several hundred dollars, gone. That was years ago. These days, I've got a few Opinals that migrate between the house, garage and garden shed. I lost the first one... no tears, $25 gone. So I went straight down to the shop to replace it. I bought two, just to be on the safe side. Then the first one turned up again. Voila, 3 knives for under $100. I've got a couple of cheap box cutters in the kitchen draw, too. I abuse them all. I have no attachment to any of them, and that's what I love about them. I sharpen the Opinals once in a while, and that's it. But I still really, really want to get a bit of "pocket jewellery". I think the time has come.

This constant changing up of steel composition is a product of the internet and more especially RU-vid. I’m 60 and have seen this SuperSteel hype explode at the same time RU-vid knife channels and instagram and all the rest were growing. People are enticed to buy the latest and greatest. We we were cutting stuff just fine in the 60's, 70's, 80’s and 90's. Now this years “Super Steel” will be old news in a few months. Just my opinion. Great video.

I hope you have your armored jockstrap on after this one. That said, I've dressed enough deer with 440C to fill a boxcar but i kept a honesteel in my pocket and used it regularly. ATS 34 and D2 were a Godsend. I haven't used my skinners in quite a while, but I suspect that i could dress several deer with my premium blades without touching up the edge.

To me the most important thing is heat treat with any steel pertaining to its intended use, and it being priced in accordance to its level of performance. In areas that are important to you Such as toughness, stainless, edge retention etc.. or a combination of those traits you get what you pay for generally. The better the heat treat on a piece of steel the easier it's going to be to sharpen it and keep that edge maintained where if it's poorly treated you'll get things like chipping, rolled edges, and overall sub par performance. As far as sharpening goes Higher end steels are relatively easy to sharpen when using the proper stones such as diamond ones and that goes to using the proper tools for a job at hand. Some steels such as 420hc, 440C, and 14C28N can be sharpened easily on whetstone, sandpaper, or even rocks in a pinch where steels like S110V you will struggle on a whetstone because the steel is harder than the stone. In today's sharpening world diamond stones are affordable and can be used on any steel to get sharp along with diamond emulsions for stropping. A well heat treated piece of steel is a pleasure to sharpen vs struggling with a poorly treated one in almost every instance. I personally think that 14C28N is a steel that i would be more than happy with for the rest of my life for outdoor usage and in the kitchen, along with regular carbon steel in my carving knives for woodworking indoors, but having the option for something better such as Magnacut means that i have to sharpen less often is nice as well. Also for those who have no interest in sharpening and send thier knives out for that service will appreciate those higher end steels that have to be sharpened less often. It will mean more money up front but will save you in the long run as maintenance is something every knife needs if it's being used. Sorry for the long comment lol. Thanks for the great vid and keep making sharp things fun and enjoyable

You've put into words what I've always felt. When I have a messy cutting job, the old beater comes out.

My edc is used for all kinds of stuff. Opening and breaking down boxes, opening plastic bags, to cutting string or rope, to cleaning game. My current favorites are 14c28n, D2, & cpm 154.

Yup. Right on all points. I have a couple of premium (okay, almost premium) knives, and I’ve seldom used them. What have a used the most? A tiny knife with VG-10 steel. It does more than 95% of everything I need a knife for. But my premium knives? Mostly I admire them. And when I need to break down a bunch of boxes? I reach for a box-cutter with replaceable blades.

The way I like to weigh my options or what I like to call my perfect balance is as follows (how much it matters ratio😂: 25%- type of steel vs its purpose 25% - grip type and size 25% - Deployment type (I'm all fixed blade) 25% - Value versus expected longevity I weigh these four categories out before I buy a knife, and I've come to the conclusion there's only a handful of value steals I would buy but I always end up coming back to 14C28N sandvik stainless steel... And for a higher end steal, well I'm still debating on that but right now Elmax has been up there for some years now ( fell in love with it with the giant mouse fix blade I got years ago)... Anyways there's my two cents on the subject😂.. Have a great day y'all 😎✌️

I think what matters more is how well you can sharpen the steel you’re using. I like 440a and 1095 because I can sharpen it fairly easy and get it razor sharp using a variety of items, including wet stones and sandpaper. Preaching to the choir, my friend. BTW… Most of my packages that get opened are from eBay or SMKW. I rarely buy from Amazon. I use wire cutters for zip ties right tool for the right job. And finally, I use an OTF for cutting boxes. Yes, it’s a box cutter with a replaceable razor blade.

