Is CPM 154 still considered "super steel"

Justin Schmidt

Justin Schmidt

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Feb 18, 2016
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It was the king for a while. But its 2019 and with stuff like m390, s35vn, and elmax is cpm 154 still highly regarded knife steel in the community? I'm making folders and wanna order some precision ground stock. Just not sure if I should go with cpm 154 or 204p?
 
I have a couple of knives made of CPM154 in 2013. They were excellent knives then, and they are excellent knives now. Just because there have been advances in steels doesn't mean CPM154 has somehow become mediocre. I also have knives in Elmax, S35VN and M390. They don't cut any better than CPM154 given the geometry is similar and the heat treatment is excellent. For me, steel is a secondary consideration.

I think that what you really meant to ask is "What is the current 'flavor of the month'?", and should you chase that chimera. I can't speak for the community, but I would rather buy a well designed and executed knife than one whose selling point was that it was made from some super exotic steel.

On the other hand, if you are looking to extend your experience and skills into using new (to you) steels, by all means go with the exotic stock.
 
I'm not sure CPM-154 was ever called a "super steel." M390 and Elmax are both older than CPM-154, so their existence doesn't change anything one way or another. In this case I don't think it matters in terms of selecting a steel for an application. CPM-154 has been viewed as a solid choice since it was released and I don't think that has changed.
 
Awesome sounds like it's still a desirable choice for knife steel. I know how some guys are knife snobs and wont buy anything but the best of the best steel lol
 
I think cpm-154 and S35VN perform similarily. If you learn one well, you don’t need to learn both. I went with S35VN when I branched into stainless, along with aeb-l. Either is a great choice. I’m not seeing much advantage going to m390 or elmax. They are a bit different, but not drastically so. I will say I haven’t done a lot of testing, so others can correct me here too.
 
I like how the steel usually comes precision ground, is dead straight, and doesn't warp during heat treat. I also like how it can reach up to 63-64 rc. A pleasure to work with.
 
When buying good knives with good heat treats from reputable makers I never ask what steel the blade is made from. Heresy around here I’m sure. If I have a choice then I might. That said, I have knives in 1095, A2, Niolox, CPM154, M390, S35VN, Elmax and others. They’re all good. But then, I don’t cut metal with any of them.
 
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Thanks everyone! It will get sent off to @JTknives for heat treat and final surface grinding so I'm not worried about the ht being an issue. Well until I get my own oven lol
 
A.McPherson said:
I think Mithril might be silver steel...
Click to expand...
Finally we have a real argument on this forum. In the original Hobbit the mail shirt given to Bilbo is described as "silvered steel." After the Lord of the Rings was written, newer editions of The Hobbit changed the reference to mithril. In Lord of the Rings mithril is described as "harder than tempered steel" which seems to indicate that it is not a steel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithril
 
Larrin said:
Finally we have a real argument on this forum. In the original Hobbit the mail shirt given to Bilbo is described as "silvered steel." After the Lord of the Rings was written, newer editions of The Hobbit changed the reference to mithril. In Lord of the Rings mithril is described as "harder than tempered steel" which seems to indicate that it is not a steel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithril
Click to expand...
It was steel. People were confused by the outcome of a low tempering protocol that was developed in a early call for Charpy toughness samples...
 
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