My Top 5 Favorite Knife Steels & Why

Product being reviewed

The video is a personal ranking of knife blade steels (not a single knife or brand). The reviewer explains which steels they like most and why, focusing on:

• Edge retention
• Toughness
• Corrosion resistance
• Sharpening / edge style compatibility
• Heat-treatment sensitivity

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Key steels ranked / discussed (with ratings)

Overall “Top 5 favorite steels”

1. K390 (Number 1 favorite)

• Toughness: ~5/10
• Edge retention: 9/10 (near top tier; only a few are higher such as S110V, Maxamet, Rex 11)
• Corrosion resistance: 4/10
  • Positives: forms a patina well; ages nicely if you don’t let it fully rust
• Edge style versatility: takes toothy, medium grit, and very fine mirror-polished edges; holds fine edges well
• Edge stability: praised—supports low-angle “super slicy” edges without losing bite quickly
• Sharpening / stropping: says it’s not hard to sharpen; hones back / stropps very well

2. Crewwear (Number 2)

• Toughness: 5/10
  • “Great in fixed blades” and also good for folding knives
• Edge retention: 8/10
• Corrosion resistance: 6/10 (not best, but “not too bad”; keep clean/dry)
• Main strength: strong fine-edge holding
  • Reviewer’s behavior curve: once it stops shaving hair, it rapidly loses ability to cut paper
  • About 70–80% of useful edge retention is tied to fine-edge performance
• Edge style compatibility: excels with low angles, toothy edges, medium grit, and fine edges
• Honing / maintenance: straps / hones back easily and repeatedly (when heat treated well)
• Comparison: positioned as opposite of Maxamet
  • Maxamet: short fine edge life, long working edge life
  • Crewwear: strong fine edge life

3. Rex 45 (Number 3)

• Toughness: about 4/10 (slightly below S35VN)
• Edge retention: “incredible,” described as ~similar to M4 and higher than Lmax/MagnaCut
• Corrosion resistance: 2/10 (weak)
  • Good news: must be heat treated well and likely requires more care
• Main strength: “screaming sharp” edges, especially low angle edges
• Honing / strapping: repeatedly responsive; brings back bite/edge easily
• Edge style behavior: low-angle + thin apex geometry makes it particularly crisp

4. MagnaCut (Number 4)

• Toughness: 7/10
• Edge retention: 5/10 (very good but not edge-retention-leading)
• Corrosion resistance: 9.5/10 (near-best tier)
• Heat-treatment sensitivity (key opinion):
  • Reviewer believes MagnaCut should be tuned to application:
    • Fixed blade: 61–62 HRC is fine
    • Folding / pocket knife: 63+ HRC is preferred
  • Claims the difference matters for more than edge life:
    • ability to take/hold polished / fine / low-angle edges
    • edge stability and how well it “straps back”
• Comparison / context: heat treat is a major variable; backlash (“kickback”) exists about hardness targets

5. Vanax (Number 5)

• Corrosion resistance: “most corrosive resistance steel” (tied with only LC200N and H1 as comparable)
• Toughness: ~5/10 (adequate for folding knives)
• Edge retention: ~5.5/10
• Edge finish behavior:
  • doesn’t seem ideal for fine / mirror edges long-term
  • reviewer suspects microchipping with low-angled mirror polished edges (needs more testing)
  • can take a polished edge, but bite doesn’t last as long as other finishes
• Best-use guidance: medium grit finish recommended:
  • roughly 600–800 grit (can go higher like 1200–1500)
  • avoid going too far higher unless “for show”
• Overall claim: one of the best steels found for a folding knife when balanced for corrosion + toughness + general edge performance

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Other steels mentioned (not top 5)

• 154CM (favorite mid-grade/budget pick)

  • Affordable; strong stainless value
  • Edge retention: around 4.5–5/10
  • Works with low-angle edges, but not as well as Nitro V / 14C
  • Complaint: limited edge “options” (doesn’t like polished/mirror edges as much)

• Nitro V and 14C28N (top mid-grade/budget picks)

  • Described as extremely tough, and very stainless-friendly
  • Edge retention: ~3/10 to 4/10 range (reviewer gives approx 4/10 for Nitro V/14C)
  • Strength is edge type performance:
    • takes extremely low angles well
    • designed for razor blades / thin geometry / mass production
  • Ease of heat treatment: “rarely done poorly” due to mass production
  • Sharpness: among the sharpest edges achievable for mid-grades
  • Geometry recommendation: good for super slicy thin blades

• Rex 121 (mentioned as longest edge holding on folding knives)

  • Edge retention: 10/10 (“monster”)
  • Ranked below top picks because “edge holding isn’t everything”:
    • not necessarily delightful to sharpen
    • may not take/hold the specific edge styles the reviewer wants

• Maxamet

  • Contrasting edge behavior vs Crewwear:
    • short fine edge life, longer working edge life
  • Used in the “fine vs working edge” comparison

• S110V (mentioned as finicky to sharpen)

