Blade Steel Confused Me Too — Here's What Actually Matters
Share
By Josh, Founder of H6 Outfitters
Somebody messaged me last week asking which knife they should buy. Simple question. So I asked what they’d be using it for, and they sent me back a screenshot of a steel comparison chart with about fifteen abbreviations on it and one word: “Help.”
I get it. I’ve been there.
The first time I actually tried to research knife steel, I came away more confused than when I started. Everybody online has a favorite steel, a hot take on a steel they hate, and an opinion about a steel they’ve never actually owned. It’s a lot like asking eighth graders who won the Civil War. Everyone’s got an answer. Not everyone’s answer is useful.
So let’s simplify it. Not because steel doesn’t matter—it does—but because most of what gets written about it is aimed at collectors, not at somebody who just wants a knife that works.
Why Steel Even Matters
Here’s the honest version: no steel is the best at everything. Every steel is a trade-off between four things.
- Edge retention — how long it stays sharp before you have to touch it up
- Corrosion resistance — how well it handles moisture, humidity, and you forgetting to wipe it down after cutting an orange
- Toughness — how well it resists chipping or snapping if you’re a little rougher on it than you should be
- Sharpenability — how easy it is to bring back to a good edge when it does dull
Get more of one, you usually give up a little of another. That’s it. That’s the whole game. Everything else is marketing.
S35VN vs. S45VN: The Two You’ll See Most in Our Shop
I carry knives in both, so I’m not picking a side here—just telling you what each one actually does.
S35VN is the steel in our Kansept Fenrir and our Medford Smooth Criminal. It’s been a favorite in the knife world for years for a good reason—it holds a solid edge, it’s tough enough to trust for real work, and when it does dull, you can actually sharpen it without a specialized setup. It’s the steel I’d hand somebody who wants one knife that does everything well and doesn’t ask much of them in return.
S45VN (you’ll sometimes see it as “Vulcan DP”—that’s Medford’s take on it, and it’s what’s in our Medford Prae Slim Flipper) is basically S35VN’s upgrade. Better corrosion resistance, better edge retention, and it still sharpens reasonably well. You pay more for it, and you’ll maintain it less often. It’s the steel for somebody who wants to buy once and think about maintenance a little less.
Neither one is going to embarrass you. That’s the honest answer.
So Which One Should You Actually Buy?
If you want a knife that handles everyday jobs—opening boxes, cutting paracord, the hundred little things a knife actually gets used for—and you don’t mind a quick touch-up on a stone every so often, S35VN is a great, proven choice. It’s what I reach for the most.
If you want to sharpen less often, you’re around moisture a lot, or you just want the slightly better version and don’t mind paying for it, S45VN is worth the upgrade.
That’s really the whole decision. Everything past this point is preference, not performance.
Don’t Let Steel Snobbery Talk You Out of a Good Knife
Here’s my unpopular opinion for this post: plenty of people never buy a knife because they get stuck reading steel charts instead of just picking one and using it.
A $40 knife in a “budget” steel that you actually carry and use is worth more than a $300 knife in a “premium” steel sitting in a drawer because you’re scared to scratch it.
Steel matters. It’s not everything.
I teach eighth grade. I promise you, the kid who studies the material the night before the test and actually shows up does better than the kid who owns every study guide ever printed and never opens one.
Buy the knife. Use the knife. That’s the whole point of Monday Ready.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to become a metallurgist to buy a good EDC knife. You need to know what you’re using it for, how much maintenance you’re willing to do, and how much you want to spend.
S35VN if you want a proven, easy-to-live-with all-arounder. S45VN if you want the upgrade and don’t mind paying for it.
Either way, check out the full knife lineup and pick the one that fits how you actually carry—not the one that wins an argument on a forum.
Built for Monday. Not the apocalypse.
About the Author
Josh is the founder of H6 Outfitters, a USMC veteran, eighth-grade U.S. history teacher, coach, husband, dad, and lifelong gear enthusiast. He believes everyday carry should help people handle real life—not prepare them for the end of the world.