3V vs. INFI

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BBQ BOY

BBQ BOY

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I just curious as to how 3V stacks up against INFI. Edge retention, which one takes a better edge, edge durability (resistance to chips and roiling) and lateral strength, which INFO may have the upper hand.
 
In my experience 3V is harder to sharpen and much more brittle by comparison.
 
I've got a Fehrman First Strike, it was one of the early ones. Its been one of the best knives I have in its size range.

My Steel Heart E and it have gone toe to toes with neither one taking the lead in edge holding, wear resistance, and toughness.

3V is, according to the specs slightly less in all categories. But under normal, even borderline abuse, you wont be able to tell the difference. You really have to go above and beyond to see how INFI excels.
 
under most conditions they will perform similarly. Both are excellent steels, tough as hell. 3v, like D2 is very dependent on a proper heat treatment. All 3v knives are NOT equal. Fehrman, like Busse has a very extensive heat treatment process that makes his steel excellent. 3v is more stain prone than infi, and a bit harder to sharpen in my experience. Cliff Stamp had some old tests about the 3v edge chipping out while chopping on frozen wood, but just about any knife will be damaged by doing the same.

You can't go wrong with either, but the stain resistance and ease of field sharpening tip the scales toward INFI in my opinion.
 
Heh, depends on where you ask... Ask this in General and the Busse haters will flock to the thread to tell you how 3v is better in every way.

My experience has been that INFI has better stain resistance where 3v has slightly better wear resistance (better edge retention). Very slightly, and that is for normal INFI heat treat... I think my BAD with its higher hardness holds edge as well or better than my best 3v knife. In a real scientific comparison I could easily be proven wrong though, as they seem so close.

As far as toughness, based on INFI's rolling/bending and the things I have seen about 3v chipping out, I feel like INFI is probably a little tougher.

Both are great steels, and while it is true that 3v really varies based on heat treat I'd say INFI is probably the same way... fortunately the only guy who gets to use it knows how to heat treat it. ;)

3v is on my short list of steels that I really like from other makers, though. Just bought a ZT0100 yesterday, infact.
 
I have a few 3v knives. They can be difficult to sharpen but when everything is done right 3v takes and holds an unbeleivable edge. For me that sharpness is the only area where it is better than infi but even here the difference is not so great that I would choose 3v over infi. Both are great steels. A problem with 3v is that if you are not careful it will rust and pit like nobody's business. You have to be careful how you use
3v while infi is wonderfully resistant to corrosion. I would choose infi most any day of the week :thumbup:(INFI)
 
When I use my Ferhman blades, I always carry a bit of wd-40 with me to wipe them down after use. Back at the house, the knives are then cleaned and properly oiled before being put away.

My Basic 9 which has travelled with me for many moons is of similar quality when compared to Ferman cutlery. All in all, I don't see much difference in the two steels. I would swear the two take a wicked edge with the nod in 'keen edge department" going to Eric's product.
 
kdstrick said:
under most conditions they will perform similarly. Both are excellent steels, tough as hell. 3v, like D2 is very dependent on a proper heat treatment. All 3v knives are NOT equal. Fehrman, like Busse has a very extensive heat treatment process that makes his steel excellent. 3v is more stain prone than infi, and a bit harder to sharpen in my experience. Cliff Stamp had some old tests about the 3v edge chipping out while chopping on frozen wood, but just about any knife will be damaged by doing the same.

You can't go wrong with either, but the stain resistance and ease of field sharpening tip the scales toward INFI in my opinion.
Click to expand...


Keeping in mind that this is single point data, it is not at all a good review of the 3V in this particular Fehrman knife,

http://web.archive.org/web/20060907113608/www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/knives/extreme_judgement.html
 
We already know that it's mostly the Busse heat treat that makes their steel special. INFI may have been tweaked to Jerry's exacting standards, but the older A-2 knives, not to mention the Swamp and Scrapyard, aren't held to any lower standards than INFI.

