Cruwear vs. S35VN

[JacksonKnives]

I'm very curious about the actual stats on the sprint runs and the actual meaningful differences we see in use.
E.g., I'm assuming CPM Cruwear has significantly higher toughness if both steels are tempered for max useful hardness (which is itself a tricky calue to pin down), but what if you run the S35VN batch for toughness instead?

Will the Cruwear steel always be harder if toughness is controlled to be equal across the steels?

The influence of toughness on edge stability is what interests me, but it seems like on the PM2 it might also mean the tip could survive more abuse than it would with another steel at the same hardness. I don't stab things on purpose, but I have accidentally broken tips on work knives...

[peacefuljeffrey]

CPM Cru Wear is much tougher than S35VN. Regular Cruwear is a little harder to predict how it compares, probably similar. Cru Wear also has a greater potential for hardness than S35VN. Wear resistance of S35VN is a little better.

I’m confused, because I thought that wear resistance was a function of hardness.

You say that CruWear is tougher. You say it’s harder. (Usually hardness comes at the expense of toughness.) But you say that wear resistance of S35VN is better. I don’t get it.

I really like the graphs of steel characteristics that BladeHQ has published, but they don’t have CruWear listed, so I can’t compare the numbers. I’d really like to be able to.

[M Sea]

CPM Cru Wear is much tougher than S35VN. Regular Cruwear is a little harder to predict how it compares, probably similar. Cru Wear also has a greater potential for hardness than S35VN. Wear resistance of S35VN is a little better.

Thank you for you valuable input. I ordered your book and appreciate all the insights you have provided to us here. Its been an immense resource to aid in the purchasing of New Spyderco's!!!

[bearfacedkiller]

In the broad spectrum of steels we have today ranging from 1095 up through Maxamet I would say that S35VN and Cruwear are more similar than different.

I favor Cruwear for its ability to handle a little more abuse. Otherwise I find edge retention similar and corrosion resistance adequate with both.

[Larrin]

I’m confused, because I thought that wear resistance was a function of hardness.

You say that CruWear is tougher. You say it’s harder. (Usually hardness comes at the expense of toughness.) But you say that wear resistance of S35VN is better. I don’t get it.

I really like the graphs of steel characteristics that BladeHQ has published, but they don’t have CruWear listed, so I can’t compare the numbers. I’d really like to be able to.

Wear resistance is not a function of only hardness. Start with this article: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2018/11/12/ ... -hardness/

Don't use the graphs on BladeHQ. You can see measurements of edge retention and toughness of CPM CruWear here: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/05/01/ ... fe-steels/