  • Not that it’s “hard,” but burr removal is more finicky

• H1 / LC200N (mentioned mainly for corrosion comparison to Vanax)

• 4V / M4 / 10V / 15V / S35VN / S45VN / Elmax / S110V / XHP / Lmax / Spy27

  • Mentioned mostly for comparisons across toughness/corrosion/edge-retention tiers

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Main pros (from the video)

• K390: standout overall balance—very high edge retention (9/10), strong fine-edge + low-angle stability, good stropping/honing, and broad edge versatility; patina is a plus.
• Crewwear: excellent fine-edge holding (70–80% of retention tied to fine edge), strong edge stability for low angles, and decent corrosion resistance.
• Rex 45: “screaming sharp” especially at low angles, repeatedly responsive honing/strapping, very strong edge-holding feel.
• MagnaCut: excellent corrosion resistance (9.5/10) and strong toughness; proper HRC tuning (63+ for folders) improves fine-edge capability and stability.
• Vanax: best-in-class corrosion resistance while maintaining decent toughness and edge performance for folders; takes useful medium-grit edges well.

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Main cons (from the video)

• K390: low corrosion resistance (4/10)—needs care; leans on patina if you accept aging.
• Crewwear: corrosion resistance not the best (6/10); fine-edge life drops quickly once it stops shaving hair.
• Rex 45: very low corrosion resistance (2/10)—requires maintenance.
• MagnaCut: results depend heavily on heat-treatment hardness; wrong HRC can hurt fine-edge and polish performance.
• Vanax: suspected microchipping with mirror-polished low-angle edges; fine bite doesn’t last as long—medium grit is preferred.

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User experience / practical guidance highlighted

• The reviewer repeatedly frames steel choice around edge style:
  • low-angle slicey edges
  • toothy edges
  • fine / mirror polished edges
  • medium-grit bite
• Heat treatment is emphasized as crucial:
  • especially for MagnaCut, but also generally across steels (optimal HRC improves edge retention, wear resistance, and stability)
• Sharpening stance:
  • most steels are easy to sharpen
  • harder/finicky cases exist (notably S110V due to burr removal)
  • strong preference for steels that strop / hone back easily

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Comparisons made

• Vanax vs other top corrosion steels: only H1 and LC200N match its corrosion resistance.
• Crewwear vs Maxamet: Crewwear = long fine-edge performance; Maxamet = short fine edge but longer working edge.
• MagnaCut hardness tuning vs community opinion: reviewer argues best results depend on specific HRC targets by knife type.
• Mid-grade comparison: 154CM is a top budget value but doesn’t match Nitro V / 14C for extremely low-angle / polished-edge preferences.
• Edge retention hierarchy: Rex 121 is framed as the folding edge-retention “king,” but may not produce the reviewer’s preferred sharpening/edge outcomes.
• K390 vs 10V: reviewer says K390 is very similar to 10V, with 10V slightly better edge retention.

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Unique points list (deduplicated)

1. Bottom-tier steels aren’t favored; focus is on mid-grade and above.
2. 154CM is praised for value and edge retention; lacks certain polished-edge options.
3. Nitro V and 14C28N: toughness + extreme low-angle performance; easy heat treatment due to mass production; very sharp on thin geometry.
4. Vanax: best corrosion resistance; comparable only to H1 and LC200N.
5. Vanax: toughness ~5/10, edge retention ~5.5/10; suspected microchipping with low-angle mirror edges; prefers medium grit (600–800).
6. MagnaCut: toughness ~7/10, edge retention ~5/10, corrosion resistance ~9.5/10.
7. MagnaCut should be heat treated for application: 62 fixed / 63+ folding; higher hardness improves fine-edge, polish ability, and stability.
8. Rex 45: toughness ~4/10, corrosion ~2/10; exceptional low-angle sharpness and edge hold; very responsive honing/strapping.
9. Crewwear: toughness 5/10, edge retention 8/10, corrosion 6/10; strong fine-edge holding (70–80% of retention).
10. K390 top favorite: toughness 5/10, edge retention 9/10, corrosion 4/10, but patinas well.
11. K390 supports all edge styles; supports low-angle stability and toothy edges without losing bite quickly; hones/strops well.
12. Reviewer claims most steels are easy to sharpen; S110V is more finicky due to burr removal.
13. Pocket knife philosophy: prioritize wear resistance / edge retention / fine-edge stability over extreme toughness; toughness should come from geometry.
14. For hard-use or impact-focused knives (fixed blades), toughness/geometry considerations differ.

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Speakers / viewpoints

• The same narrator appears to drive the entire assessment; no clearly separate speakers are indicated.

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Concise verdict / recommendation

• Best all-around pocket/folding steel (per this reviewer): K390 Very high edge retention + excellent fine/low-angle edge stability; just manage its lower corrosion resistance and rust/patina.

• Top corrosion priority: MagnaCut (with correct heat treat for folding) or Vanax.

• Excellent fine-edge holding + versatile low-angle performance (better corrosion than Rex 45): Crewwear.