I think VG-10 is pretty good for outdoors-type knives. CPM154 is pretty good, too. S30V is a good strong steel but doesn't take as good an edge as VG-10. In the hands of someone who understands how to heat treat it correctly D2 is a great steel (but off the cuff I'd only trust Bob Dozier and Knives of Alaska). O1 is a really good steel, and I particularly like JK Handmade Knives (I've got 50 of them). 1095 is acceptable but not premium. I shy away from 440C and its' variants...not crappy but there's much better. There are a few higher end ones that get good press but I can't speak from experience. These include CPM-M4 and Boeler K390. Someday... Busse does a good job with his proprietary INFI steel. And surely there are some obviously great steels that I'm simply forgetting right now.

You need a certain level of quality of steel but really I think that, within reason, the heat treat trumps the choice of steel.

Press the quote button at the bottom of any post and you'll be able to see how it's done in UBBCode -- it's very straightforward. PM me if you have any issues.

That depends on what you're using it for. Kitchen knives and bushcraft knives have different criterion.

But where can we sharpen our kitchen knives?

I wanted to experiment with very high grit abrasives for sharpening, but needed an economical approach: I used contact cement to secure 150 and 400 sand paper to some pieces of marble and glass.
Results were mixed, more experimentation is needed. This is apparently an approach used by carpenters to achieve scary sharp plane blades.

OK, all you sharpening wizards, I have a question about sharpening at the other end of the scale. Let me explain.

Every July for the last decade or so, I have served as crew chief for excavators digging mammoth fossils in the Black Hills of South Dakota ( here). One of my routine jobs is to sharpen tools, typically chisels, pointing trowels, and putty knives. Typically the tools dull rather quickly, as we are digging in fine grained sediments. I often will sharpen the same tool twice a day.

The current "sharpening" technique consists of running the edge along a medium grit bench grinder, taking care not to burn the steel and occasionally dousing the tool in water. My interest is heightened because I have just acquired a hori-hori, a Japanese tool fashioned specifically for digging dirt. It is rather dull, and I am sure sharpening will improve it. but I am thoughtful about the best way to put a good edge on it. The blade is inscribed "K245 Stainless China'" which is probably not in the same league as S30V. Any inisghts are welcomed - What is the best way to sharpen an edge for really rough work in dirt and rocks?