My favourite steel for hunting/utility knife follows in order...
1. A2 holds an edge rather well yet is still easy to sharpen.
2. 1095 very tough and easy to sharpen.
3. SK 5 seems almost the same as 1095, perhaps even softer.
4. Buck's regular stainless...420 HC if I am not mistaken
5. AUS-8 takes a good edge and hold it fairly well.
6. S30V. Rather disappointed. I bought a Buck folding Alpha Hunter, regular stainless and really liked it. Bought the same knife in S30V and found that, although it does hold an edge much longer, it is time consuming to re-sharpen.
1. A2 holds an edge rather well yet is still easy to sharpen.
2. 1095 very tough and easy to sharpen.
3. SK 5 seems almost the same as 1095, perhaps even softer.
4. Buck's regular stainless...420 HC if I am not mistaken
5. AUS-8 takes a good edge and hold it fairly well.
6. S30V. Rather disappointed. I bought a Buck folding Alpha Hunter, regular stainless and really liked it. Bought the same knife in S30V and found that, although it does hold an edge much longer, it is time consuming to re-sharpen.