I’m a tradesman, I use my 940 osbourne to score drywall, cut tyvex, trim tape, I use a spiderco dragonfly in my other pocket for boxes and mail. I bought my osbourne to work, not sit on a shelf.

I like sharpening knives but don't want to reprofile if I don't have to, so I personally prefer toughness and stainlessness over edge retention. Love the nerf rival equipment in the background btw.

Busted. I own lots of knives and don't even use them for Amazon boxes. Got me a real cheapie razor-blade box cutter for that. But I'll sharpen those nice knives, oh yeah...get 'em as sharp as I can, then put them back on the shelf.

This is so true! Best honest video I’ve seen in quite a while. I will easily reach for a knife I’ve spent far less money on to do majority tasks then an expensive one. They all get the job done when taken care of. Great video!

Great video and a su jet I've been thinking about for quite a while. My main carry for a long time now has been an Acta Non Verba P100 which is made from N690, which is equivalent to 440C from what I understand and I've never had a probity it.

Clickbait title. It worked 😁 Most days, you're absolutely correct. Shipping boxes, packing tape, just household tasks like that. And assorted live plants on the weekends.

Totally agree w ya sir…I don’t buy expensive knives…I clean a few deer a year and normal things around home…I choose knife steels that I can sharpen and I enjoy keeping them sharp…AUS 8/D2/440 etc are my usual choices…with no complaints.

in my "regular everyday life i deburr copper and galvanised pipe. cut drywall, rubber shims, cardboard, leather, about anything else you can think of. I carried a benchmade crooked river in S30V for 15 years. Just got a new one in S90V....If I can't use it, HARD, I don't buy it.

I'm professional wildlife trapper and the toughest thing I cut is wood, wire and rope.

Finally someone spitting some truth. My favorite steel is properly heat treated 420 J2. Knife snobs can laugh, but this steel and 420 HC has served me well for decades...

Learn how to sharpen and use your knives... The blade steel matters quite a lot. Start with the Manix 2 LW in REX 45, and dial the secondary bevel down to 14 degrees per side. I look forward to trash day and the weekly breakdown of the boxes from Costco \ Amazon \ etc. The knife slides right through the cuts. The problem eventually becomes dulling blades up often enough to keep my sharpening skills up. I gift knives to friends and family to have more blades to maintain. Who wants to live in a world dominated by "Gerber Mystery Metal"? Give me Maxamet, M4, ZDP189 and K390. Thanks for the video!

I just ordered from you guys today. I ordered the RR Denim micarta Barlow and the RR Denim micarta Electrician's Knife. Can't wait till they come in!

I agree with what you said in your video %100. I definitely use mine for Amazon packages and some of my knives for cutting food on a camping trip and flipper knives I sit and fidget with them. Most of all I just like to open my knife keeper box and just enjoy looking at the beauty of the knife.

Totally agree. Last thing I worry about is what steel the blade is. I also carry a beater knife that I'll probably go to before I pull out one of my nicer knives.

I’ve got about fifty knives that I have purchased from SMKW. I don’t use them to cut squat! They are my hobby, my toys, my daily escape. I do rotate them daily for self defense carry but if I need to open an Amazon package I’ll pull an old steak knife from the kitchen drawer. I don want to gunk up my prize possessions!

I think some people secretly are afraid to sharpen or don’t know how, so they opt for knives with superb edge retention instead.

