The biggest thing for me is that I trust Spyderco to get the best out of 3V. I don’t have any 3V in my collection and I’d love if it was a Spyderco heat treated knife. I’ve been focused on Spyderco for the last two years and currently want to stay that way. They’ve earned my trust which isn’t easy to get. Plus I need to be picky due to my current budget restraints. Thinking of budget, the Manix in 3V would be awesome. They’re usually very reasonably priced and more affordable.
Oh shoot, yes. Totally forgot about the Manix - yes, that would be a fantastic platform to showcase a new folding 3V model.
Spyderco is all about performance. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that only applies to wear resistance. Fortunately, the Salt line is exposing people to ultra high performance with corrosion resistance. Unfortunately 'toughness' gets the short end of the stick. The ability to chop through a cinder block with little edge blowout, is also ultra high performance, albeit in a way most aren't accustomed to thinking about...
The basic is priced at $350 and there are various upgrade options. There is usually a sale every other Friday at 3pm EST. There won't be one today, maybe next week.
FYI, the sale goes fast and it's first come, first serve. You should be in the For Sale subforum before 3pm, click on the thread as soon as it's posted, and quickly post one letter, then edit the post once it exists. Otherwise you may be too late.
heard.
they still sell the EDC Model? Looks like it isn't in current production but I like the looks of it.
He has sold a number of different iterations of the EDC recently, so he may not have more for a while. They are not hard to find on the secondary market (Carothers Knives for Sale subforum).
i've never used 3v or 4v before, but i've heard that 4v is better because the higher attainable hardness means more resistance to plastic deformation.
Impact toughness is a bit different, defined as "the toughness or impact strength is the amount of energy that a material is able to absorb before rupturing." (https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/en ... -toughness)
Also, Mr. Houston stated "4v has plenty of edge toughness, it will be less prone to rolling at the edge with actual cutting compared to 3V which is tougher but will blunt faster and need more frequent sharpening if you are a good knife user. "
It depends what you mean by better. For a cutting competition, 4V is better due to higher hardenability. For rough daily use where you may hit something harder than wood by accident, 3V is better.
Re: Why CPM 3V
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2025 8:01 pm
by wrdwrght
Why 3V? Because Shaman or Bodacious?
Re: Why CPM 3V
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2025 10:28 pm
by Red Leader
Don't know if links to other forums are allowed, but the question was posited where Nathan from CPK hangs out, and the initial vibe I got was pretty positive. It also sounds like some extensive testing has been done regarding a special recipe of 3V that would be optimized for folder use.
@sal, is this a conversation that the Spydie crew would be interested in having? I, for one, think it could be pretty interesting to see two companies who take such extreme interest in blade steel and heat treatment performance come together on this, similar to the work you've done with BBB.
There is a lot of overlap in the customer base between CPK and Spyderco, including me!
Re: Why CPM 3V
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 1:53 am
by Flash
A fixed blade collaboration between Carothers and Spyderco featuring optimally heat treated 3V would be a thing of beauty. I’d predict they’d fly out the door.
Just don’t go putting a Spydiehole on it and undo all the hard work. Even as a trademark, an opening hole has no practical place on a fixed blade knife, let alone a fixed blade knife intended for hard use.
A fixed blade collaboration between Carothers and Spyderco featuring optimally heat treated 3V would be a thing of beauty. I’d predict they’d fly out the door.
Just don’t go putting a Spydiehole on it and undo all the hard work. Even as a trademark, an opening hole has no practical place on a fixed blade knife, let alone a fixed blade knife intended for hard use.
I like the Spyderco hole. It immediately ID’s the knife. The Temperance 2 hole is very small and doesn’t detract from the actual knife itself. I’ve actually used it for a pinch grip.
Re: Why CPM 3V
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 8:39 am
by olywa
I have a couple of LT Wright 3V blades which have been outdoor workhorses for me. I'd be on board for a Spydie in 3V. Give it a 90 degree spine like LT does. Throws a helluva spark from a ferro rod.
A fixed blade collaboration between Carothers and Spyderco featuring optimally heat treated 3V would be a thing of beauty. I’d predict they’d fly out the door.
Just don’t go putting a Spydiehole on it and undo all the hard work. Even as a trademark, an opening hole has no practical place on a fixed blade knife, let alone a fixed blade knife intended for hard use.
