Total steel freak here. One of the most fascinating substances of all. I’ve made (assembled) many knives and have a decent collection of kitchen, EDC and field knives plus tools. There are regional differences like between Nordic, Western European and Japanese. There are big differences in performance based on heat treatment, etc. Sources run the gamut from files and leaf springs to lab created powder steels. For these knives I chose knives that are VG-MAX Core with over 60 layers of Damascus Stainless Steel Cladding. I prefer it as it’s fairly forgiving and not prone to chipping like the typical Japanese alternative steel SG-2. Anyway…I’ve been using the ENSO and it just glides through roast beef, raw chicken, broccoli, carrots, acorn squash…etc.
Most of my other knives are 10 - 20 years old. In good condition but don’t generally don’t perform on the same level as these.