Glass. Whenever I have that 'Geez, why's my knife dull again already' moment it's because I've used it to cut up my lunch for a couple days. That end-stop on the plate or glass container is a killer for me... so indirectly the hardest thing I cut ends up being pork chops or brownies!

Great Video ! I agree most of the knives that people use are for cutting packages open Amazon packages and snack packs so true !

Great video! One of my favorites is 1095!!

Interesting POV but I think we all know most knife nuts aren't buying knives because they need to cut stuff. We are simply feeding our addiction. I have around 20 knives, all superior quality. Some custom made, some production. I carry and use some of them, the rest just sit there. They meant a lot to me AT THE TIME but now they're just sitting there. I will say blade steel does keep the hobby interesting. I like to try 'em all. I have decided that I prefer tool steels but they are a bit of a pain in that they take more maintenance. But boy can those suckers cut! And less chance of chipping. If you want an affordable, all-round user that will hit anything hard and beg for more, I highly recommend the Spyderco Endura in K390. One of the best all-round users there is. Or the classic BM Griptilian in S30V if you want stainless. Can't go wrong with either for under $150.

Great shirt!!

I process a lot of tree branches on my property. For that my Becker BK-9 does a great job. For smaller jobs such as opening and collapsing boxes and other packaging I use whichever folder I'm carrying that day. On my nightstand though I have an old Kamp King camping knife for small tasks in my room. Great video.

Watched your video months ago and got busy and didn't comment but owning my business working on anything and everything that will go through my doors but 25 plus years in auto body repair and did mostly hard collision repairs. Cutting open boxes, rubbers, bumper covers on wrecks and even body filler. Kershaw is my main edc but I have some cold steel ,CRKT, and a few other knives under 150 bucks but Kershaw is hard to beat in my neck of the woods. I'm fixing to purchase a Work Tuff Gear fixed blade as soon as I make up my mind. 👍👍

I always laugh at how people in this community complain about soft heat treats (particularly from Italian makers) when the majority of their use is as you said: breaking down cardboard and cutting open other knife boxes/Amazon packages. It's so easy to jump on bandwagons. It's no fun owning a rad knife and letting it collect dust. Where's the joy in that? I love using my knives. But maybe that's just me 😉 Unless it's a legit collector's item or has sentimental value, I'm gonna enjoy making use of my tools as they were intended. And sometimes I just reach for my box cutter. Use the best tool for the job, don't try to justify your knife's existence! Thanks for a sensible take on this subject, TC! 😎👍👊

The more expensive a knife is the less likely you are going to use it for challenging tasks... rather funny when you think about it.

destroyed the edge on my sanremnu 710 on black floor striping pad. I cut up the big disc to do the edges of the floor and remembered that there are bits of carbide in there. Dull as a butter knife when i was done, but I was shocked that the coating held up without deep scratching. it took hard work to reprofile. I still use it today

I couldn’t agree more! My favorite pocket knife has 154cm steel and I couldn’t be happier with it. I’m a outdoors man as well as a truck driver by trade and use it on anything from cutting a sandwich in half to cutting air hose to make a repair if I need to. It’s also my hunting knife I use to skin game with or process a chicken that I raise. It sharpens up well, I just really like it.

I have been using for the past 5 years a Buck 311 made only for Canadian Tire with a 420J2 blade that retailed for 9.99$. I use it on everything from cutting branches and vines in my woodlots too opening packages, scraping off caulking or cleaning the dirt out from under my fingernails. (My more expensive knives are just for fun and collecting) I touch the blade up on the edge of my car window glass, a rock, sandpaper or whatever Is handy. Rinse it off when it gets dirty and the darn thing just keeps going. Best 10 bucks ever spent 😊

For me I don't care as much about edge retention as I do corrosion resistance. I live in the southeast and use my knives for carving and like to hike a lot. I keep them clean but don't want to worry if I ever forget or miss a spot.

