A Study in 3V

[KardinalSyn]

So I got a Tuff and the steel reads CPM 3V. Read up on it and came up with the following from the Crucible site.

Quote
CPM® 3V CPM 3V is a high toughness, wear-resistant tool steel made by the Crucible Particle Metallurgy
process. It is designed to provide maximum resistance to breakage and chipping in a high wear-
resistance steel. It offers impact resistance greater than A2, D2, Cru-Wear, or CPM M4,
approaching the levels provided by S7 and other shock resistant grades. CPM 3V is intended to
be used at 58/60 HRC in applications where chronic breakage and chipping are encountered in
other tool steels, but where the wear properties of a high alloy steel are required.

....

The wear and toughness properties of CPM 3V make it an excellent alternative to shock-resistant
steels such as S7 or A9, where they typically wear out too quickly, but where grades such as A2,
CruWear, or CPM M4 tend to fail by breaking or chipping. CPM 3V offers the highest impact
toughness of any tool steel with this range of wear resistance.

.....

Mechanical Properties Impact Toughness CPM 3V offers impact toughness (Charpy C notch) approaching the shock-resistant tool steels,
with much greater wear resistance. Wear Resistance CPM 3V offers substantial improvements in tool wear life when compared with conventional tool
steels such as A2 and D2. CPM 3V’s high vanadium content offers wear resistance similar to
M2 high speed steel.
Unquote

Obtained from http://www.crucible.com/eselector/prodb ... pm3vt.html with thanks.

So now I am scratching my balding head an asking myself what does this really mean for a Spyderco knife.

I did see some great inputs from other members on different posts and thought that a study in 3V would be good.

Looking forward to your comments on this steel.

[Ankerson]

It means you aren't going to break the blade on the Tuff unless you really try and the rest of the knife would also be destroyed.

[KardinalSyn]

I thought the Fuller on the Tuff's blade would make it weaker initially before I read up on the knife further on this forum. I doubt that the Tuff blade will bend like the Millie blade when cutting certain things. The latter was in S30V. There must be other attributes to 3V apart from being almost unbreakable.

[Ankerson]

I thought the Fuller on the Tuff's blade would make it weaker initially before I read up on the knife further on this forum. I doubt that the Tuff blade will bend like the Millie blade when cutting certain things. The latter was in S30V. There must be other attributes to 3V apart from being almost unbreakable.

3V is a nice steel, takes a really nice highly refined edge or a nice toothy edge that cuts very well and is pretty aggressive and it holds an edge for a respectable amount of time.

Something along the lines of a 10 LB sledge hammer with that knife anchored I think....

The Military has a distal tapered blade with a pretty fine tip so we are talking about two completely different types of knives here.

The Military is more of a slicer that can take hard cutting while the Tuff is for the knuckle draggers....

[JD Spydo]

I sure wish Spyderco would do a fixed blade in 3V :cool: That might just be the perfect steel to use if they were to cave in a do a fixed blade Hawkbill.

I bet the Perrin Streetbeat in 3V would be a super-beast of a blade and a monster in Spyderedge as well.

This is also a steel I would like to see them use on the Military model as well.

[JNewell]

The Military is more of a slicer that can take hard cutting while the Tuff is for the knuckle draggers....

...and habitual hardcore edge-pryers! :D :spyder:

[Ed Schempp]

I like the way 3V cuts, it is a high carbon steel and not a stainless. Besides the information offered previously in the thread, I'd like to recommend that you try the steel, cut with it and find out how it performs. I LIKE the way it purchases and cuts. It seems to out perform many stainless steels. I have used mine in basic food prep and it works very well, I haven't had any corrosion problems with proper maintenance...Take care...Ed

[JD Spydo]

I like the way 3V cuts, it is a high carbon steel and not a stainless. Besides the information offered previously in the thread, I'd like to recommend that you try the steel, cut with it and find out how it performs. I LIKE the way it purchases and cuts. It seems to out perform many stainless steels. I have used mine in basic food prep and it works very well, I haven't had any corrosion problems with proper maintenance...Take care...Ed

I would love to see what you're original C-83 Persian model would be like with 3V>> I would also like to see you design a fixed blade for Spyderco and having them use 3V being you know the high points of that great blade steel. When they compare Crucible's 3V to S7 it really lights up my eyes. Because I've seen first hand just how good S7 can be. Great thread!!

[Ankerson]

I sure wish Spyderco would do a fixed blade in 3V :cool: That might just be the perfect steel to use if they were to cave in a do a fixed blade Hawkbill.

I bet the Perrin Streetbeat in 3V would be a super-beast of a blade and a monster in Spyderedge as well.

This is also a steel I would like to see them use on the Military model as well.

They could bump the hardness to 61-62 HRC for better edge retention and it would make for a nice Military or Para 2 and it should do well I think.

At that hardness it would still be more than tough enough for those models.

[psychophipps]

Hosom does all of his 3V blades at 61 HRC anymore.