Let’s talk about S35VN

M4, K390, or 10v. Any and all would work. I'm with you - I do enjoy the wear and color on a good tool steel. Add that to the character titanium gets and it would be unreal.
Might as well go all in. A tool steel Damascus blade, bead blast Ti handles, and cast iron back spacer, with leather lanyard.

:D
 
Ha! Let’s just say I learned I don’t need s110 for my uses at work

So...what did you do with your S110V? Post mortem description of event and causes? I usually have S110V with me, but I never have really put it to hard use. Hence why S35VN usually works for me.
 
So...what did you do with your S110V? Post mortem description of event and causes? I usually have S110V with me, but I never have really put it to hard use. Hence why S35VN usually works for me.
I was stripping some THHN wire. It was either 250mcm or 3/0, don’t remember which one. It was a good length (think I was hooking ground rods) and it chipped on me. Perfect little notch popped out of the cutting edge. Had a lot of microchipping in the other s110v knife i was using as well
 
A Sebenza in CPM M4 would be my grail. The edge holding of that steel really impresses me. I might be weird, but I like the blemishes and blotches that appear on the steel.

M4, K390, or 10v. Any and all would work. I'm with you - I do enjoy the wear and color on a good tool steel. Add that to the character titanium gets and it would be unreal.
I'm curious as to why you two are so excited over m4 compared to s30v? Especially considering CRK is infamous for running their steels soft, I'm not sure what would really change. When the empirical evidence from threads like this: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/i-tested-the-edge-retention-of-48-steels.1726279/ show even at lowest heat treatments, s30v offers similar edge retention to m4 and s30v overall outperforms m4 in edge retention. Seems your issue lies more with CRK's POU for their HT, than the steel itself?
 
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I'm curious as to why you two are so excited over m4 compared to s30v? When the empirical evidence from threads like this: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/i-tested-the-edge-retention-of-48-steels.1726279/ show even at lowest heat treatments, s30v offers similar edge retention to m4 and s30v overall outperforms m4 in edge retention.
Whether it’s the heat treat, the steel, or the edge geometry, I don’t know, but my Spyderco Gayle Bradley GB1 in CPM M4 holds an edge better than any knife I own. Not just by a little bit, but by a noticeable amount. It may not on paper, but in real use it’s exceptional. So maybe I should qualify and say I want a M4 Sebenza heat-treated by Spyderco. Regardless.....I can’t tell much difference between S30 or S35VN, but M4 is a whole different level. The downside for some is it is not stainless and blemishes readily. I actually like this as well, as I like the truly well-used, truly worn, and well-loved esthetic. The blade developing character adds to that for me.
 
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Whether it’s the heat treat, the steel, or the edge geometry, I don’t know, but my Spyderco Gayle Bradley GB1 holds an edge better than any knife I one. Not just by a little bit, but by a noticeable amount. So maybe I should quality and say I want a M4 Sebenza heat-treated by Spyderco. Regardless.....I can’t tell much difference between S30 or S35VN, but M4 is a whole different level. The downside for some is it is not stainless and blemished readily. I actually like this as well, as I like the truly well-used, truly worn, and well-loved esthetic. The blade developing character adds to that for me.
I edited my previous post, to surmise your issue is actually with CRK's POU HT rather than the steel itself. Which your post would seem to confirm. Also, I would suggest reading the study as it shows M4 is actually is "Hardly a "whole different level". As m4 on-par with s30v that has a lower HT, but s30v out outperforms it by a solid margin at higher HT...
 
I edited my previous post, to surmise your issue is actually with CRK's POU HT rather than the steel itself. Which your post would seem to confirm. Also, I would suggest reading the study as it shows M4 is actually is "Hardly a "whole different level". As m4 on-par with s30v that has a lower HT, but s30v out outperforms it by a solid margin at higher HT...
I have several s30V knives from Spyderco as well. I have a PM2 in S30V, a Sage in S30V, and a Native in S35VN. Those knives also do not exhibit the same edge holding as the Gayle Bradley. Like I said, I have no way of determining exactly what makes that knife so good at staying sharp, but it is above and beyond my other Spyderco’s, including my Southard in CTS 204P.

Id like to think the choice of M4 has something to do with it, but maybe it’s something else.
 
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An anecdote I’ll add. I typically use a sharpmaker and strop to sharpen my knives. I use my knives fairly hard so use the tried-and-true 40 degree inclusive setting. My Gayle Bradley was so great at edge retention, that I decided to push it to 30 degrees inclusive to see if I could get away with that. It took a few nights watching TV on the brown rods before I could finish the reprofile (would never do that again) due to the wear resistance of the M4. The knife’s edge holding is no worse, and the cutting performance is of course much better at 30 degrees. I experienced one tiny chip, but other than that, good to go. If we got a Sebenza in M4 I’m pretty sure you could run the same profile while keeping a working edge.

