S35VN Vs Maxamet on a Para 3, share your thoughts

[Mzen]

Long story short, I am really curious to give the Para 3 a go and want to hear the opinions of those who are not delicate towards their Maxamet blades.

I have been using my S35VN Native 5 FRN and ZT 0220 at the warehouse for more then a year now. Cutting tasks are usually split between lots of plastic wrapper, in both thin and thick varieties, cardboard and other miscellaneous materials such as rope, plastic binding strips, zipties and duck tape.

For the time being, I only own a Sharpmaker and CBN rods, and so far I have used the brown rods almost exclusively, they seem to deal well with the S35VN and from what I have noticed, I seem to get better results with a toothy edge on both blades. As an aside, I seem to find the Spyderco version of S35VN more capable than the ZT one, but that could be just a matter of blade geometry differences and whatnot.

Having said that, I wouldn't mind exploring some new materials. I am careful about how I use my knives, definitely no prying or battoning with my lovely folders, so I "mentally" give much importance to toughness. After much research, I am fairly certain that CRU-WEAR would have been my grail steel, I keep kicking myself over for not being able to get a hold of that sprint run... But alas, the show must go on.

Another nice option would probably be M390, but I am not a fan of the blue scales and Bento Box Shop's shipping to Europe is stupid expensive, so that's off the table as well (unless DLT comes out with a red G10 version)... Which leaves me between good ol' S35VN or the newer, fancier and probably more expensive Maxamet.

Now, I am sure Maxamet would be more than capable for my job requirements, but dust and dirt are usually around and there is also a chance that a random metal clip or nail might make an unwelcome appearance while cutting materials, plus the fact that I am 100% dependent on the Sharpmaker makes Maxamet a scary proposition when I think about chipped blades, since it's harder to sharpen than S35VN... But exactly how much harder is it in comparison?

Please share your knowledge and experience regarding your Maxamet adventures or any other blade steel I might be missing out on, I will be waiting with bated breath.

P.S. Sal, I really hope some of that MAP price increase money is going to those hard working folks at the Taichung factory, because that Amsterdam meeting thread is the gift that keeps on giving, they are certainly working some magic on bringing those designs to life. Kudos all around!

[Johnnie1801]

Hi Mzen and welcome to the forum

Comparing s35vn and maxamet is a bit like comparing apples and oranges, s35vn is a stainless steel and Maxamet is a tool steel (liable to rust if not looked after). Maxamet was developed to be a very tough steel to be used in steel foundries to roll steel whereas s35vn was developed as a knife steel (an improvement over s30v). So far the reports I have read suggest Maxamet is fairly "easy", to sharpen and your Sharpmaker and CBN rods should be able to handle it.

Personally if I were you I would seriously look at the serrated Delica Wharncliffe as a work knife. It was developed at the request of our fellow forumite Jazz, who needed a knife for exactly the same type of tasks that you are describing. The vg-10 steel is a good performer and should be very simple to touch up on your Sharpmaker as well as save you a few euro's

[Xplorer]

Hi Mzen,

It's a little tough to compare the merits of two steels that are so different from each other in nearly every possible way. That said, I can understand why you might have refined your choices down to these two.

Here's a little info to help you choose...

Maxamet is a carbon tool steel that will rust if not properly cared for. It's a steel that was developed for metal working and intended to bridge the gap between high speed steels that lose hardness and wear resistance under high heat applications and carbide that is brittle like glass. Maxamet will hold an edge unbelievably, ridiculously well. It isn't as hard to sharpen as you might imagine it should be considering how well it holds an edge, but it is indeed considerably more difficult to sharpen than S35VN. That said, I sharpen my Maxamet Mule on my Sharpmaker with no issues...it just takes a little more patience :) . Like all extremely high hardness steels it is not going to be as chip resistant as some softer steels, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's prone to chipping either.

S35VN is a stainless steel that will not corrode as fast. It's a steel that was developed for knives and it's very versatile. It strikes a very nice (knife appropriate) balance between toughness and wear resistance. It holds an edge very well and it is rather easy to sharpen IMO (maybe average would be the way I'd describe sharpening). It's one of the toughest PM grade cutlery steels available and is quite resistant to chipping when compared with other stainless steels (of course, heat treating is a huge factor here). While Maxamet is definitely a specialty super-steel, S35VN is an ideal "everyday" super-steel.

My suggestion is that you consider a couple of things..
1. How do you use your knives? i.e. do you cut carefully and make sure you are aware of whatever may be under the material you're cutting, careful not to let your blade smack the concrete or a metal table or whatever...and do you choose to use your knife only for cutting tasks as the knife was intended? Do you touch up your edges regularly and often, and keep you knives sharp at all times? If yes to all, Maxamet could be a very good choice for you.

2.Do you use knives without worrying much about what the edge hits? Do you occasionally use knives for anything other than "appropriate" cutting chores? Do you have any concerns about maintaining a blade that might develop rust? Do you use your knife until it's completely dull before you re-sharpen it? If yes to these.. S35VN might be the better choice of these 2 for you. Although, if you answer yes to all of these I would suggest a knife with a VG10 blade.

I'm not presenting these questions for you to answer here so much as just for you to consider in your selection process with the hope that this will help guide you to the choice that will suit your needs the best.

