INFI vs SR-3V

I need to do my unsupported video this week. I need to decide how sassy I'll get in the video 🤔

One thing that I feel like is worth mentioning here is the market seems to move towards harder is automatically better. There is something to be said for that and manufactures are wise to follow trends at least to some degree but maybe say 1v or ztuff could be as tough at 63hrc as infi at 58-60 but I don't necessarily want a big chopper at 63-64hrc even if it is "as tough"- I would rather run the same 58-60 and be tougher with all else being equal while being easier to sharpen or potentially thinner bte.

These are things that every mfg has to balance in how they make and market products and I could jump on the harder is better train and offer stuff in 1v at 63 and it would make my life easier- it's about selling and making money right?

But is it best for the consumer.

What has impressed me most about INFI in my comparatively limited use is how quickly my edges strop back. Not even sharpening- just the strop. It feels like a simple high carbon or like 8670 when stropping and for me that is a HUGE benefit.

Anyways...
 
To some degree INFI is whatever Jerry wants it to be. It has clearly changed in composition and hardness at least once in the past. That is not a complaint, just an observation. Many people have said over some years that they prefer INFI in large blades over small ones. We shall see what the future will hold.
 
resinguy said:
To some degree INFI is whatever Jerry wants it to be. It has clearly changed in composition and hardness at least once in the past. That is not a complaint, just an observation. Many people have said over some years that they prefer INFI in large blades over small ones. We shall see what the future will hold.
Click to expand...

And if larrins formula is correct INFI has changed at least twice. Because, I tested two different formulas maybe 3. Obviously, the magic is in the HT, as long as the steel is an 8% Cr steel and it has always been. Although, the different steels will end up with different properties.
 
Cobalt said:
I still remember the days of 440V and 420V. You wanna talk about unreasonably hard to sharpen. So making it easy to sharpen or strop is a plus in my mind, unsupportedly.
Click to expand...
Ahhhhh.... 440V (now S60V, isn't it?). I hated that stuff ever since I got a Spyderco Military that I accidentally hit the tip on a glass dish, and bent it so bad the Mili never had a proper tip after that. It would hold a nice razor edge.... until you looked at it too hard. I loved the design of the Military, but that steel...
And 420V (now S90V, right?)... Always wanted to try it, but didn't until the last couple of years in Benchmade custom shop folders. I LOVE that stuff. One of them I've used extensively, and I've YET to sharpen it. I mean, like cutting cardboard, opening envelopes, whittling wood... Amazine steel. But I don't think I'd want it in a chopper.
 
dogboye said:
Ahhhhh.... 440V (now S60V, isn't it?). I hated that stuff ever since I got a Spyderco Military that I accidentally hit the tip on a glass dish, and bent it so bad the Mili never had a proper tip after that. It would hold a nice razor edge.... until you looked at it too hard. I loved the design of the Military, but that steel...
And 420V (now S90V, right?)... Always wanted to try it, but didn't until the last couple of years in Benchmade custom shop folders. I LOVE that stuff. One of them I've used extensively, and I've YET to sharpen it. I mean, like cutting cardboard, opening envelopes, whittling wood... Amazine steel. But I don't think I'd want it in a chopper.
Click to expand...
I agree. 440v was strange but I never cared for s30v either s35v is better imo. 420v was better than 440v but not much. There so much better steels today. I prefer the stuff bohler produces, more than cpm. M390, n690-5 and anything starting in K. Except for the k stuff all else is for folders only. K329 and k340 are excellent steels.
 
Cobalt said:
I agree. 440v was strange but I never cared for s30v either s35v is better imo. 420v was better than 440v but not much. There so much better steels today. I prefer the stuff bohler produces, more than cpm. M390, n690-5 and anything starting in K. Except for the k stuff all else is for folders only. K329 and k340 are excellent steels.
Click to expand...
Just wait till K888 drops.

Essentially 1V but with some Cobalt.

I think I'll prefer 1v but 1v is so hard to get that if k888 actually makes it to the market I'll be happy.
 
Cobalt said:
I heard of k888. Dont know anything with it.
Click to expand...
It's brand new. Essentially Bohlers version of modern Vasco steels like 1v/ ztuff/ cd1.
Considerably more toughness than 3v but with edge holding more like A2 or something.

I'll break some 1v soon, we will see how that goes.
 
Makes sense. It has low carbon and just under 5% Cr but has lots of other elements to make up for it. It will be interesting to see how it performs.
 
beachmaster said:
It's brand new. Essentially Bohlers version of modern Vasco steels like 1v/ ztuff/ cd1.
Considerably more toughness than 3v but with edge holding more like A2 or something.

I'll break some 1v soon, we will see how that goes.
Click to expand...
Playing devil's advocate here, but why the need or desire for a steel like that when properly HTed 3V (D3V, SR-3V) already has more toughness than 99.9% of us need or can use and it also has better edge retention than A2?

Therefore, 3V has more desirable properties than K888 with K888 offering nothing we will actually use over and above good HTed 3V.

Disclaimer : I have yet to go read up on K888, so it may yet offer useful things I'm unaware of, but if it's like 1V (tougher than 3V but less edge holding), then I fail to see the need and thus the desire for that.
 
The Knife Life said:
Playing devil's advocate here, but why the need or desire for a steel like that when properly HTed 3V (D3V, SR-3V) already has more toughness than 99.9% of us need or can use and it also has better edge retention than A2?

