2 steel household - recommend a carbon and stainless option

[steveo]

I'd like to try and simplify my knife search/options and have a go-to carbon and stainless steel for our house.

I have 3 kids under the age of 6 and don't think I'll ever have time, in the near future, to get into really sharpening my own knives. So, I'd like to lean into a "set" of knives in the kitchen that we can use for awhile, then send off (either drop them off locally here at somewhere like JKI or send out to Ryan at District, etc.) for occasional sharpening. I don't mind touching things up a bit on a strop or a honing rod. With that, I don't need stone or polish-ready bevels - nor do I really think I'd benefit, practically, from any cladding (unless stainless).

My wife and I cook pretty much every day, 2-3 meals for our family of 5, so our knives get a lot of use. We have an end grain wood cutting board.

Any reccos on which steels (and potentially at what hardness) we should be looking at? I have a few custom slots upcoming and might be able to spec the steel, so, I'm trying to get ahead of that a bit.

 

[timebard]

If you're sending it out for sharpening, I would look at higher alloy options that will hold an edge for a long time between sharpenings. Theoretically you could get something in Rex121 with amazing edge retention, but few makers are going to be set up for working on really wear resistant steels (and you'll be paying a big premium if they do). I would ask the makers whose lists you're on what higher alloy options they have and go from there.

Magnacut is an obvious option for stainless with a good balance of edge retention and toughness (especially relevant if family may be using it, maybe a little less carefully than you would...)

If by carbon you mean a traditional low alloy carbon steel, there aren't many that are a great fit for your use case. ApexUltra would be the best, followed by 1.2562. Why do you want a carbon steel knife in the first place? The reasons most of us buy them are ease of sharpening, ability to polish/refinish, and because patina is fun. The first two considerations aren't relevant if you aren't sharpening yourself, so it's just down to whether you want to sacrifice some performance for character/aesthetics.

 

[steveo]

Thanks @timebard! Appreciate it.

Re: low alloy, yes, I appreciate the patina/aesthetics. I typically use these knives (I own a few in ApexUltra, 52100, 1095, etc.) and my wife uses mostly stainless (RWL34, AEBL, Damasteel, etc.).

So, maybe a general bias towards ApexUltra and MagnaCut would be a good approach, if available.

 

[HSC /// Knives]

CPM cru wear for the win!

 

[Naftoor]

Really the first question would be, in what way are you finding the current stable to be failing you? You’ve got some solid stainless options between AEBL which takes to touch ups nicely, and damasteel which should have great edge retention depending on which blend it is. Sure you’ll probably squeeze out a few extra days or maybe a week out of changing your steel, but every edge eventually fatigues out and needs sharpening, unless you’re using a ceramic rod which brings its own considerations.

My recommendations would be if you’re planniny on sending it out, to skip steel, go for a rahven flexible ceramic. Granted, they’re ugly, uncomfortable and you lose out on the experience of using a nice knife. But it’ll keep a functional edge for months past where most steels would give up the ghost. I’ve had one at my folks they use multiple times a week, and have for the last 3 years or so in which time I’ve sharpened it once. It scrapes a nail currently but won’t bite it, but it’s thin enough it’s functional for everything except the ripest of tomato’s. I haven’t tried magnacut in the kitchen, but I’d be surprised if it’s going to be the miracle pill if the other steels have failed.

Alternatively, buy a cheaper, but nice knife that suits your fancy like a zkramer or mazaki, and some form of simple sharpening set up that can be tucked into a drawer and done robotically. A lansky or spyderco rod system, that rolling sharpener that won’t get out of my YouTube ads, hell even a (gasp) pull through sharpener. Something that eliminates the need to set up the tea ceremony that is sharpening on stones, and eliminates the need to maintain any angle beyond 90 degrees. Not for daily use, at most for weekly use to do some metal removal when honing isn’t able to bring the edge back any longer. Then you can still ship it out for light thinning a few times a year

 

[Matt Jacobs]

I would get something in AEB-L. Good retentions, stainless, super easy to sharpen or touch up, tough. A second knife I would get in 52100, slightly better retention, carbon but not going to instantly rust on you, easy to sharpen or touch up, tough.

 

[mengwong]

the tea ceremony that is sharpening on stones

Brilliantly put, ahahaa

 

[timebard]

I would get something in AEB-L. Good retentions, stainless, super easy to sharpen or touch up, tough. A second knife I would get in 52100, slightly better retention, carbon but not going to instantly rust on you, easy to sharpen or touch up, tough.

I would be surprised to see 52100 with better retention than AEB-L (all else equal, of course). Larrin's data and subjective rankings put AEB-L a step higher (eyeballing it, maybe 20% higher CATRA). In my experience, the difference is larger, maybe because of acidic product.

 

[Matt Jacobs]

I would be surprised to see 52100 with better retention than AEB-L (all else equal, of course). Larrin's data and subjective rankings put AEB-L a step higher (eyeballing it, maybe 20% higher CATRA). In my experience, the difference is larger, maybe because of acidic product.

I agree on acidic cases 100% and your probably right overall. I do find at higher HRC slightly better retention in 52100 but I think it's because I typically see AEB-L at around 61 and many people pushing 52100 into the 64 range. But I have never actually tested so I could be wrong