Blade geometry is a subject that deserves its own article, but heres a summary. I have some limited experience with 204p, and none with 20CV. The main changes we expect from S45VN vs S35VN and S30V are an improvement in corrosion resistance due to the increase in Cr of about 1%. Bohler M390, CTS-204P, and CPM-20CV are all essentially the same steel and sport a near identical composition. experience. Updated by Blade HQ Staff Trevor Brown and Andrew Hamilton on 3/1/2019. CPM s90v Edge Retention: With a high presence of vanadium and carbon, s90v steel offers extreme edge retention (might be the best in the steel). This is one of those most ubiquitous steels in knives. As a Powder Metallurgy (PM) tool steel, you … I feel the best way is to compare it to CPM M4 which is a steel we are all familiar with and gets compared often to Hap40/Rex 45 First testing is sharpening to a high sharpeness freehand on … This increases the strength of the edge tremendously. It really depends on what you're doing with your knife. But I am having a hard time choosing which steel I want. There is another aspect of S110V vs S90V that I would … It may seem like theres a big step down between a steel like S110V and CPM 154. Compared to CPM-3V, A2 is available more much affordable and is much more easily sharpened. [Help] S30V vs 20CV? Made by @Crucible CPM 20CV is a martensitic stainless steel high in Vanadium, Chromium, and Carbon for excellent wear resistance and corrosion resistance, it’s used for plastic injection … Do you frequently use your knife to meal prep acidic ingredients like citrus or tomatoes? I get it. Excellent strength and toughness are balanced with very good sharpenability and corrosion resistance. M390 exhibits excellent edge retention, corrosion resistance, and high level toughness. Strength and toughness are comparable to that found on VG-10 or 154CM. N690 is an extremely ubiquitous and popular steel among knifemakers in Europe. Additional considerations include the thickness of the blade stock and the primary grind. Absolutely good-to-go, VG-10 may be one of the most neutrally balanced steels on the market. The Spyderco Military was introduced in the early 1990’s by Sal Glesser as a knife designed to be carried by military personnel. Re: S110V vs S90V Post by bdblue » Fri May 22, 2015 5:41 pm Bodog wrote: I guess I'll be blunt and ask why Spyderco chose S90V for several of its latest models over S110V if S110V is a … AUS-8 can be readily found in one of our best-selling knife models, the Boker Kalashnikov. Re: S110v vs M390 pm2 Post by Chumango » Tue Mar 07, 2017 1:06 pm PayneTrain wrote: So basically you've got one steel which I consider more user friendly for a little more money (M390), or one even more extreme performer for a little less (S110V). CPM-20CV can be found on my knives today and is made by the USA-based Crucible Industries. What is there really to say? When you put your knife to work, what tasks will it need to conquer? Maybe one of the most frequently overlooked aspects of blade steel is sharpenability. CPM 20CV is one of the best steels for retaining an edge. Consider Elmax if toughness is high on your list. M390 is super stuff, I always want more CPM-M4 in my life, and there's never going to be anything wrong with a fixed blade made out of A2. Both of these steels are a real bear to sharpen up! The CATRA test, which measures the sharpness and edge life of a blade by comparing it to 440C, rates CPM 20CV 180% better. Is Crucible still just a play by Arthur Miller in your mind? As a Powder Metallurgy (PM) tool steel, you get a combination of … 1095 has long been popular among knife makers for its easy workability, high toughness, and good edge holding. The great thing about cutlery, is that any knife can get equally sharp regardless of steel. Crucible Industries has a real gem on their hands with CPM-M4
At the cost of some corrosion resistance you get amazing edge holding, toughness, and decent enough sharpenability. Dont worrywere going to break down and compare all the best knife steels you can expect to find at Blade HQ so that you can determine the supreme steel for your needs. Blade steels with an insane amount of hardness (pushing towards 70 HRC) tend to lack stability and can suffer from cracks, chipping, and total failure. Bohler M390 is widely revered as being the best all-around knife steel, which has led top companies to widely utilize it in higher end knives. Re: S30v vs s110v Post by bdblue » Tue Apr 28, 2015 12:44 am wrdwrght wrote: I do worry, I must confess, about chipping my Native5 and Manix2 LW in S110V in some unexpectedly weird EDC … Inherently, more acute sharpening angles will see better cutting performance than more obtuse angles. S110V and M390/20CV/204P do have higher Cr in solution than S45VN. Realistically, in normal day to day use you would struggle to pick out any differences in comparison. For my uses these steels are all very similar. Often overlooked is the job at hand. Martensitic is a specific type of stainless steel alloy. 14C28N may be an improvement over 12C27, but realistically the performance between the two is not significantly different. Current steels in use- CPM- S90V, CPM S110V, CPM REX 76, CPM 20CV, AEB-L, D2, 440C, 1095, 52100 In the custom knife making world it is common for makers to select a few particular … Abuse it. AUS-8 steel. What's your favorite steel on your pocket knives? If your favorite designer makes a knife in one of these steels, don't hesitate to pick it. Exhibiting very good edge retention, corrosion resistance, and sharpenability, S30V is utilized by a variety of makers for its performance and balance. Toughness is key on hard-use camp knives and fixed blades. Some people are uncomfortable carrying a knife that is susceptible to rust and corrosion, but keep your blade oiled and there won't be any problems. The Mo content of M390 is lower, however, so it is difficult to predict how things balance out when comparing higher Cr vs …