I have to wonder what Busse 3V would be like... (Drools)
 
Perhaps the boss should take this on as a challenge. I am new to the game but have heard the A2 blades were tough as hell. If I remember one of the first blades was D2. We know that 52100 and S7 steel have been brought to new levels of performance.

Since Jerry is always open to suggestion maybe he should start a MULE type program. See how far he can ring out current steels. Something thick like the ASH-1 and something thinner like an active duty each round.
 
this is the way i see it:

i like CPM3V because i know more about it. Crucible Industries has a great reputation and great quality control. i have no idea who makes INFI. where does it even come from? im pretty sure Jerry does not have is own foundry so he buys his barstock from somewhere. but i really dont know what mill he buys it from. if i knew it came from Crucible or Carpenter, then i know its a good product because i have faith in their products and i know they have great quality control. maybe he buys Infi from a bunch of University students, only Busse knows. if he has a patent on INFI or has contract with the mill then i dont think there is any harm in letting consumers know more about his super steel's origin. thats what i like as a collector, to research and gain knowledge.

I think part of Busse's marketing is to keep secrets and to create a level of mystery and a level of hype about this steel. that works for some, but i really dont like it. they typically rename common steels. SR-77 is S7. SR-101 is 52100. this makes me believe that INFI is a high quality tool steel with nitrogen introduced. this is not uncommon to put nitrogen in steel. metallurgists have been putting nitrogen in various tool steels for years and observed the effects. im curious if INFI has ever been sold under a different name or has had any application outside of knife making

i've never been one to buy snake oil or trade the cow for magic beans. i like knowing what i am buying. i didnt like SR-77 until i found out it was similar to S7- an excellent shock steel that is used for Jackhammer bits. same with SR-101, which is like 52100- a quality ball bearing steel. i know what i'm buying. maybe that's why i own Swamp Rats and Scrap Yards. i think the quality steels, the wonderful design, and the superb warranty is all that i really need. ill probably buy a Busse, but i might own one today if i knew more about INFI...

you know that feeling you get when you watch an infomercial and see the people on TV are over glorifying a chamois cloth? they say things like, "a super state-of-the-art absorbent space age material, developed by a team of scientist, using alien technology, to develop trillions of micro pockets that lock in fluid...."...i have no doubt that i am purchasing a quality product, but i like doing some fact checking on my own. i like to do price checking and see lab comparisons- but i cant with infi. i'm sure both steels are excellent, people will show you examples of their superiority and will testify to their quality, but sometimes you just want a quality product without a large mark up and a lot of hype.

Sorry, i bit of rant. you really cant go wrong if you are given a choice between the two steels. buy what ever knife you want. i would probably pay a similar price for a Busse if he used CPM3V and called it Invi.

tl;dr: IMHO, Infi is just costs too much. CPM3V performs without a ton of hype.
 
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Burdan said:
this is the way i see it:

i like CPM3V because i know more about it. Crucible Industries has a great reputation and great quality control. i have no idea who makes INFI. where does it even come from? im pretty sure Jerry does not have is own foundry so he buys his barstock from somewhere. but i really dont know what mill he buys it from. if i knew it came from Crucible or Carpenter, then i know its a good product because i have faith in their products and i know they have great quality control. maybe he buys Infi from a bunch of University students, only Busse knows. if he has a patent on INFI or has contract with the mill then i dont think there is any harm in letting consumers know more about his super steel's origin. thats what i like as a collector, to research and gain knowledge.

