Steels and handle materials...

[SunTzu]

Whats your favorite blade steel and why? Handle material...and why? I personaly have taken a great liking to s30v and vg10. And g10 is an amazing handle material!! :D Just trying to make conversation, dont realy have many people to talk to steel about... exept you guys. So lets hear the favorites!!

"Everything is temporary, everything can change."

[SoCal Operator]

I here ya! I have one person who knows knives (got him to stay with :spyder: after he snapped his Endura) and whenever we talk shop, our friends always say "Oh, they're talking about knives":rolleyes:
Right! On thread! VG-10 is great, and I think, a little underrated. Few other companies put a steel of this quality out in their "cheap" knives. It holds a good, thin edge, is very corrosion resistant, and doesn't chip quite like S30V does. H-1 is also great, considering there is very little trade off to make it a rust proof steel, and I like the way well worn H-1 looks. That being said, my favorite steel would have to be ZDP-189. I know it's new and trendy, but I think Hitachi is on to something. I am extremely lucky to own two of Spyderco's ZDP models (thanks again, JD!) and the edge holding is phenomenal. It's not the most versitile steel considering it's hardness, but for my uses (cutting things) it's the best.

[SunTzu]

I've not yet had the pleasure of using zdp, I know its extremely hard steel, 60-62? Hows it handle?

[Zac]

CPM-S30V and G10...see my pics :D

[smcfalls13]

Favorite materials? Oh man this is going to be a long post, because it depends on the knife.

Folders: VG-10 for the steel, and G-10 or Canvas Micarta handles. That combination rarely comes together on Spyders though, so often I have to have the handles replaced. I have nothing against FRN at all, it's just as good, but I'm starting to like G-10 and Canvas Micarta because I can color my knife as I want. Can't really have aftermarket FRN made, it's not economical.

Fixed Blades: VG-10, 1095, or Tool steels for the blade, depending on the blade. Handle materials I prefer G-10 or Canvas Micarta for smaller blades. For the big choppers I actually prefer *gasp* Kraton:eek: When I'm hacking up the jungle I call my backyard, Kraton absorbs the shock of the blade, and is much easier on my hand the other materials. Canvas Micarta is a close second, G-10 seems to transfer every single bit of impact into my hand.

Balisongs: 440C, ATS-34, or 154CM. Those are the only choices for me. Anything else is too brittle, and getting blood on carbon steels will rust it very quickly. For handle materials I don't care, as long as the grip is there. These are for flipping, so they've gotta look good as well as feel good. G-10 is fine, Carbon Fiber(properly textured) is better, bare metal is great(beadblasted Ti is like superglue on my fingers).

Totally depends on the knife;)

[dedguy]

like many others my choices would be G-10 and VG-10 although they only edge out SS or FRN and CPM-S30V barely. i only would personally say VG-10 as it's the only high end steel i've had long term experience with and am very impressed with it.

[KSDbass]

I"m with SMCfalls on the Balisong part, but other than that it's where we part ways. I'd say my favorite bladesteel for a folder is ZDP, because I don't really use folders for anything where brittleness would be a problem. For fixed blade knives, probably 154CM. And handle material, either the trac-tec insert on the aluminum like the Kershaw Blur has, or what the mariner had.
edit: I just read Zac's thread on his Byrd knife, and he makes 8Cr13MoV sound like quite a good steel, but I know the least about this of any steel, so I'm not sure.

[dalefuller]

Whats your favorite blade steel and why? Handle material...and why? I personaly have taken a great liking to s30v and vg10. And g10 is an amazing handle material!! :D Just trying to make conversation, dont realy have many people to talk to steel about... exept you guys. So lets hear the favorites!!

"Everything is temporary, everything can change."

Handles: #1 G-10, #2 FRN They're plain but functional, just like me. Ain't nothin' pretty about any of us, but we all work. For me, beauty is how well something performs (and outperforms) it's intended function.

Blades: #1 VG-10 #1.25 S30V S30V would probably be my favorite folder steel because of it's edge retention except for the chipping problems that I've read about, but never experienced personally. I have both sizes of Ritter Grips in S30V, a Native and an 80mm Manix that have all been used and touched up on a Sharpmaker. None of them has given me a problem of any kind. On the other hand, my favorite workday EDC is my FRN D4 with VG-10. It cuts like a scalpel and it's easy to bring the edge back just by touching it up with a steel and a Sharpmaker. On weekends, I usually tote around a BM525 in 154CM.

The other stuff I've got (154CM, ATS34, 440C, AUS-8 and lower) is all drawer stuff that I bought (or buy) on impulse just because I need an occasional blade fix.

[s11ews]

i love micarta and g10 as handles and for steel i would say zdp and h1

now only if they did zdp clad in h1 so you got rust proof super steel:D

[Zac]

I"m with SMCfalls on the Balisong part, but other than that it's where we part ways. I'd say my favorite bladesteel for a folder is ZDP, because I don't really use folders for anything where brittleness would be a problem. For fixed blade knives, probably 154CM. And handle material, either the trac-tec insert on the aluminum like the Kershaw Blur has, or what the mariner had.
edit: I just read Zac's thread on his Byrd knife, and he makes 8Cr13MoV sound like quite a good steel, but I know the least about this of any steel, so I'm not sure.

It seems as a good bargain steel. I have used AUS-8 Cold Steal products however I have never used a AUS-8 Spydie hard and CS has this mysical thing in that they do not advertise anything about their steels...just that their 'tantos' can pierce car hoods.

[The Deacon]

Damasteel stainless damascus would be my first choice for steel. I don't spend all day cutting, but I do use my EDC at least several times a day. For those reasons, unlike most people here, I put a very high value on looks and a relatively low value on edge holding. Edge holding comparable to AUS-6, or even 420J, would be acceptable to me in a knife that is esthethically pleasing. From everything I've heard, a damsteel blade would perform as well or better than the first, and definitely better than the second of those two and would look more attractive to my eyes than any plain steel is capable of looking.

My favorite handle material is sambar stag, sandwiched between two stainless steel or nickel silver bolsters.