Which steel can get the sharpest?

MAD777 said:
Which blade steel will yield the sharpest knife? Not necessarily the best edge retention to keep it sharp (although that would be a tie-breaker). I'm simply looking for scarry sharp, razor sharp, etc. that the average user can get sharp.

It seems to me that many generally excellent steels, exhibit a different level of sharp.

I understand that cutting ability is a product of many factors. But for this exercise, assume two identical knives with quality heat treats. Only the type of steel is different.

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In my experience SP27 gets scary sharp. I recently just bumped into the edge of one with the side of my hand and gave me a deep cut. I researched afterwards and Sal Glesser also says it gets really sharp. I’m almost afraid sometimes to pick up the knife. I have the Colorado version of the militaryII, The one with the Colorado flag on the handle. But you can get the same steel in the military three and a native and the other ball bearing one lock I can’t think of the name of it
 
Deer said:
Steels have come so far.. I can whittle hair with 154cm, s30v, m4, s35vn, cpm 154, 20cv, s90v, m390, zdp 189, white paper(might be my favorite for "most keen") just to name a very few. To resharpen? s30v, m390, 20cv, white paper are the easiest/quickest to touch up for me.
Really comes down to the RH of the specific steel. There's tons and tons of info here on the forum regarding "prime RH" of where specific steels really shine. Then there's the angle and grit usedddd. Most steels can get scary sharp.

If you're looking for the "cheapest" entry level high end blade steel knife for an EDC Id recommend the Doug Ritter mini/full grip in M390. $130/140 respectively.


Strictly most keen edge possible, I hear amazing things about white paper (Shirogami).

I'v heard really good stuff about the Nagao Higonokami Higo in white paper. Going to pick one up one of these days.
Also a guy by the name of Murray Carter (Carter Cutlery) forges fixed blades in white paper. Supposedly some pretty awesome stuff. Going to pick up one of his "perfect neck knives" someday.
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Digging the Higonokami love! I only have Blue Paper and their standard SK carbon, but I think my next with be the Shirogami/white.
Whoa, another double necro'd thread, but not by me! Once in 2018 and again now.
 
For me. Magnacut, 154cm, cpm 154, m390, M4 and sandvik. Premium and affordable. Then we discuss edge retention.
 
All other things being equal (quality heat treatment, ~20DPS, etc.), I find that AEB-L, 52100, CPM154, 3V, 5160 and 1095 have the potential to become very sharp.
 
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In my experience, nitrobe 77 takes a hair shaving edge easier than any other steel, including 1095 and 52100.

I can sharpen my nitrobe blade on the bottom of a coffee mug if necessary, and have a hair shaving edge. The steel isn’t really crazy edge retention wise though.
 
Ime the blue and white Hitachi steels. Also my knives from Shinichi Watanabe are the sharpest knives I've ever used.

Ease of sharpening to a scary edge for me would be Sandvik 12c27 though.
 
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Even the cheapest steels can be sharpened to a razor-like edge. The difference is how well the steel retains the edge.
 
White and Blue paper steels seem to want to be sharp. They can take a very hard, thin edge that still maintains flexibility, right up until you push it too hard and it chips out. :)
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nattynarwhal said:
In my experience, nitrobe 77 takes a hair shaving edge easier than any other steel, including 1095 and 52100.

I can sharpen my nitrobe blade on the bottom of a coffee mug if necessary, and have a hair shaving edge. The steel isn’t really crazy edge retention wise though.
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Really? How is it compared to Terravantium, do you (or anyone) know? I was looking at an Otter knife in Terravantium, seems like their answer to H-1.
 
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