I think part of Busse's marketing is to keep secrets and to create a level of mystery and a level of hype about this steel. that works for some, but i really dont like it. they typically rename common steels. SR-77 is S7. SR-101 is 52100. this makes me believe that INFI is a high quality tool steel with nitrogen introduced. this is not uncommon to put nitrogen in steel. meteorologists have been putting nitrogen in various tool steels for years and observed the effects. im curious if INFI has ever been sold under a different name or has had any application outside of knife making

i've never been one to buy snake oil or trade the cow for magic beans. i like knowing what i am buying. i didnt like SR-77 until i found out it was similar to S7- an excellent shock steel that is used for Jackhammer bits. same with SR-101, which is like 52100- a quality ball bearing steel. i know what i'm buying. maybe that's why i own Swamp Rats and Scrap Yards. i think the quality steels, the wonderful design, and the superb warranty is all that i really need. ill probably buy a Busse, but i might own one today if i knew more about INFI...

you know that feeling you get when you watch an infomercial and see the people on TV are over glorifying a chamois cloth? they say things like, "a super state-of-the-art absorbent space age material, developed by a team of scientist, using alien technology, to develop trillions of micro pockets that lock in fluid...."...i have no doubt that i am purchasing a quality product, but i like doing some fact checking on my own. i like to do price checking and see lab comparisons- but i cant with infi. i'm sure both steels are excellent, people will show you examples of their superiority and will testify to their quality, but sometimes you just want a quality product without a large mark up and a lot of hype.

Sorry, i bit of rant. you really cant go wrong if you are given a choice between the two steels. buy what ever knife you want. i would probably pay a similar price for a Busse if he used CPM3V and called it Invi.

tl;dr: IMHO, Infi is just costs too much. CPM3V performs without a ton of hype.
Click to expand...


Oh boy....:eek:
 
Burdan said:
this is the way i see it:

i like CPM3V because i know more about it. Crucible Industries has a great reputation and great quality control. i have no idea who makes INFI. where does it even come from? im pretty sure Jerry does not have is own foundry so he buys his barstock from somewhere. but i really dont know what mill he buys it from. if i knew it came from Crucible or Carpenter, then i know its a good product because i have faith in their products and i know they have great quality control. maybe he buys Infi from a bunch of University students, only Busse knows. if he has a patent on INFI or has contract with the mill then i dont think there is any harm in letting consumers know more about his super steel's origin. thats what i like as a collector, to research and gain knowledge.

I think part of Busse's marketing is to keep secrets and to create a level of mystery and a level of hype about this steel. that works for some, but i really dont like it. they typically rename common steels. SR-77 is S7. SR-101 is 52100. this makes me believe that INFI is a high quality tool steel with nitrogen introduced. this is not uncommon to put nitrogen in steel. meteorologists have been putting nitrogen in various tool steels for years and observed the effects. im curious if INFI has ever been sold under a different name or has had any application outside of knife making

i've never been one to buy snake oil or trade the cow for magic beans. i like knowing what i am buying. i didnt like SR-77 until i found out it was similar to S7- an excellent shock steel that is used for Jackhammer bits. same with SR-101, which is like 52100- a quality ball bearing steel. i know what i'm buying. maybe that's why i own Swamp Rats and Scrap Yards. i think the quality steels, the wonderful design, and the superb warranty is all that i really need. ill probably buy a Busse, but i might own one today if i knew more about INFI...

you know that feeling you get when you watch an infomercial and see the people on TV are over glorifying a chamois cloth? they say things like, "a super state-of-the-art absorbent space age material, developed by a team of scientist, using alien technology, to develop trillions of micro pockets that lock in fluid...."...i have no doubt that i am purchasing a quality product, but i like doing some fact checking on my own. i like to do price checking and see lab comparisons- but i cant with infi. i'm sure both steels are excellent, people will show you examples of their superiority and will testify to their quality, but sometimes you just want a quality product without a large mark up and a lot of hype.

Sorry, i bit of rant. you really cant go wrong if you are given a choice between the two steels. buy what ever knife you want. i would probably pay a similar price for a Busse if he used CPM3V and called it Invi.

tl;dr: IMHO, Infi is just costs too much. CPM3V performs without a ton of hype.
Click to expand...

Five posts in the six months you've been registered, and you decide to whack a hornet's nest like this?

Sure seems like trolling to me to come to a manufacturer's forum and call their signature steel "snake oil".

