PM 2; S110v or K390

I just got a Cruwear PM2 (not the micarta version) and I'm excited to see how it performs. Kudos to Spyderco for releasing production models in these great steels.
 
Could somebody please tell me about Cruwear and how it compares to other steels? I’m all about a PM 2 in Micarta.
 
Lenny said:
Could somebody please tell me about Cruwear and how it compares to other steels? I’m all about a PM 2 in Micarta.
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I'm not an expert.
Cruwear is a favorite of mine.
It's Tool steel comparable to rex 45.
A little less edge retention than rex.
 
Lenny said:
Could somebody please tell me about Cruwear and how it compares to other steels? I’m all about a PM 2 in Micarta.
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Cruwear and K390 are both carbon steels that will patina, maybe rust, under certain conditions. They are pretty far off in terms of performance- Cruwear is prioritized for toughness but is not the best for edgeholding, K390 is prioritized for edge holding but isn't very tough. I think the properties of Cruwear are good for the PM2. I've read of several people who have broken blades in S110V and Maxamet- they would be better off with Cruwear.
 
bdmicarta said:
Cruwear and K390 are both carbon steels that will patina, maybe rust, under certain conditions. They are pretty far off in terms of performance- Cruwear is prioritized for toughness but is not the best for edgeholding, K390 is prioritized for edge holding but isn't very tough. I think the properties of Cruwear are good for the PM2. I've read of several people who have broken blades in S110V and Maxamet- they would be better off with Cruwear.
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Id say you’re pretty off with your assessment of k390. It’s plenty tough.

 
K390's toughness is fine. Mine is reground to somewhere between 8 - 10 thousandths behind the edge. Cut some cardboard and popped zip ties with it the other day and it didn't flinch.
 
After my current running with maxamet is getting a bad reputation

This shit is fantabulous... factory it had flaking on first sharpening I couldn't replicate, I've dropped it on its tip no issues

Tomorrow I'll take it to my work where it'll see plenty of zip ties followed by having to be able to cut thin plastic/ paper non stop where I think it will excel

I'll get a k390 and cru pm2 to test next
 
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anycal said:
Both. May be a while before the Micarta comes out. I have mine on preorder.

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Is that lagunitas??? Great drink !
 
TenGrainBread said:
When people say "give it a patina to protect against corrosion", that's a really vague statement. You can use a chemical agent or vinegar to promote the formation of black oxide on the blade surface, which is a stable oxide that gives a little bit of protection from rust (red oxide) to the steel underneath. Some "patinas" are not black oxide but just mild forms of oxidation that are not really protective.
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Yeah, or you can just paste wax it before it patinas or rusts. I keep all mine looking just the same as my stainless knives. It takes about 3 or 4 minutes to coat the knife and another minute to wipe it off. It looks better than when it was new because the wax micropolishes stuff off you couldn't see and it gets shiny and pretty. It looks better to me than any rust/patina.
 
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The Mastiff said:
Yeah, or you can just paste wax it before it patinas or rusts. I keep all mine looking just the same as my stainless knives. It takes about 3 or 4 minutes to coat the knife and another minute to wipe it off. It looks better than when it was new because the wax micropolishes stuff off you couldn't see and it gets shiny and pretty. It looks better to me than any rust/patina.
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Paste wax? How do I do that or is there a brand?
 
Mendizamike89 said:
Paste wax? How do I do that or is there a brand?
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I use Rennisance wax. It's designed for old swords and knives and used by some museums for preservation of old metal objects. The cleaning action does almost as well as Flix but Flix does better with real heavy tarnish obviously. Use a clean cloth and make sure it doesn't trap any grit as that causes scratches. I'm not sure if it's the best product for knives used in food prep and think plain beeswax would be safer for that. I bought mine at Knifecenter though most of the knife stores carry it now. One can lasts a long time. Make sure the blade is clean and free of corrosive stuff before sealing it. With Renn wax I can store knives in leather sheaths for a few months without worrying about tarnish. Good luck and welcome to Bladeforums.
 
The Mastiff said:
I use Rennisance wax.
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I tried Ren wax on my M4 blades and it didn't seem to help much. I experimented with some carbon steel nails and found that something like Birchwood Casey Sheath worked much better. I know that lots of people do these tests have their favorite protectant so use what you like best.

Back to the subject- I have a PM2 in S110V and one in K390. I like the K390 best because I think the PM2 design deserves steels with more toughness. I also have a couple in M4. However the S110V version is easier to get and most users will like the corrosion resistance.
 
One is tough and one is very stainless. It depends on what you need.

Corrosion resistance matters to me for EDC, at least in the summer when the humidity creeps up and sweat becomes a fact of life. Since I don't love the idea of keeping three-season knives in my EDC rotation, even steels like D2 and XHP have largely lost their appeal.
 
Skar said:
I'm not an expert.
Cruwear is a favorite of mine.
It's Tool steel comparable to rex 45.
A little less edge retention than rex.
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Huh, so REX 45 is reasonably tough? I was under the impression it was a tad brittler for some reason.
 
Hashishiin said:
Huh, so REX 45 is reasonably tough? I was under the impression it was a tad brittler for some reason.
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Rex is supposedly more brittle than cruwear and hap 40.
Hence supposedly better edge retention.

IME Cruwear and hap 40 perform better than Rex 45 because I have experienced micro chipping in Rex 45.
 
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