What was the first knife steel you fell in love with and still use to this day?

A

AshesFall

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Jul 16, 2019
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Just something I was thinking about while looking through some of my old folders. Was thinking about how far along my collection has come since my first love of Buck knives in their famous HT'd 420hc. I use so many other steels now that are much better then 420hc at holding an edge, but it's easy to sharpen back up and for that reason alone I'll always love and use this steel.

Which knife steel was your first love?
 
Whatever Victorinox had when I was a kid. I have the green Soldier version on my key chain. I still pull it out to open a can of beans for heating when outside. On my key chain, so always there.
 
The first steel I used that impressed me would probably be a Maserin in Aus8 or a Buck in 420HC and I would say that is due to those two being the first knives I had with an excellent heat treatment. They may not be exceptional steels but they are very good when done right.
 
Buck 420HC. I've had Buck knives since I was a kid and still use them in the field. Great stuff. Yes, I have "better" knives, with better, more modern steels. but the Bucks just keep working.
 
The Victornox steel they use on the smaller knife blade - the one that I stabbed clean through my left palm and at no stage did it ever hurt. Loads of blood, cool injury, no pain. Now that's sharp.
 
Like many others = Victorinox. I EDC the cadet every day and honestly, although I have lots of other knives in higher end steels the little cadet does 95% of the work.
 
VG 10 not sure when it first came along, but after having to sharpen.my buck 110 2 - 3 times a week it was gold!! Still carry my Al Mar sere2k d/a. few times a week!!!
 
My first “high end” knife was a ZT0350 (wahoooo :)) had s30v and I have found a lot of good blades using this steel

M390 has impressed me but I don’t mind too much about steel as long has the blade geometry and heat treat are good
 
jfk1110 said:
VG 10 not sure when it first came along, but after having to sharpen.my buck 110 2 - 3 times a week it was gold!! Still carry my Al Mar sere2k d/a. few times a week!!!
Click to expand...

The VG-10 in the Sere 2K is damn good. Mine holds a good working edge for many months. I have been very impressed with mine through the years and I do still use it occasionally, but she’s semi-retired.
 
Another Victorinox fan here. No matter what clip knife I’m carrying on any particular day, I always have two SAKs on me that get used every day.

Jim
 
Cutsoms in 440c or ATS34 heat treated by Paul Bos back in the 80's. Seemed to hold an edge much longer than what I was used to.

I had an early Buck lite that was 440C. Also Bos heat treat.

D2 was another.

Laminated VG10 from cold steel also.
 
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H1, the first steel I really got to know as an adult knife user. Very easy to sharpen with a long lasting edge and zero rust, ever.
 
My favorite steel is plain old carbon steel of unknown origin that my Chinese cleavers are made out of -- rust, stains and all -- that I have owned and used for well over 50 yrs.
 
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