Spyderco Forums

S110V has the advantage when it comes to toughness. It is not in the same class as non-stainless steels, but is better in this regard than Maxamet.

I do not have to choose between a smooth, free opening pivot and no blade play with the two Paramilitary that I have - S30V and CPM-D2. Both are good specimens. I like several things better about the PM2 but I prefer the original detent design.

Even the same steel at the same geometry can show different results since all heat treating has tolerances of a point or so. So if you compare two "identical" blades, one may be at the higher end of the target range and the other at the lower end of the target range. It gets messier when y...

The wear resistance would come more form the hard carbide formers - notably vanadium and niobium - not the cobalt, and to a lesser degree tungsten. Maxamet has 6% V, while S110V has 9.1% V plus 3% niobium. Maxamet has an advantage of several points in hardness, which makes a big difference. Jim's te...

Hey Popsickle, I don't know where live now, but you said you were moving close to the Smokies and wanted an outdoor folder. I live not far from there, and something to consider is the humidity in the summer here. I understand that Maxamet is no more stainless than M4, perhaps a bit less so. Somethin...

It is my opinion, not necessarily based on fact but by observation of a limited sample, that sharpening with powered high speed equipment can very easily leave a burr that can be very persistent. The edge does not have to be "burned" at all. It takes a few sharpenings to get past the weake...

Dread pirate Roberts?

My nephew worked with pool chemicals for a summer. The first day of opening bags of chemicals rusted his S30V Native. Then he got something in H1 (don't recall the model) and didn't have a spot of rust the rest of the summer. And pool chemicals are strong oxidizers often with chlorine or bromine. If...

I grew up sharpening with Arkansas stones. They are basically quartz. The different grades (soft, hard) are only different in density, not in composition or the size of the crystals. Arkansas stones will sharpen most things, but as the amount of hard carbides (vanadium, niobium) increases the longer...

Fair enough.

I guess the normal thing to do any more is to post a video on YT rather than contact the manufacturer, the only one who can actually do anything about it. Not just here with Spyderco, but with a lot of brands and a lot of different types of products. The only time I have gone public with an issue is...

Bodog, I just re-read your initial statement above, and I apparently misread some of your statements, or read it too fast (I was tired last night). What you said as a whole makes more sense now, though I think a lot of my later comments are still valid.

The sources cited are inconsistent in their conclusions. One says that poly is better for pastes, mono is better for bench stones (there appears to be a trend with this thought). Several say that poly is faster, the last says they are the same speed. The first is a marketing brochure (there is that ...

I have never heard of polycrystalline diamonds cutting better or longer than monocrystalline. If so, why do manufacturers (such as DMT, probably the largest manufacturer, and they make quality products) make a point of saying they use monocrystalline? Do you have sources for this information?

I don't think there is much of a difference between S30V and S35VN, at least that I have noticed. And yes, surface finish plays a very large role in corrosion. Last weekend I went backpacking, and the M4 PM2 I had in my pocket ended up speckled with very small rust spots on the side facing my body (...

Thanks for your input, guys. I think this is a pretty good general guide, though I am sure things may move around a bit depending on actual use and experience. For example, salt water kayak use is different form my use. Personally, I would rank M4 above 1095 and 5160, but everyone's experience may b...

In order of highest to lowest, as far as I can tell: S110V 204P/M390/20CV S90V/20CP S30V/S35VN Does your experience agree with this ranking? Even the "lowest" in this list is good in my experience. I have only seen a *light* spot on S30V despite having it covered with sweat on a hot summer...

A 30-45 minute sharpening time seems like a lot to me, unless you are chasing the hair-whittling edge and stepping through all the grits. I refresh an edge with EF DMT, and it does not take nearly that long. S110V does take a few minutes longer than other steels I have to get to the hair shaving sha...

Lance has not been on to answer the question of how he tested corrosion resistance. I will try to avoid putting words in his mouth, but I don't think it was "formal" testing. He spends a lot of time in a kayak on the ocean in the tropics, so think warm salt water. If I recall correctly, he...

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). I really don't know how you pick between the two. Got a coin handy? This sums it up. Both are premium steels and will be very noticeabl...