Regarding this.
The Spydie hole is a signature, and a function of the opening. However, I do also understand how it weakens the blade, which hasn't been a more serious problem when the knives are optimized for cutting and not the harder use tasks that 3V is known to be good at.
Therefore, I think there are ways to have a happy medium. For one, the Spydie hole on some knives is huge, and I don't think it necessarily has to be. Even the hole on the Mule teams works, despite it's small size. I'm not saying to go that small, but maybe just *slightly* smaller than normal, or a little more meat around the 'ring' part of the hole.
But on some designs, the hole is simply an add on, and doesn't actually cut much into the thickness of the blade. The Essenza and the Jot Singh Khalsa are two that come to mind - you could nearly just the entire part with the hole off and be left with an almost intact blade. In that regard, it makes sense to work with a design where the hole takes less away from the blade.
Re: Why CPM 3V
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 10:36 am
by Halfneck
Only knife I have in 3V from Ken Brock. Have not used it for anything abusive, but I love how thin the blade stock is on it. Part of why he switched to 3V from CTS-XHP I believe.
Re: Why CPM 3V
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 2:23 pm
by Coastal
I'm on board for some Spyderco 3V. I get that 3V is a great fixed-blade steel, but I'd like a folder at least as much. If I had to vote, I'd pick the Manix 2 XL. The perfect folder for 3V.
I'd gladly take a Military or a Bodacious, though.
Re: Why CPM 3V
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 4:39 pm
by olywa
"I'd gladly take a Military or a Bodacious, though."
Bodacious for the win!
Re: Why CPM 3V
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 4:50 pm
by Red Leader
I second (third? fourth?) the Bodacious. Perfect knife to put in 3V, unless there is a new design on the horizon that works better.
I'd have a Salt PM2 in one pocket, and a 3V Bodie in the other.
Re: Why CPM 3V
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 5:36 pm
by vivi
I'd rather have a Manix XL, but I'd check out the Bodacious if they ran it in 3V.
I'm on board for some Spyderco 3V. I get that 3V is a great fixed-blade steel, but I'd like a folder at least as much. If I had to vote, I'd pick the Manix 2 XL. The perfect folder for 3V.
I'd gladly take a Military or a Bodacious, though.
Manix XL would obviously be my first choice , but definitely if pressed the Bodacious by design would also make my day . MG2
Re: Why CPM 3V
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 11:14 am
by horzuff
If it's so tough, then maybe it could support some really thin geometry? Going along those lines, let's see a thin stock, hollow ground bodacious :D or the Chap XL?
Re: Why CPM 3V
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2025 1:54 pm
by VandymanG
Hmm the Manix CPM M4 I have has a very thin stock. Never thought about it but that’d be a great knife for 3V.
If it's so tough, then maybe it could support some really thin geometry? Going along those lines, let's see a thin stock, hollow ground bodacious :D or the Chap XL?
A thin Chaparral in 3 V would be my first Chaparral.
Don't know if links to other forums are allowed, but the question was posited where Nathan from CPK hangs out, and the initial vibe I got was pretty positive. It also sounds like some extensive testing has been done regarding a special recipe of 3V that would be optimized for folder use.
@sal, is this a conversation that the Spydie crew would be interested in having? I, for one, think it could be pretty interesting to see two companies who take such extreme interest in blade steel and heat treatment performance come together on this, similar to the work you've done with BBB.
There is a lot of overlap in the customer base between CPK and Spyderco, including me!
Don't know if links to other forums are allowed, but the question was posited where Nathan from CPK hangs out, and the initial vibe I got was pretty positive. It also sounds like some extensive testing has been done regarding a special recipe of 3V that would be optimized for folder use.
@sal, is this a conversation that the Spydie crew would be interested in having? I, for one, think it could be pretty interesting to see two companies who take such extreme interest in blade steel and heat treatment performance come together on this, similar to the work you've done with BBB.
There is a lot of overlap in the customer base between CPK and Spyderco, including me!
Is CPK the Carothers that others are mentioning?
Yep
Re: Why CPM 3V
Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 9:41 pm
by Red Leader
I was thinking about 3V again today, so lets talk about it! What does everyone think about a 3V Mule, a 3V M2 Tanto, or a 3V Bodacious?
