Chris can you tell us a little about the steels you use and their strengths and weaknesses? I for one, am still a bit ignorant when I comes to the "why" of all the different steels. Also, what do you think of 80crv2? I've seen it in a lot of custom made knives but I've never really seen anyone break it down.
Sorry I have been away from this for so long.
I have a bad habit of letting my attention waver.
There are a couple qualities that the steels I use have in common with one another.
I prefer Crucible Powder Steels, especially the ones loaded with Vanadium.
I like Crucible Steel because they are made with a larger powder mesh which translates to larger sized carbides.
This is what gives that saw-tooth feel when cutting.
- It is also the reason I am not a fan of AEB-L or ELMAX.
- Both are great steels but they do not give me that toothy feedback when cutting that I really like.
I, personally, still find 10V the King of edge holding.
I have used 10V for every knife and cutting use short of a large camp chopper or machete.
I have not chipped a 10V knife yet either, and that is with chopping and batonning.
- There is the possibility of a 10V Camp Knife coming in the future.
S90V, IMO, is the best choice for a high end high wear stainless.
It does not have the best edge holding or the best stain resistance, but it has good balance of properties.
S90V is cheaper than S110V or S125V and is much easier to machine, which translates to a less expensive knife.
Long lasting edge holding and high efficiency cutting performance is ultimately what I'm after.
To achieve this most efficiently you need the high alloy steels at higher hardness to withstand the thinner edge geometry.
I have not used 80CRV2.
I have used some 1084 and 52100 and have been quite pleased with both.
I especially like the fine edges I was able to obtain with 52100.
Let me know if this has helped or if it muddied the waters even more.
I can try to better clarify if needed.