I don't know how Dan makes SR77, but I am glad he does. Up until recently, my favorite steel for big knives has been 1095. Sometimes it breaks, but it is easy to sharpen and holds a good edge. Today I saw a dead old hardened oak limb had blown down. It has been dry, warm, and windy here. I decided to cut up the limb with my Ontario camp machete rather than get out the chain saw. The limb wasn't that big. Just a few chops and my hand was stinging. This oak is like a rock. Its the kind of wood that you would rather saw than chop. I got out the Dog Father. The heavy blade and Res C handle made chopping much easier, but still hard. When I finished, I felt the edge and it needed a touch up. Just a few strokes with a steel and it was sharp as ever. I love this SR77 steel.