Recommendation? Best Stainless Makers

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PirateSeulb

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Jun 6, 2017
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I'm curious about how the rest of the porch ranks stainless steel knife makers I prefer stainless to carbon steel for myself so I want to see what everyone thinks about our options out there.

I mostly ask as we have the new Queen coming out and they were up there before having lots of options but generally better knife than Case. GEC is tough for me to put up on the list simply due to their lack of stainless options.

My current quick rank would probably go

#1 Buck
#2 Boker
#3 Maserin
#4 GEC (They may be rare but there is no denying their quality)
#5 Case (Blades tend to be soft and need sharpening too frequently)

I would also add in Viper and LionSteel but they don't have much outside of the newer modern traditionals the rest about all offer some true traditionals.
 
1) LionSteel's M390 is the best steel I've ever used in a traditional knife, carbon or stainless, and it's stainless, so top honors by far.
1b) By all accounts, Viper's M390 is just as good, although I haven't tried one yet.

2) Moki's VG10 is expensive, but always a great steel, in both edge fineness and edge retention.

3) S&M's ATS-34 as used in their File & Wire series knives have excellent edge holding, but lacking vanadium, are harder to get super sharp.​

4) GEC's 440C similar to ATS-34, but just a tiny bit behind.

5) Well behind the others, but best of the rest, is Buck's 420HC.
 
I was also referring more to current makers since S&M/Queen are defunct with little information on them and any of their potential return I am not including them myself. I will say my experience with Viper is they do a little better with the M390 than LionSteel.
 
I have a Viper EZOpen and Swayback from CollectorKnives both came a little sharper than my LionSteel Roundhead and are keeping and edge a little better.
 
In don’t personally like supersteels probably because I am not good enough or patient enough to sharpen them properly. I haven’t used many traditionals in stainless but currently enjoy Moki Aus 8.
 
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PirateSeulb said:
I have a Viper EZOpen and Swayback from CollectorKnives both came a little sharper than my LionSteel Roundhead and are keeping and edge a little better.
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I also give the edge to Viper over Lionsteel not just in steel quality but in overall form & function. The CK exclusive swayback and sowbelly are both superb moditionals (modern traditionals). Viper has cleaner lines and some of their Silvestrelli designed knives are downright sexy.
 
I've noticed that Buck occasionally makes SFO kinds of knives using CPM 154, or S30V, etc... The 2018 Forum Knife was a really nice example of that.

For just "standard" SS slipjoints, it's a tossup with me between Case and Buck. All the others I can think of are sort of "those" kinds of knives... Opinel Inox, Grohmann, SAK's.
 
I prefer carbon steel, but my favorite stainless traditional knives are Bucks.
Not only are their knives great, they're probably the best company around.
Multigenerational family owned company with good values...ect.
 
Don't own a moditional (thanks Ron Sabbagh Ron Sabbagh ), hex head screws don't fit my idea of traditional ... tried em, hated em, sold em. The Buck forum knife had great steel, great covers, excellent blade shapes, but the blades themselves were too thick, especially right behind the edge bevel. Doesn't slice nearly as well as GEC's thin blades. I too wish GEC would use more 440C, they do an excellent job with it.
 
Case's 154 is my favorite, followed by Victorinox (they are best in class) the Moki VG10 and their AUS8.
 
Moki vg-10, Case 154cm are the first ones that came to mind however I've been surprised by edge on a lockback I have from AG Russell's in 8cr13mov... It cuts really well.
 
M390 has amazed me both on Fox knives and Lionsteel, it's the favourite.
Lets's not forget Sandvik on most Laguioles and Opinel, really useful.
154 on Case & Buck very likeable material and not hard to sharpen.
Moki Japan vg-10.

GEC's 440c is a good steel but it's so rare/hard to come by that it's out of reach for many, wish they had machining to make 154 a big step forward for them that would be :) But first, they must be allowed back to work by that Governor of their State;)
 
Will Power said:
M390 has amazed me both on Fox knives and Lionsteel, it's the favourite.
Lets's not forget Sandvik on most Laguioles and Opinel, really useful.
154 on Case & Buck very likeable material and not hard to sharpen.
Moki Japan vg-10.

GEC's 440c is a good steel but it's so rare/hard to come by that it's out of reach for many, wish they had machining to make 154 a big step forward for them that would be :) But first, they must be allowed back to work by that Governor of their State;)
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Rumor on the porch they are going back. Hope it’s not just a rumor. :( Ya I don’t see how one could argue against the Bohler M390 in some of the awesome Viper and Lionsteel traditional patterns.
 
Can't ignore the 12c27 in the Opinel and also in so very many other French traditionals in what is a thriving market for the genre. There is also the ubiquitous and great Victorinox steel. Incredibly waterproof, easy to sharpen and due to the geometry, an excellent cutter for far longer than you would imagine it could still slice without sharpening.

I'm personally very interested in the modern traditionals. We have S35VN from Cold Steel in their Lucky/Lucky One, S35VN from WE Knives in the Gentry and Scamp. S30V in the Benchmade Proper, M390 in the recent Lionsteel and Viper offerings and I'm rather interested in the new Artisan Cutlery Biome in 12c27.

You can get S30V from the Buck custom shop and I have the BF 2018 Buck knife in CPM154. Boker made some nice stuff in 440C just a few years back, the bog oak traditionals.

I'm sure there's a bunch that have escaped me. I sold my last carbon steel folder not long ago. It's cutely traditional but I use my stuff and like a clean blade that stays clean without constant maintenance.
 
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