I'm just wondering what the best steel would be for an edc/hunting knife that could put up with alot of abuse.
D2 and O2 steels are nice. They are expensive, but hold an edge extremely well. S30V is nice also. It's a more stain-resistant steel that holds an edge very well. For outdoor hiking/camping knives, it's tough to beat good old 1095 carbon steel. Sure it will rust, but it's tough as nails, not brittle, holds an edge pretty well, and easy to sharpen...and it's pretty cheap. Other steels, AUS8 is an ok cheap steel. It's stain resistant and cheap. AUS6 isn't worth the time or effort. Buck knives does an excellent job of heat treating 420 stainless to become very hard. Their knives are excellent considering 420 stainless is typically soft steel.
That one they use for the Army Combat Knife, I forgot what its called but Its a good one if your going to use it for camping.
i have been a chef for 10 years now and have always had an obsesive composion with my knifes being dual. i hate it. after spending $100's of dollars on knifes i have found a couple of things to be key. where the knife comes from is important. japan and sweden are a notch above the rest. this just has to do with there tradition of fine craftmanship and pride in quality knife making that goes back 1000's of years. the thickness of the blade is important. the thinner the better. and the blade angel most knifes are around 20 degrees but less is better. it makes them easier to sharpen. and don't be fooled knifes need to be hoaned everyday of use the is no such thing as a forever sharp knife. at least not for a chef. so having said that. the best knifes on the market for quality and price are global, mizuno, mac, and the ones i use calphalon katana. investing in a good diamond steel is just as important i use fury fingers by ozzi tech. good luck i wish i had a girlfriend like you.
