Cruwear and thin grinds

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Murdamook

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Nov 3, 2010
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With high-toughness steels like Cruwear and Z-wear, is it worth getting on a knife like the PM2? More specifically, do these steels really shine with a thin FFG grind that may not have a ton of lateral strength due to blade stock thickness? This is genuine curiosity, not showing any bias. My eyes lit up with the new PM2 in Cru/micarta, but then I thought about my uses for the PM2 and it almost seems like steel like Maxamet or S110V would be the better choices when looking at the production models. I turn to different knives if I’m doing hard cutting that may require high toughness.

Thanks for any input.
 
Murdamook said:
With high-toughness steels like Cruwear and Z-wear, is it worth getting on a knife like the PM2? More specifically, do these steels really shine with a thin FFG grind that may not have a ton of lateral strength due to blade stock thickness? This is genuine curiosity, not showing any bias. My eyes lit up with the new PM2 in Cru/micarta, but then I thought about my uses for the PM2 and it almost seems like steel like Maxamet or S110V would be the better choices when looking at the production models. I turn to different knives if I’m doing hard cutting that may require high toughness.

Thanks for any input.
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Maxamet and s110v , god forbid you get a chip and don’t have some extensive diamond sharpening equipment and experience, I like crew , vasco, M390 .
others will have a different angle on stuff of lofty HRC +65
 
Jdavis882 says Maxamet holds an edge and isn't chippy on his Spyderco Manix 2. Here. He didn't mention problems with sharpening it.
 
Mister Coffee said:
Jdavis882 says Maxamet holds an edge and isn't chippy on his Spyderco Manix 2. Here. He didn't mention problems with sharpening it.
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You should maybe look to supersteelsteve or outpost 76. Maxamet is incredibly high hardness which makes it a bear to sharpen, but it hold an edge for a long time.
 
Mister Coffee said:
Okay, but Outpost 76 says Maxamet is an easy steel to sharpen at approx. 4:47 here.
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I have no dog in the fight. I’m echoing what I’ve heard and it’s been a while since I watched Outpost’s Maxamet video.

Regardless, it’s entirely tangential to the topic. I’m questioning the efficacy of a high toughness steel vs a steel with more edge-holding capability as it relates to a knife you’re unlikely to use “hard”.
 
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What are your uses?

Generally Cruwear will have more toughness and should be able to be ground thinner than S110V without experiencing chipping but I doubt you will see the full benefits without regrinding the PM2.

That being said we have seen some thin S110V in the past as well but the users take care while using as lateral stress can be the edge’s downfall.

If you want the PM2 in cruwear then go ahead and grab one. See what works best for you.
 
I think it's worth it, cruwear is a good balance of edge retention and toughness so if you want to take it out be a little rough on it, it will do great. If all you're doing is cutting cardboard, opening packages, and occasionally cutting up some food, there are better steel choices but cruwear would be great at those as well.

Cruwear falls in between M4 and 3V in the toughness/edge retention scale (if we assume it's roughly linear). I think it's a little tougher than vanadis 4E. For most-purpose blade steels, Cruwear, M4, and V4E are my top picks when budget isn't a concern. That may all change with magnacut, we'll see.

I like S110v but my fear of chipping it limits my uses from anything that may cause a lateral load on the edge.

I think the PM2 is a good option for cruwear given it's mix of slice design and medium use intention regarding lock and handle design. Thinning the edge out would probably make it even better if you're not going to be carving wood or cutting thicker plastics. I've had very good experiences with my cruwear millie but I also use it as a yard tool so the added toughness was very appealing.
 
Toughness is only one aspect of edge stability. You also need strength.

A super tough steel blade (resistant to chipping and breaking) can bend, roll or dent with very little abuse if it is not strong (resistant to bending, rolling and denting). Think of modeling clay, which is super tough, but lacks strength.

What you want is a balance of strength and toughness for the jobs you expect your knife to perform. Because strength is a rough proxy for hardness, any tough steel hardened to more than 60 Rc will likely serve you well in hard use.
 
I have a cruwear PM2 with the slick G10 scales and like it. I don’t think that I have really pushed its boundaries however. PM2 is a slicey folder.
While I err towards deformation over chipping, not sure how either would be much of a factor in this platform - for my use anyway.
 
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