S30V Support Club

[RustyIron]

So S30V gets picked on a lot bc it's not the latest and greatest... Feel free to share your support for the vanilla ice cream of steels.

Young lady, my vanilla beans are straight outta Papua New Guinea and much more delicious than your S30V.

[Doc Dan]

I like S30v. It holds an edge for a long time and doesn’t take all day to sharpen.
We Spyderco users are spoiled by Spyderco choices of steel. We do not notice that S30v is still new .to most people and makers. It has only been in the last couple of years that Buck has used it, for example. It’s great stuff.

[npad69]

S30v is ok, but I prefer the other vanilla in the same league called XHP

[PSquared]

S30V and VG10 are my most used steels. They have a nice balance of properties for my general (light) daily cutting chores. I prefer not having one property shining to the possible detriment of others, I like the balance.

The good thing about S30V is that it’s been around long enough for everyone to have tweaked their heat treatment to what they regard as optimal - no “bleeding edge” (intended pun) heat treats on S30V any more.

Given the choice of a new model in S30V or some new super-duper steel, I’d take the S30V every time. I collect knives as tools to be used rather than steel types with handles - that is perfectly legitimate too, it’s just not me.

[Ankerson]

So S30V gets picked on a lot bc it's not the latest and greatest... Feel free to share your support for the vanilla ice cream of steels.

Reasons why I don't hate S30V:
Cheaper than some other steels
Easy to sharpen
Corrosion resistant enough for me
It's never chipped on me
It's the default steel/aka no other choice available if I want to try a new design

Agree, there is NOTHING wrong with S30V IMO. :spyder:

[kennethsime]

Killer and I have been asking for a Maxamet Military for such a situation for some time now. :p

Oof, I'm in for that one, Bloke.

I like S30V just fine. I carry my S30V Para 3 more often than my K390 Para 3 now, mostly because of the Micarta scales. If I can't get a Zwear Shaman, I think I'm going to get a plain Jane in S30V and throw some Micarta scales on. It'll do just fine.

[Mattysc42]

I love s30v for a casual edc, but I need more wear resistance at work. S90v, k390, rex45, etc are all just flat out better for my uses. If I ever stop cutting miles of 6-walled, glass impregnated cardboard, then s30v will be just fine.

[Bloke]

Killer and I have been asking for a Maxamet Military for such a situation for some time now. :p

Oof, I'm in for that one, Bloke.

I like S30V just fine. I carry my S30V Para 3 more often than my K390 Para 3 now, mostly because of the Micarta scales. If I can't get a Zwear Shaman, I think I'm going to get a plain Jane in S30V and throw some Micarta scales on. It'll do just fine.

You and many others too I suspect, Ken. :)

We’re a strange breed of Knuts, that’s for sure. We agree that S30V is a great well balanced blade steel and more than adequate for any everyday pocket knife yet we all want the latest and greatest and in the case of a Maxamet Military we want something that doesn’t even exist.

Anyhow, still patiently waiting. Ah, hahaha, ah, hahaha, ah, hahaha! :rolleyes:

[bearfacedkiller]

Unless of course I was abducted by Aliens and needed to cut my way out of the spaceship’s hull to escape. In which case I’d be wishing I’d carried my S110V Military. :eek:

You'd definitely need Maxamet for that.

Ah, hahaha! I'm hearing you, Tom! :)

Killer and I have been asking for a Maxamet Military for such a situation for some time now. :p

One of these days! :D

[Surfingringo]

The problem isnt the steel. The problem is having too many knives lying around, and then thinking you need variety in steel/handle material/whatever else to justify the next purchase.

At least for me anyway. And I am definitely guilty of saying I wished a different steel was chosen sometimes.

S30v works just fine. Vareity is also nice. If Im buying based on design Im fine with it.

This exactly. Nothing wrong with s30v, I just have too many knives already and sometimes I need a little extra encouragement to pick up a new design. Sometimes a new or interesting steel can be the deciding factor.

Depending on how user experience and opinion goes over the next month I wouldn’t be surprised to see spy27 start to replace s30v in some designs.

[curlyhairedboy]

I much prefer s30v to vg10 and s35vn. It's a great default!

[Evil D]

Depending on how user experience and opinion goes over the next month I wouldn’t be surprised to see spy27 start to replace s30v in some designs.

