Estimated prices:
Average size hunting knife, everyday carry or small kitchen knife
$200 for high carbon or stainless steel.
$300 for Damascus. All knives have free lifetime sharpening. Steel choices:
High carbon steel
This has historically been the preferred steel for the best edge retention. The downside is that it isn’t stainless and needs a bit more care to avoid any rust. These need to be d
ried thoroughly after cleaning and then have a thin coat of oil applied to prevent any rusting. I typically use 1084 steel for these. Stainless steel
These would be more accurately referred to as stain-resistant steels as all steel will eventually rust without proper care. This steel typically sacrifices a bit of edge retention to have the stainless properties. Over the past number of years manufacturers have found ways to make what they refer to as “super steel.” These are highly stain resistant and with great edge retention. I typically use Nitro-V, which falls into the “super steel” category. Damascus steel
This is the layering and folding of 2 or more types of steel. These can be stainless or high carbon steels. Once they are acid etched each type of steel reacts differently and creates a unique pattern. This is mostly for aesthetics and has the performance of whichever steels are used. This steel can be quite expensive due to the amount of labor that’s required in forging.