My 1991 ford escort gets me to work everyday , but I’d rather have a Cadillac

I liked this video. I own several budget knives with budget steels and they are perfect for my everyday taks. I have a preference for stainless steels because my city has high humidity. I been carrying my good old RAT 1 with AUS 8 and it works just fine!

TC. I use wire snips for zip ties, for Amazon pkgs.I use my box cutter with replaceable razor blades, I do like LN 200 or Vanax for my out door folders in case I leave them outside for the night camping or cleaning trout. I do admit I have some Queen folders and fixed blades. See ya TC

I love my 23$ True folder that I got at the local lumber store and I have zero idea what it's made of. It's gotten everything cut that i've encountered and yes I do sharpen from time to time, so what?

Blade steel does matter 100%. Because I don't stand around cutting sheets of paper all day. S30V and K390 work for me.

3:45 Special occasions. Like riding public transportation in Chicago. Great presentation.

I have some nice knifes but my work horse is my mora companion. Use it daily for food prep, box cutting and packages camping, hiking. Dug in the dirt to cut roots. Its the knife i grab for yard work and house repairs iv taken it to work to cut insulation for aircraft tho it dulled pretty fast. I have a problem with beating up my expesive ones i avoid it and the mora is called to duty. List goes on for the mora and iv only owned it for 3 years i sharpen it by hand and strop it once a week.

My heavy duty folders are either the Benchmade mini adamas or Griptilian but my Victorinox works great for opening envelopes and Amazon packages and usually gets used more.

That intro was so awesome!

I've been using a knife as a can opener for a long time now and I like it.

TC speaking truth, I always carry more than one knife…, there’s usually 3 different blades on me for different tasks, and then I have two more under the counter here @ work, it all depends what I’m cutting, I honestly don’t think I could carry just one blade…💯😄

Well said. You hit the nail on the head.

My most carried knife is in CTS-BD1. An original Manix LW. Basically a slightly higher performing AUS-8 level steel. Gets scary sharp. I spent an hour last night reprofiling a BM mini crooked river S30V, using 140, 400 & 600 grit diamond. Exhausting

Blade steels sharpen so much different i cant say they dont matter lol. I love the teeth nitrogen based steels keep during a polish.

Very valid. My daily user is a Sitivien ST152 in K110. Open mostly Amazon packages and other mail, with an occasional zip tie on my ham radio antennas.

Yes, I have many premium steel blades, but I carry box cutters for cardboard and my common yard work knife is a partially serrated 3Cr folder, and I have to use it a lot cutting or digging out stubborn fibrous weeds.

I carry four blades everyday. My sak for the nail clippers. My Leatherman for the pliers. My pocket knife because i don't know why I bother and then my Gerber prybrid. Which gets the most use, then my leatherman blade gets the next most use. I've never used my sak blade. And i rarely use my pocket knife, but i carry one anyways.

I love it when people talk about how sharp their super steel gets. Iron gets just as sharp as magnacut. I bet with enough work you could put the same edge on a piece of wood or aluminum. For most people they'll get 440 sharper than a super steel. Now here's the real kicker edge retention has less to do with the steel. As it does to the edge geometry. Then the hardness of the blade and then finally the steel that's used.

Completely true. I want to add one thing- any steel on a blade become dull if it meet ceramic plate or concrete or another metal. In my life that kind of situation is really what make my knife dull. So it is doesn't really matter for the steel. Who cuts with pocket knife tonnes of material?

I've got about 100 knives, $10-$300+. Blade steel from 420HC, S35VN, M390. The knife I carry most is a Ganzo Firebird with 440C. It gets stropped occasionally, and a diamond stone infrequently and it's always sharp. The M390 is trickier to sharpen, even on a diamond stone. Like you said, mostly they open Amazon boxes, then cut them for recycling.

Maybe opening battery package by cutting thick clear plastic covering is my typical hardest cutting job.

Ha you said the quiet part outloud.