I'd say it's inevitable. Spy27 has a catchier name, it's exclusive to Spyderco, it's the new trendy steel. Even if it performs much the same it'll get praise. So much of steel choice seems to be more mental than anything. I said something once (and got flamed for it by a former member on his forum), sometimes a steel just works better for a person because it works with their needs and use habits and sharpening ability. Sometimes it's not all black and white and what you'd expect from technical specs.

[tonijedi]

I said something once (and got flamed for it by a former member on his forum), sometimes a steel just works better for a person because it works with their needs and use habits and sharpening ability. Sometimes it's not all black and white and what you'd expect from technical specs.

Totally agree.

[bearrowland]

I can't complain about it. It's plenty sharp, retains an edge, and is my first "high speed" steel. I don't use my knives as anything but cutting instruments, and as much as it pains me to say it, I doubt I'll ever even see the inside of a spacecraft let alone cut my way out of one

[Albatross]

I honestly prefer VG10, because it's more pleasant to sharpen, I can strop an edge back to sharp multiple times between sharpenings(with ease), and unlike S30V, I've never seen even a hint of rust on VG10. S30V is a very good base steel. It's a solid performer, but does nothing for anyone requiring serious edge retention, ridiculous stain resistance, or high toughness. S30V is a Jack of all trades, master of none. If you like the steel, there's nothing wrong with that, you probably just have different needs or preferences than I do. Variety is good.

My enjoyment of VG10 has had me window shopping for a shiny new Para 3 LW in SPY27. If I remember correctly, SPY27 was inspired by VG10, and is supposed to be a modified version, made in the U.S. that I cannot wait to get my hands on it, to use as a "daily task" cutter. Something to use around the house or when out and about, to open packages, break down a box or two, cut zip ties, etc.

We're a unique bunch, so it's no surprise that many of us also have unique needs and preferences. For rough or lengthy cutting, I like Rex 45 or K390. Honestly, I like the two steels enough to use them all the time. Both will hold an edge longer than S30V and both will see less edge damage than S30V. XHP is a good "daily task" type of steel, that won me over with it's sharpening response, and the variety of stones I can use on it. S30V works well in the "daily task" role as well, and I'll use it, but my preferences keep me from using it as much as other steels.

20CV or 204P are my go-to steels for outdoor use, since the corrosion resistance and edge retention are perfect for what I need, and a bit better than S30V. Hard to argue with the value as well, since the exclusives were the same price as the S30V variants.

I'm neurotic enough to like steels based on the type of edge I can get from them, or how they sharpen, which are probably two categories most don't care about. I'm okay with that. Edge stability/retention and corrosion resistance are my primary drivers, but sharpening characteristics are certainly important to me.

[JRinFL]

The problem with base steels is that they are, well, base. The double-edged sword of offering a superior steel as a base is that forces you to offer increasingly more exotic steels as upgrades, assuming you offer upgrades at all. We are a spoiled lot. Look at traditional knives who have mostly offered 1095 for 100 years or so. Chris Reeves offers all the steels as long as it is S35V, for now anyway.

As to S30V itself, it is a fine steel with many positives. It has never let me down in use, while acknowledging that other steels I have outperform it in some categories. Mostly I am bored with S30V coupled with black peel-ply G10. At this point it is like an Amish suit, it serves well, but I crave something else. Use different scale colors and materials, and the complaints about "just S30V" may decrease.

[Kels73]

I've been thinking the same thing lately, so I was glad to see this thread. I like S30V. Its balanced properties allow my folders to do everything that I need them to do, and then some.

I think the issue for a lot of knife enthusiasts is boredom. They are bored with plain vanilla and want to try different flavors. I get it. I enjoy trying different knife steels too, but that's not the only factor which informs my purchases.

I'm very practical, and S30V is a practical steel which works well and keeps the cost reasonable. It's nice to try different flavors, but most days I find myself coming back to good old vanilla.

[soc_monki]

S30v is fine. People call it chippy, but if you watch some testing videos you see the chippyness is from fatigued steel. You get passed that, and it has excellent edge retention and toughness. I guess some people just dismiss a steel without getting rid of the bad steel, and that's bad. And other people just take their word as gospel. They don't even try to sharpen it and get rid of it and say it's a bad steel.

I happily own many knives in S30v, and will buy more probably! Although I do love m390/20cv and especially m4! And I'm not against 420hc or other simpler steels. I just like knives, and using knives, and sharpening knives.

[Colorodo]

The Endura S30V has become my favorite. I am looking forward to the Endura K390.

[Doc Dan]

We’re a strange breed of Knuts, that’s for sure.