Top 5 Premium Steels

This is a very subjective list but nonetheless here we go, these are T.C.'s top 5 premium blade steels... what are yours? Let us know in the comments down below!

Elmax

CPM 3V

CPM Magnacut

M390

CPM 20CV

CPM S35VN

CPM S45VN

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[Molonlabe]

20cv, M390, and cts 204p are essentially the same steel, just different manufacturers.

[mmiller]

I place a lot of emphasis on toughness. Here’s my list:
1. CruWear
2. MagnaCut
3. 3V
4. M4
5. Elmax

[-echoroads-]

Perhaps not all "super steels", but my current favorites are: K390, m390/20cv/204p, CTS-XHP, Vanax, s45vn. Honorable mention for CruWear and Elmax.

[ekkanofiqandriyana]

My list
1. Elmax
2. 3v
3. 14c28n
4. 1095
5. D2

[arisham]

My list :-
1. M390/M398 - Have multiple machete, knives on this love it's toughness and edge retention
2. Vanax - have a machete but will buy SMKW Vincent's soon
3. Elmax
4. Vanadis 8...N690..
5. S45VN...CruWear

Yeah it's debatable topics..between toughness..edge retention..stainless and sharpen it..and of course price 😋

[ghostmaloneedc]

Personal opinion my 5 favorite steels are S45VN because I have very good experience with it from multiple manufacturers, and Nitro V, that Nitro V is freakin tough and stays sharp for quite awhile. S90V, S35VN and S30V are also great.

[barkingspider]

My top 5: 1. K390, the edge is wear-resistant, easy to sharpen \ deburr, "has bite", Low-cost high performance
2. Magnacut for stainless, best stainless if Rockwell 62- 64
3. SPY 27, stainless and strops back to razor edge easily
4. 15v (better than K390) has higher costs and is hard to get.
5. 20CV - Stainless, generally holds an edge better than M390. Thanks for the video! 😎👍

[PoetFisherman]

For me it's:
1) Vanax
2) LC200N
3) CPM-20CV / M390 ( I can't tell the difference, and they're chemically nearly identical)
4) CPM-S45VN
5) Elmax

[wizardofahhhs]

I'm very impressed with CPM S45VN, I've cut all kinds of stuff at work working in the dirt installing irrigation, opening fertilizer bags, pruning bushes and cutting sand covered straps and hasn't had to sharpen it yet, a couple of swipes on the strop and it's back to shaving hair.

[cintage]

M390/20CV/204P is pretty good at edge holding and corrosion resistance but not on that level with toughness.

My Top5:

1. Magnacut
2. Vanax
3. Cruwear/PD#1
4. S45VN
4. Rex-45
4. M4
4. PM60
4. Elmax
;)

[sircassie]

Still need to try out some other steels, but man I love s35vn and s45vn.

[kenhun]

Always enjoy your videos, lots of great info. I agree mostly with your list but would put S45V in place of 3V

[whammofammo]

Great list TC, I've had mixed results with M390 mostly because they get the heat treat wrong ( I prefer 20CV or 204p over M390). My top 5 soould be- RWL-34, Nitro-V, K390, 20CV and Magnacut.

[jocemarine]

Over all, I love S45 VN. For à fix blade, surprise😮Over all and on the field, I love 5160. A tank

[timb]

Isn’t 20cv the same or very similar to m390? I’m no metal expert, but pretty sure they’re very similar. Your choices are solid.

[skimz]

My full time work knife is a Ray liconico 20cv titanium frame lock and it's a beast. however my next best would be my Spyderco manix in M390.
I've found s90v very hard to sharpen and although I feel like I can get it the sharpest out of all my blade steels it's not as easy to hold a hair popping edge on. Good list and good thoughts thank you.

[adamhannon]

I just got a manix 2 in 15v so far is absolutely amazing time will tell how it compares but it certainly seems like it’s a great choice

[seanlowkey]

Boy! He’s throwing out some bangers! I too was not on the 3v hype, but man when i used it i fell in love.

[REAPER-xxx]

CPM Cruwear, CPM D2, CPM M4 are my most desirable steels.

CPM 15v, CPM Magnacut are notable. Magnacut is the only stainless that isn’t chipping out on me that holds a good fine edge that strops back well I’ve experienced. 15v is the only crazy working edge retaining steel I’ve experienced that I enjoyed reprofiling and strops back well.

I’ve got way too many chipped out S30v blades. This is what I’ll avoid most now.

[Davidmoore-xywu]

I don’t know what people use to sharpen there knives but diamond stones do work on hard tool steel, also m390 is 20 cv it’s just bolher and crucible’s variations

My list would go
M390/20cv/204p as it’s almost always not heat treated correctly and in testing soft m390 dose only as good as meh s30v

4:3v
3 cruwear
2cpm m4
1 Magnacut (63-64 hrc)