There are a lot of pocket knife steels to choose from. Because there are so many it can be very difficult to choose the right one. So in this article, we will look at the best knife steels for all situations.
Here is the short answer:
The best overall steel for pocket knives is S35VN or M390, the best steel for slicing is S110V, the toughest is 1095, and the best budget steel is 8Cr13MoV. Keep in mind, no one steel is the best for every task you could use a pocket knife for, so know what you want to find the best steel.
There is a lot more to finding the best pocket knife steel than just the short answer, so let’s take a closer look at this subject by looking at the best steels for each task, why they are good, and the best knives in each of the steels.
Best steels for each task
We know the best steels from the short answer, but why are they good for the tasks they are good for, what are some alternatives, and are they worth the money?
If you want a pocket knife that will stay sharp for a long time then you will want a steel like S110V, S90V, or M390. All of those steels are proven to be steels that will keep an edge for a long time. And on top of keeping an edge, they are premium steels that will last a long time.
If you are looking for a steel that is a good all-around steel, then you will want to look at S30V, S35VN, or M390. S30V is a good all-around steel that is affordable and still performs great. S35VN is a steel that is a little higher-end than S30V but still has all the good general-purpose qualities. M390 is a top-tier steel that is very expensive but also very high quality and it still is a great all-around steel.
While the other steels mentioned are great, they all lack one thing, affordability. So what is the best affordable steel out there? 8Cr13MoV is a steel that might not be high quality when compared to the steels mentioned above but nevertheless is the industry standard for budget knives.
There are many tough steels out there, but 1095 is the toughest. While 1095 might not be the most edge-retentive or corrosion-resistant, it is a very tough steel and it is very affordable. So if you are in need of a tough steel for your pocket knife, like if you use your pocket knife for survival, look no further than 1095.
An in-depth look at each steel
Now that we have seen which steel is best for each task we can look at each steel individually.
S35VN
S35VN is a high-quality steel that is used by many companies to make high-quality knives. S35VN is known for being a great all-around steel that performs well in almost all categories you could need a steel for.
S35VN’s full name is CPM-S35VN. The CPM stands for Crucible Particle Metallurgy. This is a process where the particles in the steel are refined in size. This refining gives the steel better wear resistance, better edge retention, and reduces the chances of soft spots in the steel (a soft spot is a spot that is softer and therefore not as strong as the rest of the blade).
Here is what S35VN is made of:
- 1.4% carbon
- 14% chromium
- 3% vanadium
- 2% molybdenum
- 0.5% niobium
Each of these materials do different things: The carbon helps increase blade strength (but too much carbon will lead to your blade chipping), chromium gives the blade corrosion resistance and edge retention (anything above 10% chromium is considered stainless steel), niobium increases the steel’s hardness, molybdenum makes knives easter to harden (it makes easier for the knife company to heat treat), and the vanadium also helps with edge retention.
S110V
S110V is a steel that has exceptional edge retention and corrosion resistance. S110V is one of, if not, the most edge-retentive steel out there. If you are looking for a steel that has great edge retention, this is the steel for you.
Much like S35VN, S110V goes through the same Crucible Particle Metallurgy process which is one of the many reasons this steel has such great edge retention.
The downside to S110V is that while it might have great edge retention, it is quite lacking in other areas. S110V is not a very tough or hard steel; in fact, all it is really good at is holding an edge or being corrosion resistant.
Here is what S110V is made of:
- 2.8% Carbon
- 15.2% Chromium
- 2.2% Molybdenum
- 9% Vanadium
- 2.5% Cobalt
- 3% Niobium
Cobalt increases the overall effectiveness of the materials in the steel.
8Cr13MoV
8Cr13MoV is known for being the industry standard for affordable steel. Overall 8Cr13MoV is a decent steel, and while it isn’t quite as good as the other steels mentioned, it is still good if you are on a budget.
The seemingly meaningless name of 8Cr13MoV actually refers to the steel’s composition. The 8 in the name refers to the percentage of carbon (0.8%), the Cr13 refers to the percentage of chromium (about 13%), the Mo refers to molybdenum, and the V refers to vanadium.
The downside to 8Cr13MoV is that it is not a great steel. It is good for the money, but when you compare it to the other steels mentioned, this is not as good of a steel. But if you are on a budget this is not a bad steel to look at.
1095
1095 is a steel that is good at keeping an edge and is very tough. 1095 is great if you are looking for a steel that is going to hold up through trying situations.
1095 is a very popular steel among survival knife makers because it is tough. It is very important for a survival knife to be tough because it has to hold up to difficult tasks such as batoning or chopping.
The biggest downside to 1095 is that it is not very corrosion-resistant. This means that you are going to want to keep any 1095 knives well-oiled and dry. If you don’t keep your 1095 steel knife dry, you will end up with a very rusted knife that will lose its quality and become unreliable.
Our favorite knives in each steel
So we know what steels are best, we know what those steels are best at, and know the finer details of each steel, but what knives are best in each steel? Here are our favorites:
SOG Terminus XR (S35VN)
The SOG Terminus is one of my favorite carry knives out there. The Terminus has a smooth opening, is lightweight, is reliable, and is fun to use. Overall you can’t go wrong with this knife if you are looking for an EDC knife.
Check out this knife here (link to Amazon)
Spyderco Native 5 (S110V)
The Native 5 is the 5th generation of the Native series and is proven to be a high-quality knife that is great for EDC. The Native 5 has a thumb hole for opening so it won’t get caught on your pocket when you go to draw your knife. The Native 5 is a lightweight knife that is proven to be great for any task you could ever possibly need a knife for.
Check out this knife here (link to Amazon)
Kershaw Clash (8Cr13MoV)
Kershaw is known for making great knives, and the Clash is no exception. The Clash has assisted opening so your knife is guaranteed to open with a simple flip of your finger. The Clash is a knife that doesn’t cost a lot of money but it still performs way better than most knives in its price range.
Check out this knife here (link to Amazon)
Conclusion
If you are looking for a steel that has great edge retention and great corrosion resistance, then you will want S110V. If you are looking for a steel that is a great overall performer then you will want CPM-S35VN. If you value toughness above everything else you will want 1095. And if you are on a budget you will want 8Cr13MoV. Overall if you were to pick a single steel that would be best for pocket knives my choice would be S35VN.