One steel for the rest of your life. Which one and why?

If I could pick one for folders and one for fixed blades it would be. Folders- M390 Fixed- CPM 3V

If it was just one overall, it would easily be CPM 3V. I have a 3 inch folder in 3V all the way up to a 22 inch blade slimline machete I beat the crap out of. Both perform amazingly well, and so do the other 6 3V blades I have in between. With the right HT it is very hard to beat as an all around blade steel.

 

In a folder it would be CTS-204P. Never seen used anything else like it. In a fixed blade I will have to think on that!

 

440C, so I could earn the scorn of steel snobs on the Internet whenever I mentioned it, and so I could enjoy their amazement when I was still able to cut stuff. Also it's cheap and I'm pretty sure I could sharpen a 440C in pitch darkness using a coffee mug and still get it to shave.

 

12C27 Decent preformence allround, and I'd still be able to touch up the kitchen knives the wife cuts into glass and metal with. with in a few minutes

 

I'll take the similar M390/CTS-204P/CPM-20CV powdered stainless steels in all knives including fixed. Great corrosion resistance, tough and great edge/wear retention.

 

Well if this is magic land where there was only ever one steel then I choose 1095.
It's easy to sharpen, holds a good edge, and takes a nice patina with use and age.

 

I would have to go with 3V as well. I'm quite rough on my blades from time to time. 3V is very tough, easy enough to resharpen, and I don't mind a light patina.

 

Although I said 3V in my response, I do love my 1095 blades. The edge almost comes back at the mere mention of a strop.

 

1095 is my choice as well.

 

M4 for me.

 

Chalk up one more for M390/CTS204P/CPM20CV.

 

Yeah, love the M390.

 

M390 is great, I been meaning to try 3v it sounds amazing.

 

But honestly, for fixed blades, I'd never complain if all I had was well heat-treated 1095.

 

440 of Japanese origin of course, or similar Aus-6-8.

Gaston

 

OP asked for 1 steel.
I bet I could suffer through life using M390.
On everything.

 

cpm M4 !!!

 

I've just gotten a bit acquainted with my S90V, and I am amazed. I love that stuff.

 

Impossibru! 440C works about as well as a backwards chain on a chainsaw.