without a doubt i have always noticed a difference between the two and have used both extensively {at the risk of sounding like an internet expert}

if you think about what the 2 steels are really used for it makes sense.

my BR definitely stays sharp longer than my DFLE when chopping for hours and my HRLM will out slice my YK.

i'm not as sure to say that 52100 takes and edge easier than S7 in my experiences though.for me thats a toss up

i dont doubt for a second though that scrapyards S7 out shines anyone else in the knife worlds.

since cutting is what i use my knives for most,and i include chopping in cutting,i prefer 52100 over S7.if i had a job where i needed to pry a lot with a blade and other extreme knife tasks i'd choose S7.

most of us will never take either of the two companies knives to the point of breaking to see how much stronger S7 is but any of us who own the two and use them WILL experience the difference in edge performance,so what i'm saying is that scrapyards S7's "strong point" and claim to fame is something most of us will ever even witness,utilize or benefit from.since were cutting and chopping wood we see its "CONS" {edge retention} but since we're not prying open car doors and using it like noss we dont see its biggest "PROS" {strength}

the funny thing is that even though my DFLE doesnt stay sharp as long 90% of the time i choose it over any swapmrat chopper because it has the best design and feel to me.

and for the record the difference between the two's edge retention isnt that big

they'll both do fine