INFI does what it does. It's been used, abused, and tested repeatedly. That's all of the lab info I need.
 
Burdan said:
this is the way i see it:

i like CPM3V because i know more about it. Crucible Industries has a great reputation and great quality control. i have no idea who makes INFI. where does it even come from? im pretty sure Jerry does not have is own foundry so he buys his barstock from somewhere. but i really dont know what mill he buys it from. if i knew it came from Crucible or Carpenter, then i know its a good product because i have faith in their products and i know they have great quality control. maybe he buys Infi from a bunch of University students, only Busse knows. if he has a patent on INFI or has contract with the mill then i dont think there is any harm in letting consumers know more about his super steel's origin. thats what i like as a collector, to research and gain knowledge.

I think part of Busse's marketing is to keep secrets and to create a level of mystery and a level of hype about this steel. that works for some, but i really dont like it. they typically rename common steels. SR-77 is S7. SR-101 is 52100. this makes me believe that INFI is a high quality tool steel with nitrogen introduced. this is not uncommon to put nitrogen in steel. meteorologists have been putting nitrogen in various tool steels for years and observed the effects. im curious if INFI has ever been sold under a different name or has had any application outside of knife making

i've never been one to buy snake oil or trade the cow for magic beans. i like knowing what i am buying. i didnt like SR-77 until i found out it was similar to S7- an excellent shock steel that is used for Jackhammer bits. same with SR-101, which is like 52100- a quality ball bearing steel. i know what i'm buying. maybe that's why i own Swamp Rats and Scrap Yards. i think the quality steels, the wonderful design, and the superb warranty is all that i really need. ill probably buy a Busse, but i might own one today if i knew more about INFI...

you know that feeling you get when you watch an infomercial and see the people on TV are over glorifying a chamois cloth? they say things like, "a super state-of-the-art absorbent space age material, developed by a team of scientist, using alien technology, to develop trillions of micro pockets that lock in fluid...."...i have no doubt that i am purchasing a quality product, but i like doing some fact checking on my own. i like to do price checking and see lab comparisons- but i cant with infi. i'm sure both steels are excellent, people will show you examples of their superiority and will testify to their quality, but sometimes you just want a quality product without a large mark up and a lot of hype.

Sorry, i bit of rant. you really cant go wrong if you are given a choice between the two steels. buy what ever knife you want. i would probably pay a similar price for a Busse if he used CPM3V and called it Invi.

tl;dr: IMHO, Infi is just costs too much. CPM3V performs without a ton of hype.
Click to expand...


"Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and short term forecasting."

I think you meant:

Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys.
 
WOW! This post should go over well.

Probably be a good idea to head over to the chris reeve forum next and let him know that S30V and S35VN are crap as well. I know Crucible makes it but I am sure he would be impressed being told the steel he designed is junk.
 
Calm down folks.. Anyone who now feels the need to get rid of their INFI, just PM me and I will dispose of it properly.
 
Alright, I don't post much stop by often and read. From what I know, you guys are a good group of guys. So, I think that we should give Burdan a bit of latitude before we jump on him about his post. He did not say that Infi was crap, on the contrary he said it's probably an excellent steel.

The OP asked the how Infi compares to 3V. Burdan gave his input that while users can give testament to the performance of Infi vs. 3V, it is difficult to compare the two when we don't know the composition of one of the steels. Burdan's frustration stems from the fact that he can't "pop the hood" on Infi and get a better idea what goes into Infi. I can see where he is coming from.

That being said, I have a Fehrman First Strike in 3V and a handful of blades in Infi. I think I've pushed both steels hard. Infi seems to hold a better edge to me and rolls where I've seen 3V chip. Other than that, Infi seems to resist rust a bit better. But, unless one has two blades (one in 3V and one in Infi) with identical geometries and tested in a controlled environment, experiences may vary. Even then, we can only generalize the performance of the steels for the given parameters of the test.
 
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