About to buy a PM2 - Need advice on blade

M

MisterMoad

Joined
Jan 15, 2015
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I'm about to buy a PM2 and I've narrowed it down to two blades.

1) Blurpple S110V
2) BentoBox M390

What should I get?

S110V wins edge retention
M390 wins servicability

Is the blurpple S110V a limited run?

Thanks in advance
 
IIRC, the blurple is not a sprint run. I don't have experience with either steel, but have heard that s110v will chip, while m390 will roll.
 
I hope one day people will start learning there is no "better" steel because it all depends on what YOU want from it. Some want edge retention, some want corrosion resistance, some want whatever. M390 is a very good "all round" steel that balances most good attributes for a folder.
 
Mick_1KRR said:
... M390 is a very good "all round" steel that balances most good attributes for a folder.
Click to expand...

:thumbup: This. I've used M390 from a variety of makers and found it to be a well-balanced steel for edge holding, toughness, and corrosion resistance. Perfect for an EDC folder or small FB IMAO.
 
Ide go with M390...

I believe that M390, CPM 20CV and CTS 204P are all basically the same composition from different manufacturers.

I have the 204p Military and it has proven to be exceptionally easy to sharpen. I shouldnt even say sharpen, maintain is a better word. A dozen or so passes on the fine spyderco stone and then some stropping on the leather pouch the stone came in and that thing is as sharp as the day I got it. I have used it for edc tasks and food prep pretty much every day since I got it (back in the summer) and it has become my favorite Military. This is largely because of the performance of the steel. It seems that it dulls from what I would describe as micro-rolls or slight deformation. In my experience a very fine roll or flattening is much more easy to repair. It requires less removal of steel and more just a reshaping of the edge.
 
Thanks for the info guys.
I forgot to mention it in the original post, but it will be for EDC.
My most common foe is packing tape and the occasional cardboard box but honestly my EDC knives hardly get used.
My folders spend %99 of their life in my pocket. Kind of a "just in case".

I'm not really looking for the "better" steel.
I was just curious what you would choose and why.

I'm leaning towards the S110V, simply because I can get one for $65 cheaper than the M390, but I'm still torn because I know
the Bento Box Shop M390 will hold it's value better.
 
I have the s110v PM2 and I've had problems with chipping. I personally would choose neither and get the s35vn model.

Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk
 
M390.

I've seen a lot of reports of S110V chipping in the last year. @big_chris_custom_knives posted a pic of his S110V so badly chipped it looked serrated.

Don't forget CTS 204P. The PM2 has evergreen scales. Mine has never been sharpened. A quick stropping and its razor sharp again. CTS 204P is Carpenters M390. Frequently $180 or less in the Exchange.
 
M390 is just one of the best stainless steels I have ever used hands down. If you think how vg10 and 154cm are great because they are so balanced in the different aspects of what makes a steel good, wear resistance, sharpenability, edge stability and toughness; M390 is similar and balanced in that all its stats are balanced. Except those stats are cranked up, way up. All the while it is still very sharpenable for some reason, particularly if you don't let the edge go too dull.
 
You get not just m390. You get a great edc of all time in m390... From spyderco And that is worth extra 65$. I also think mine is sexy with S30V written on it and custom cf scales. I don't think you need s110v for your use and will not have fun sharpening it.
 
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Well... Since I'm up in that price-range I've started to look at the M4, CruWear, S35VN, and Elmax blades.
I can see how you guys get hooked.
This will be my first really nice spyderco,
I've had a beater Delica my dad gave me, and I really liked it, but didn't really know much about Spyderco until recently.
Thanks for the advice on M390 vs S110V.
 
If you aren't going to use it much then maybe get a regular S30V one. Spyderco does a good job on S30V.
 
M390. I've got the S110V, it is sharp and I love the edge but it chips and I don't care for it.
 
S30V.

Nothing wrong with it.

But if you must.

M390.
 
Get the one you like the looks of best. M390 and S110V are great steels and both have their pluses and minuses. Get the one you are going to like living with and showing off.
 
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