Massdrop if you could get this in a higher grade steel I would pay the extra Cost for the upgrade. Like a Damasteel blade . It would be a want for the knife community. Just my opinion. Still a cool little knife.
Mrdash007CRKT is one knife manufacturer who will probably upscale their blade steels. Their designs are wonderful but they limit their steels to 8Cr13MoV or AUS8. Contrast this with Kershaw, who will often create upscale variants of their econo-knives like Blurs, Leeks, Dividends and Links with 154CM, S30V, S35VN and Damascus steels.