Preach brother

Great job 👏🏻. Well said! I own knives of all types of steel. I use them all! Some of my favorites are the, so called lesser types of steel. Just don’t let them get too bad and sharpen them up.

I think the steel is very important. If you use your knife a lot like I do, the hardness really comes into play, because it cuts whatever you throw at it and doesn't need constant sharpening. Example, I was up on a ladder recently trying to adjust a security mirror. The person who put it up used steel "piano" wire and ran it back and forth to get the mirror set. I tried to change it and the whole contraption started coming down. I needed to cut the wire quickly, so I pulled out my hogue a01-ms, deployed it with one hand while I was holding the mirror with the other, and cut through the steel cable with ease. Didn't even dent my csm-154 blade.

I can't sharpen a knife. I've ruined some blades trying. So a better blade material is great for me.

Controversial topic but you do raise valid points! Blade geometry also plays a large part on how knives perform and I think ppl tend to forget about that and just go for the blade steel alone..thanks for another entertaining video!

Very well said Sir and all Truth

The only thing I will do is designate a knife as a self-defense knife vs everything else. That self-defense knife usually has a blade shape and grind that is meant for that purpose. Other than that, I think TC is spot on.

I think it's does matter but true not for most people. None of my knives don't get used I have everything from Gerber mystery steels to s35v and I have sharpened everything in-between. All of my knives have scratches from hard use but I try to choose the right grind/shape for the job. I cut a lot of cardboard and plastic lids for my job and a lot of times razors chip and then I can't cut newspaper paper which I also cut frequently for my job. So actually it's the weakest materials that brings me to my knees because if my knives aren't sharp then I tare the newspaper (I am pressman) then I often have to restart that action or redo something and this is why I am very interested in magnucut and M390 as sometimes my knife dulls in the same day from all the cutting I do

Thanks mucho for straight talk. When much younger i graduated from good pocket knives only occasionally used to a better Buck knife in belt holder do I could be one of the guys. I wore that blade down by sharpening it so much the point became dangerous when closed - but rarely used. Today i use box cutters and utility knives. I dry sharpen them on fine sandpaper. I suspect that the fine knife steel blades are almost all vanity props. If you are off grid living and field dress game and such elemental tasks then such good knives are critical. Not in an urban digity setting. Thanks again for putting the whole issue in context. You are a valuable voice.

The highest end steel I’ve had is S30V. In my experience blade geometry and heat treating seem to be the most crucial factors. And of course if you can sharpen to a serviceable edge once it gets dull.

100% agree. That said, knives with premium steel hold their secondary value more, and enthusiasts generally buy with the expectation they will may resell and otherwise rotate the knives in their collection.

Couldn't agree with you more. I also chuckle, somewhat, to see the steels that are used in modern folders. Magna Cart is a great choice in a 7in K bar. (Cool knife, by the way.) To my mind, using something like magnet cut in a small folder is like hunting deer with an M2 .50 cal.

Well said! Couldn’t agree more

Bit behind on this with a new outlook. Love the content, thank you. I just started considering a larger knife, for my collection. Began a search and research. Did I just get my inner steel snob shook to the core? Everything I read puts 8Cr13MoV statistically ahead of 1095. Specifically, comparing models in the Schrade frontier series (their own 1095 and 8Cr versions) and Esee. Huge $$ between Schrade and Esee, not to call out either brand, just budget constraints in play vs knife desire. Why the hate for 8Cr, short of source? How do statistics on a page stack against in field performance? Long winded but looking forward to your thoughts. Thanks.

Black locust, oak, Maple, and other hard and soft woods. Carve, split, and make wood tools around camp. Also Bone on a fairly regular basis.

