i'm all confused about blades

[SShepherd]

There are quite a few cutlery specific steels on the market....it doesn't make the job easy.
Many of the new steels have vanaduim added to them, which while increasing durability, makes them more difficult to sharpen--it's a trade off. Alot also has to do with the heat treating process the company uses. One of the new "wonder steels" ( CPMs30v and others) if not heat treated correctly would probably preform the same as the "made in pakistan" knives that sit at your local gas station.
That being said..there are a few commercial knives I would use and not worry about.
Buck knives has a line out of CPM s30v knives that are stamped "Boss" with a flame ...they are made here in the states, and heat treating by a man who has it down to a science--top knotch work. You should buy one of those diamond stones to sharpen them.
Kershaw makes an ok blade--their parent company "Kai" I think, started out making razor blades ( they also make a line of scarey shapr kitchen knives)

I'm a personal fan of ATS34/154CM.

Hope I helped,

Sean Shepherd