The best part is, they're both great and there's no wrong answer IMO. For me the answer is buy both and an M390 version also, but that's coming from a fully committed knife nut, metal geek, and Spydieholic. :D :p :spyder:

Best regards,
Chad

[Chumango]

Xplorer had it right - Maxamet was intended to bridge the gap between high speed tool steels and tungsten carbide (which is much more brittle than the steels). It is not as tough as most steels used to make knife blades, but I have not heard much of any real life issues with chipping (I don't have any to weigh in on that).

[jpm2]

We might not ever see another steel like maxamet in a folding knife, s35vn class steel will probably be around forever.
The only time I damaged my mine was cutting a bean can open at 30 degrees inclusive. I redid it at 35 degrees, and couldn't tell much difference in the edge before and after, just minimal dulling. It would still shave arm hair.
My suggestion is to get the maxamet, use it with reckless abandon, and let us know how it compares.
I highly recommend diamond for final sharpening and touch ups.

[Mzen]

Hi Mzen,

It's a little tough to compare the merits of two steels that are so different from each other in nearly every possible way. That said, I can understand why you might have refined your choices down to these two.

Here's a little info to help you choose...

Maxamet is a carbon tool steel that will rust if not properly cared for. It's a steel that was developed for metal working and intended to bridge the gap between high speed steels that lose hardness and wear resistance under high heat applications and carbide that is brittle like glass. Maxamet will hold an edge unbelievably, ridiculously well. It isn't as hard to sharpen as you might imagine it should be considering how well it holds an edge, but it is indeed considerably more difficult to sharpen than S35VN. That said, I sharpen my Maxamet Mule on my Sharpmaker with no issues...it just takes a little more patience :) . Like all extremely high hardness steels it is not going to be as chip resistant as some softer steels, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's prone to chipping either.

S35VN is a stainless steel that will not corrode as fast. It's a steel that was developed for knives and it's very versatile. It strikes a very nice (knife appropriate) balance between toughness and wear resistance. It holds an edge very well and it is rather easy to sharpen IMO (maybe average would be the way I'd describe sharpening). It's one of the toughest PM grade cutlery steels available and is quite resistant to chipping when compared with other stainless steels (of course, heat treating is a huge factor here). While Maxamet is definitely a specialty super-steel, S35VN is an ideal "everyday" super-steel.

My suggestion is that you consider a couple of things..
1. How do you use your knives? i.e. do you cut carefully and make sure you are aware of whatever may be under the material you're cutting, careful not to let your blade smack the concrete or a metal table or whatever...and do you choose to use your knife only for cutting tasks as the knife was intended? Do you touch up your edges regularly and often, and keep you knives sharp at all times? If yes to all, Maxamet could be a very good choice for you.

2.Do you use knives without worrying much about what the edge hits? Do you occasionally use knives for anything other than "appropriate" cutting chores? Do you have any concerns about maintaining a blade that might develop rust? Do you use your knife until it's completely dull before you re-sharpen it? If yes to these.. S35VN might be the better choice of these 2 for you. Although, if you answer yes to all of these I would suggest a knife with a VG10 blade.

I'm not presenting these questions for you to answer here so much as just for you to consider in your selection process with the hope that this will help guide you to the choice that will suit your needs the best.

The best part is, they're both great and there's no wrong answer IMO. For me the answer is buy both and an M390 version also, but that's coming from a fully committed knife nut, metal geek, and Spydieholic. :D :p :spyder:

Best regards,
Chad

Brilliant advice all around Chad, but I thought you were supposed to help me decide on one, not make me want to buy three different models! :mad: :D
I am indeed the type that pays close attention to what my blade cuts into, fortunately I am not like my colleagues who use their box cutters like tiny machetes because they don't know any better hahaha

I usually try to sharpen it once a week, despite still having a decent "working edge" most of the time, but I just love cutting through plastic wrapper with absolutely zero resistance, best feeling in the world.

I don't mind a bit of maintenance to avoid rusting, as long as the thing doesn't get rust spots just by looking at it. I've carried a carbon Opinel for quite some time and even that didn't need much attention, just got some fingerprint spots here and there, but nothing serious. So assuming that Maxamet can resist rust better than a carbon Opinel, I am not too worried.

The thing that mostly kept me away from Maxamet, besides the extra sharpening difficulty, were the early reports of it chipping like crazy for some users. Unless my mind is playing tricks on me, I seem to remember that even Nick Shabazz went through chippy **** when he got his first Maxamet blade. How did that situation turned out in the end? Was it all related to bad heat treat on Spyderco's behalf?

[Xplorer]

...How did that situation turned out in the end? ..

I recall ZT having big problems with Maxamet some years ago. I don't recall any on-going problems with Spyderco. There have been some examples of individual blades that were not up to par but overall the Spyderco heat treat for Maxamet has been very successful. If you search the words "Maxamet" and "chipping" here you'll see a few people saying they're concerned that it might chip and the majority of people saying they've experienced no chipping at all.

Based on what you've said about the way you use your knives I think Maxamet would be a good choice. The best advise I can give you is go with your gut. You'll be happy with your choice if you do :) .

Best regards,
Chad