I’m a forklift mechanic by trade and most of the time, my knife is used to open parts boxes, straps and plastic bags. Sure I have the occasional odd ball thing to cut but I’m mostly cutting cardboard and plastic. I have used S30V, SPY27, CTS BD1N, 20CV, D2, and bucks 420HC. After using those steels, D2 and S30V stood up the best. S30V is my favorite steel because it holds an edge very well after A LOT of cutting, and it’s fairly easy to sharpen. In the woods, though, I prefer 420HC from Buck. I can whittle and carve wood, process game, and do whatever I need to without worrying about edge damage. I can also bring the edge back to life with just a few passes on my strop or ceramic stone. Of course, I always have a SAK with me at all times and if the blades get dull, they’re super easy to bring back to screaming sharp.

I carve pipe tampers. Give me 1095, 01, etc. and a pasted strop and I’m good to go. The rest of the gang can have the fancy stuff.

All true good video I cut pallet bands ,scape glue , cut plastic tuning , cakes of animal glue , paper ,cardboard, wood on regular basis all of the steels you mentioned work . 100% some steels I sharpen sooner than others but all will do the job .if sharpening is an issue there are several sharpening systems that are easy to use and work very good . My strongest folder is a cold steel AD-10 with s35vn steel and that tri lock . I work in manufacturing of paperboard boxes and packaging so I cut many things daily and have worked there for 42 years so I have cut a lot.

What do I actually use? I'm with you, I just pull out an Old Timer. If it gets dull it's easy to sharpen.

100% agree! Cheap beater knives are the ones we carry most.

I love having the badass steel in my pocket to increase my self worth, but I carry a secondary user usually in s30 or 154 or something as well as the Leatherman Skeletoolcx

I like steels with well balanced properties. I haven't used M390/20CV or S90V and don't plan to. Most of my knives are S30V because $$$Benchmade, and most are stainless. I'm one of those guys who will work an expensive knife for anything: Sheetrock, rope, and even some metal work. Ide rather give up some edge retention for more toughness and I do prefer stainless so I don't have to fuss over it.

Very much appreciate the vocal perspective of the company you work for providing the tools for the job perspective. He's meaning the big boys companies that have several hundred if not thousands of employees. That type of stuff is absolutely or at least should be provided for, and if it isn't, then that is absolutely something you need to bring up to your HR department. It might be a small greavence, but it's one nonetheless. Especially when every dollar gets more and more precious each day. That's why you should take the initiative and go learn about knife steel further and see what the professionals do/use. Each one of them would tell you that if you can do it on the company's dime, then thats the way do it lol. Always be conscious about what it is that you're buying for what reasons, and you'll be fine. If you want pocket/safe candy, then accept that you want it. Nothing wrong with that. Knives are freaken cool that's what always needs to be the bottom line.

Very nicely done TC. We have had this debate with customers for years. What makes Honey Badger Knives Honey Badger Knives is the value proposition. With 8CR13MOV this holds true. There have been many requests for our knives with higher end steels. The moment we do that then the value proposition tanks. My EDC is one of our 8CR13MOV blades. I keep a loaded strop on the kitchen counter and every few days I just give the knife a few passes bringing it back to shaving sharp. Not all 8CR13MOV is made equal - the factory making ours continues to do a great job! Keep up the great work and thanks for the continued support.

As long as the heat treatment is right. If they charge alot of money for a knife because it has a premium blade steel, but its not heat treated correctly than your not getting your money's worth for instance they charge 250 or more when they should charge 150 or less because the heat treatment doesn't stand up . A premium steel that is not heat treated to the best if its premium like m390 and other premium steels will still cut good just not as much as it should. If you dont care about steel running soft and you have a lot of money and you would spend a 1000 if you wanted a knife brand bad enough with the knowledge that the blade steel is not what it needs to be thats cool but just know your getting ripped off 😂😂. Good video, brother 👌

Geometry cuts... Steel AND heat treatment determines for how long...

Is it a profesional tool ?, then steel matters. For example hunting deers.. Buchers....... Is it not a tool, it is just for fun, then does not matters. Because you will never use it for the job it was manufactured.

Thanks TC very interesting 👍🏻, to be honest i dont go for the top end steel , i love D2 , sandvik, 1095 and so on , they get the job done no problem.