[tirebob]

I think a lot of people seem to ignore the basics when it comes to steel and edge holding or is chippy or is difficult to sharpen and so on... It applies to knives as well as woodworking tools etc.

A lot of the time, if you find a new blade is not keeping a good edge or it is chippy, if you give it a bit of time and some more frequent sharpenings, it will often get better. After initial heat treating and sharpening, with a new blade you may not be at the ideal steel until worn back slightly. It does happen, especially with more mass production heat treats as control is not quite the same as smaller scale heat treats.

Basics like softer steel is easier to sharpen extremely keen well but the edge doesn't last as long or harder hold a good edge longer but may not get quite as keen. By all means it may be more than keep enough either way but some guys prefer the edge you can get on softer steel just as other guys do not like sharpening as often.

Newer, harder steels need different media for sharpening effective than old school basic high carbon steels so if you find something hard to sharpen you may just need different sharpening media. Oil stones, for example, will do diddly on new super steels and you will want diamond media or japanese water stones which can be quite a bit more expensive, where as the regular high carbon steel you hear of old guys sharpening them on the back of an old ceramic plate.

If you find you edge is too chippy, maybe try a steeper sharpening angle, or if you like a keener edge for skinning try a shallower angle. Sharpen your blades according to the job they will be doing and you will maximize their useful working time. You certainly do not have one ideal knife for chopping through moose bone as well as filleting a fish as an extreme example.

Just like I am always trying to get across with tires, it is no different with knives. You will not satisfy every individual with one item so you need to figure out what is best suited to your own needs and wants.

As the saying goes... A jack of all trades is a master of none.