S30V or 204P for food prep?

[EmperorMA]

If you were getting a knife that would be used around the grill and camp table fairly often for cutting vegetables and slicing grilled meat, which would be better steel, S30V or CTS-204P?

My guess is six of one, half a dozen of the other. Hoping someone can chime in on ease of sharpening and edge retention for such a task, as well as the stainless qualities of each.

I realize S110V or S90V might be better for this but I'm only wanting this particular knife in one of the two steels in the topic headline. Perhaps another suggestion if someone feels strongly, however.

[Midnightrider]

H1

[Johnnie1801]

I'm a big fan of 204p but for the tasks you're specifying I would go with s30v.

[EmperorMA]

H1

The knife I'm getting isn't available in that steel.

[Nate]

I'd imagine 204p should offer some additional corrosion resistance over s30v, but in real world use the difference is probably negligible. If it's the Military and you're right handed, I'd probably go with the 204p for the scale color as much as anything, but I'm a lefty so it's black s30v for me.

Unless your food prep is really "extreme" or you plan to never clean you knives, H1 would probably be waaay overkill and offer poorer edge retention for the use described, assuming plain edge and aside from it not being available for the model you want lol.

[Midnightrider]

So assume spyderedge and not wanting oil all over his food and H1 starts to sound a lot better

[Robbob]

Is the model in question available with TiCN coated S30V? That might come in handy out in the bush where you might not be able to perform a good cleaning right away.

[h8speech]

So assume spyderedge and not wanting oil all over his food and H1 starts to sound a lot better

Surely you can't be seriously recommending spyderedge H1 for food preparation?

CTS-204p is approximately the same thing as CPM-20CV or M390. In my opinion, that's a clearly superior steel for food prep. S30V is close - all PM stainless steels are close in performance, when you strip out the BS - but it's not as good as 204p.

[TomAiello]

204p. Definitely.

The difference is mostly cost, and in my opinion the 204p is worth the price increase.

[Nate]

So assume spyderedge and not wanting oil all over his food and H1 starts to sound a lot better

I've never oiled my stainless blades and even on my carbon steel blades I use at most a very thin coating of food safe mineral oil, hardly enough to get it "all over" my food. Never really had any corrosion concerns, but now I'm concerned that I'm doing it wrong. Please tell me more.

[h8speech]

You're doing fine. No corrosion? No concern.

Some people seem to really care about corrosion resistance a lot. Oh well. Maybe they live in the Dead Sea or something. But don't worry - if your knives were corroding, you would be able to see it.

[EmperorMA]

Yup, Nate. Military.

Nothing super heavy, either. Just cutting veggies, cheese, bread and the like and also being in my pocket while grilling and used to maybe cut some chicken pieces before grilling, or slice a chunk off the nearly-done tri-tip or shave off a rib to give someone a taste. Might even use it as a steak knife, too.

Real blood and guts from freshly-caught fish and recently killed quail, partridge, pheasant or grouse will be the duty of my PM2 in S110V.

[wrdwrght]

I doubt food prep will ever ask for the somewhat better edge-holding of 204P over S30V and, if it ever does, recovering the former's edge will be somewhat more demanding than the latter's. Corrosion resistance being practically the same, either steel will do, IMO.

[EmperorMA]

I doubt food prep will ever ask for the somewhat better edge-holding of 204P over S30V and, if it ever does, recovering the former's edge will be somewhat more demanding than the latter's. Corrosion resistance being practically the same, either steel will do, IMO.

This knife will do other tasks, it'll just get carried around the grill and the cooler rather often.

[Surfingringo]

I would probalby get the 204p. Edge retention is a bit better and corrosion resistance is notably better. Plus I kinda dig the green.

[h8speech]

204P is not harder to sharpen than S30V.

[Cujobob]

204P of those choices, I'm not a huge fan of sharpening S30V or the edge it takes. I would go for a lower carbide steel for food prep use. Plenty available, any with a good heat treat will do you well (food prep isn't typically all that hard on an edge).

[wrdwrght]

I doubt food prep will ever ask for the somewhat better edge-holding of 204P over S30V and, if it ever does, recovering the former's edge will be somewhat more demanding than the latter's. Corrosion resistance being practically the same, either steel will do, IMO.

This knife will do other tasks, it'll just get carried around the grill and the cooler rather often.

Just to clarify, 204P (along with its almost equivalent M390) is my favorite "stainless" steel. I have PM2s and the original Southard in this steel category, and it would be my favorite but for M4 (don't have Elmax, 52100, Maxamet, or HAP40 yet, FYI)

I do find 204P more difficult to sharpen than S30V, but not by much, and more retentive of its edge, but not by much.

I don't spend time in saltwater or the tropics, like Lance, to experience whatever difference in the stainlessness of the two steels, but I'll take Lance at his word that 204P is less corrosion-resistant where he works and lives. My living situation doesn't feature extraordinary corrosion factors. My knife gets wet, I dry it and lubricate it from time to time.

When I say, either steel will do, I'm not throwing shade on the other. I'd go 204P simply because I already have a lot of S30V in my accumulation.

[EmperorMA]

I would go for a lower carbide steel for food prep use.

Some suggestions for the Military?

[jpm2]

I would go for a lower carbide steel for food prep use.

Some suggestions for the Military?

That would be 52100.