A quick reference for steel selection

[John Wilson]

Which do you think would be better as a general knife steel, 154cm or 440c? Or are they similar enough that you can use both of them and know them both well? Also, on a different note, is CPM154 worth the extra price over 154CM? Thank you!

Two different questions

1. “Which do you think would be better as a general knife steel, 154cm or 440c?”

They aren’t really comparable. 154CM / CPM154 is tougher, holds and edge better, and will take a thinner edge. However CPM154 is ridiculously expensive in comparison, too. 440C makes a darn good slicing knife where ultimate performance isn’t really the point, like a pocketknife or a dive knife. It’s plenty good enough for most things. 440C is EXCEPTIONAL when it comes to being rustproof.

2. “ is CPM154 worth the extra price over 154CM?“

I think it is. Both are expensive, so you may as well get the better of the two. They aren’t that terribly different from what I understand but CPM has been optimized via powdered metallurgy. Someone else may know better. I’ve only used the CPM154 version.

Now, here’s where the tradeoff in any steel comes into play. “Is it worth it TO YOU?”

I use AEBL for almost everything. It’s not quite as corrosion resistant as CPM154, and neither can touch 440C in that regard.

CPM154 will hold an edge slightly better than AEBL. But, CPM154 is waaayyy harder to sharpen on stones than AEBL. I believe AEBL takes a finer edge. I doubt 1 in 50 people could ever tell the difference between two identical kitchen knives in side by side usage, one from AEBL and the other from CPM154. I make kitchen knives and use them hard. I can’t tell the difference. The AEBL ones probably get sharpened twice more per year than than the ones in CPM154.

So for ME, AEBL makes a lot more sense. It’s also a fraction of the cost.

 

[Alden Cole]

Thank you. Still not sure which way to go, but maybe eventually I will use both and that will solve my problem!