That’s my dream at least.
 
I'm curious as to why you two are so excited over m4 compared to s30v? Especially considering CRK is infamous for running their steels soft, I'm not sure what would really change. When the empirical evidence from threads like this: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/i-tested-the-edge-retention-of-48-steels.1726279/ show even at lowest heat treatments, s30v offers similar edge retention to m4 and s30v overall outperforms m4 in edge retention. Seems your issue lies more with CRK's POU for their HT, than the steel itself?

M4 is more exciting because of it's composition and edge stability. I like tool steels in general due to the composition of carbides rather than the chromium carbides that stainless is rich in.
https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/10/12/what-is-the-future-of-stainless-knife-steel-design/

CRK has upped their heat treat and it always tests on the higher side when it's rockwell tested. When they ran it up to 59 it hit 59 and now that they run it to 60 it hits 60 in the cases that I've seen. Other production knives seem to vary a bit more.
 
For the first time, I feel like I have an advantage being left handed in the knife world! I thought I was grabbing a PJ 21 insingo before it was too late, but quickly realized its pretty much free rein for lefties right now.
Seriously. CRK spontaneously threw a lefty hoorah and it’s a good time to be a southpaw!
 
This is exactly where I'm at. If CRK would produce a Sebenza in a tool steel it would be my last folder. Since they don't s35vn is fine.
It’s the only departure that really makes sense to me. 3V Sebenza. Enter drool emoji.
 
Why is the HRC so low? Do we really have to wait a few years for complaints to get it bumped up?
 
Why is the HRC so low? Do we really have to wait a few years for complaints to get it bumped up?

Not speaking for CRK but just my experience.

I have ran 12C27 at 60HRC and had complaints of it being too hard. M390 and N690 at 62 and also complaints sometimes.

Majority of people do not know or have the tools we have here on the forums to always sharpen the steels we like.

Maybe, just maybe CRKs sales to the public whom are not on the forum are their biggest market and such want a balance between toughness and shape ability.

Sure having a high HRC and thin grind would minimise sharpening, however I do not think a production company would do that. So you get a thicker grind. Lower HRC to up sharpening ease.

Just spit balling here and a lot of guessing.

That being said. A CRK in RWL or Nitrobe or A2 or CPM-M4 at high HRC would be my dream would be my dream.

As for the topic at hand. I have limited experience with S35VN in my 31 but it keeps an edge, dulls, I sharpen it and repeat as all steels.
 
Spyderco will do a CPM 15V folder (possibly a Military), these great steels are not unobtanium.
 
I am not a very knowledgeable person when it comes to some of the steels mentioned in this thread and while I am waiting for a Mnandi to be delivered I have had some experience with CRK S35v. I have owned and sold a Mnandi (I really regret that one), a small plain Jane Insingo and a small Starbenza, all in S35v blade steel. I guess I don’t don’t see the benefit of something really abrasion resistant like S110v or some of the other supersteels. I use a Worksharp or Spyderco ceramic benchstones for sharpening my knives and I have never had any issues with S30v from Spyderco and Benchmade or S35v from CRK.

Maybe coming from Traditional slipjoint knives for the last few years where they use 1095 or in the case of one of my favorite knives, D2 steel from Queen cutlery has changed my expectations on what to expect from a knife. I have read accounts of how some of these supersteels chip if they hit anything hard and require diamond stones to sharpen the edge. No thank you. I want something that is easy to maintain, cuts well and doesn’t take diamond benchstones to put and edge on it.

Maybe I am just lazy and don’t want the hassle of maintaining some of these super steels.

Just my opinion.
 
Sorry, I did not read the majority of the posts, but I too like many others on here including Dcdavis Dcdavis use my knives all day everyday, cutting just about everything, and I can really appreciate CRK and the steel/HT that they use.

Yes, they are really sharp straight off the edge pro, could probably cut atoms, but after a little use, they get a "working edge" which lasts for what seems like decades. Sure it'll rip a little when trying to open envelopes or something delicate, but they'll cut for days and days on end. I think that's what part of the appeal is. You get a great working knife with a great working edge.

I have a few m390 and 20cv and other "super steels" and they all do the same, most chip and some roll (save for this recent sham kick ive been on the m390 they have acts similar to the s35vn of crk), but the crk and s35vn hits that "working edge" stage and just coasts with it. I swear I could go atleast a year without sharpening.

The one thing to note is I too do not cut cardboard with my work knife because that seems to be the #1 thing that really dulls up and edge in a hurry. If I avoid cardboard my knives working edges last and last.

Your mileage will vary, but that's what I've found
 
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