Hmm. Doesn’t seem worth it to me. It seems hard to escape from the bottom-tier steel alloys without paying a fortune.
Most are AUS6, AUS8, Sandvik, D2, 8cr13MoV, 440,….
A good quality D2 steel can certainly be one of the better alloys, but you never really know what quality you’re getting. D2 knifes of 150-200USD have an edge retention that’s 2x or 3x as durable as the cheap ones.
They are using supersteels like M390 and S90V on their latest models for a very low price. I got a brand new super nice slipjoint with M390 and titanium and copper on Ebay for only $50! its only twice the price of Ganzo.
Yes, but then sharpening requires a lot more time & skill. For folks who don’t mind hitting the honing rod a few times every so often, AUS8 or 8Cr13MoV can be more pragmatic. 440C seems like a decent compromise. Very good edge retention, but also not a chore to hone.
Early versions on the Ganzo knives were 440C. Mostly the three Digit series, and many of the four digit ones (that started with F or G). Here’s the Ganzo list, if you see something that catches your eye, ask. The G739, G7393 are nice if you don’t mind an axial lock.
Looking to get a couple knives as last-minute Christmas presents for a few guy friends. The last minute timing pretty much means buying through Amazon.
Looking for fairly basic EDC flipping locking knives.
Just got this 35 cm Deba AUS-10 knife. Looks like super quality for the money, paid $35. Didn’t know it was so thick, 7 mm and 0.5 kg. Genuine tree handle, very sharp. Store support also good. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32921760697.html
I bought a handful of Honey Badgers direct from Western Active during their black friday/cyber week whatever they called it. I think most if not all of their lineup is on Amazon.