Over the past couple of years I have purchased a couple of Arno Bernard drop point knives. I love the design and have been very impressed with the worksmanship and appearance. So far, however, I have not had occasions to put them to any serious use. Can anyone tell me more about the durability, level of performance, and ease of sharpening I should be able to expect from his knives and the 12C27 Sandvik steel he uses in comparison to other more common knife steels?

12C27 is similar to AUS-6 or 440A. The steel is fairly low carbon for a knife therefore soft .It will not retain an edge well and require frequent sharpening. There are many better steels for knives.