Therefore, 3V has more desirable properties than K888 with K888 offering nothing we will actually use over and above good HTed 3V.

Disclaimer : I have yet to go read up on K888, so it may yet offer useful things I'm unaware of, but if it's like 1V (tougher than 3V but less edge holding), then I fail to see the need and thus the desire for that.
Click to expand...
Thinner edges, higher hardnesses if people want, thinner stock thickness, or just simply higher toughness- there are TONS of applications especially if sharpening is easy but they likely won't become successful in the market because muH edGe hOLdiNg

I have murdered some wonderfully made 3v that was just a hair too thin bte. If k888 can go thinner bte and hold up performance increases- edGe geo cuts, edGe holdings is for cardboard boxes
 
The Knife Life said:
Playing devil's advocate here, but why the need or desire for a steel like that when properly HTed 3V (D3V, SR-3V) already has more toughness than 99.9% of us need or can use and it also has better edge retention than A2?

Therefore, 3V has more desirable properties than K888 with K888 offering nothing we will actually use over and above good HTed 3V.

Disclaimer : I have yet to go read up on K888, so it may yet offer useful things I'm unaware of, but if it's like 1V (tougher than 3V but less edge holding), then I fail to see the need and thus the desire for that.
Click to expand...

Trying new steels is how 3v came about and INFI, etc. You want new steels to come out and try. Thats how things improve.
 
beachmaster said:
Thinner edges, higher hardnesses if people want, thinner stock thickness, or just simply higher toughness- there are TONS of applications especially if sharpening is easy but they likely won't become successful in the market because muH edGe hOLdiNg

I have murdered some wonderfully made 3v that was just a hair too thin bte. If k888 can go thinner bte and hold up performance increases- edGe geo cuts, edGe holdings is for cardboard boxes
Click to expand...

Ah, see, this is why I asked. I forgot about the higher hardness part that I had read about earlier. Makes much more sense now. So indeed there is a benefit it has above 3V so I can understand the desire to check it out. I was thinking it would be about the same hardness but with less edge holding than 3V so it didn't make much sense unless you had those rare applications where you need more toughness than 3V.

I like the idea of thinner BTE for sure (I've been wanting the industry to move in that direction for years!), but edge stability is important there because even if it's tough and doesn't chip, it just rolls, it's no good if it does that too easily. Being able to go harder will certainly help there. Hopefully it's got some nice edge stability like 52100 and similar steels.

Cobalt said:
Trying new steels is how 3v came about and INFI, etc. You want new steels to come out and try. Thats how things improve.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with the desire for playing with new stuff to see what can be gained. I was merely thinking of this in the theoretical sense and asking myself what benefits does it have on paper above good HTed 3V and it didn't seem to offer any till I was reminded about the higher hardness.

Gotta go watch that knife steel nerds video now!
 
Cobalt said:
I agree. 440v was strange but I never cared for s30v either s35v is better imo. 420v was better than 440v but not much. There so much better steels today. I prefer the stuff bohler produces, more than cpm. M390, n690-5 and anything starting in K. Except for the k stuff all else is for folders only. K329 and k340 are excellent steels.
Click to expand...
Gotta say... I kinda hate S30V. OK, not kinda. I won't buy it. Maybe 420V and S90V aren't the same thing? But I will say I LOVE S90V, at least in the Benchmades I've tried. I've also tried M390 in ZeroTolerance... a lot. I'll take Benchmade's S90V over ZT M390 any day... but that is in my usage. Not saying it is better. Just that it is better for me in my use cases. Not sure why that is... because I thought M390 was supposed to be ... pretty much... better S90V. I just haven't seen it in my usage, in the knives I have the two in.

beachmaster said:
It's brand new. Essentially Bohlers version of modern Vasco steels like 1v/ ztuff/ cd1.
Considerably more toughness than 3v but with edge holding more like A2 or something.

I'll break some 1v soon, we will see how that goes.
Click to expand...
I'm interested!

beachmaster said:
Thinner edges, higher hardnesses if people want, thinner stock thickness, or just simply higher toughness- there are TONS of applications especially if sharpening is easy but they likely won't become successful in the market because muH edGe hOLdiNg

I have murdered some wonderfully made 3v that was just a hair too thin bte. If k888 can go thinner bte and hold up performance increases- edGe geo cuts, edGe holdings is for cardboard boxes
Click to expand...
Um...errr.... that's me, to a T... for small knives. Like, 4" and under.
 
hydeinmind said:
Yeah, but, those were probably soft bolts though 😁


A Busse blade that can bend 180 degrees without breaking and cut concrete and steel bolts in half! Who knew? LOL 😂🤣....... 👊
Click to expand...
* It is not only about bending 180 degrees without breaking. It is about doing that while having a homogenous hardness of 62 HRC and 5% carbide volume in the steel matrix.

* It is not only about cutting concrete. It is about doing those impacts, with a long enough blade to generate enormous impact velocity, and without chipping, while having 5% carbide volume and a homogenous hardness of RC 62.

Achieving similar toughness with a low-carbide steel, or at lower hardness, is not a big deal. Achieving that with a steel that has better wear resistance than D2 - yes, it is a big deal. It is surprising regardless of the company name.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top