Cpm 3v real use advantages?

The Mastiff said:
Usually higher wear resistance will mean less toughness in a steel. 3V does a pretty good job of balancing both due to the composition as well as the powder process. The fact that it gives near stainless levels of corrosion resistance all in the same package is amazing. Or was amazing compared to knife steels 10 years ago. It's true there are some other really well balanced knife steels available now so maybe 3V seems less amazing than it did.

Cobalt, I have seen Cruwear run at rc 64-65. It has some similarities to a HSS and can do well at rc 64-64.5 not losing as much toughness as 3V comparatively speaking. I like 4V too and I figured I am going to have all 3 steels instead of having to choose just one. My ultra thin Cruwear Phil Wilson at Rc 64.5 does rope and cardboard like much higher alloyed steels yet retains better edge stability than the steels that pull ahead of it in that kind of work like the 20CV/M390, Elmax, etc.

My Vandis 4E ( 4V sister) fixed at rc 59 is like a wear resistant pry bar and my Big Chris fixed 4V at rc 63.5 is an all around performer with great wear resistance yet a bit less corrosion resistance than the rc 59 Vandis 4E blade. Different heat treats in the same steels produce different levels on the steels attributes of course.

All of them ( 3V, Cruwear, 4V, V 4E) are great performing steels that can be tailored to different purposes. If forced to any of them could make me a " one knife for the rest of my life" if that tragedy actually was forced on me. :)
There again so could a few other steels.

Joe
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For me, if a maker is using a tough steel, then take it to the highest Rc that it remains tougher than comparable std steels. Otherwise, what's the point. I am not going to chop or baton a tree with it. I am going to cut and cut and cut. If I ever get to the point where I have to use a folder for things that a fixed blade is more suited to, I have much, much bigger problems.
 
TRfromMT said:
I have for some time thought I'd like to have a folder in 3V to try out, as this is my favorite fixed blade steel. Up to this point, M4 is my favorite carbon steel for folders. The problem is folders in 3V are not terribly common.

Through just a matter of sheer coincidence, I have a Medford Infraction in 3V and a Spyderco Manix 2 in 4V coming tomorrow. Two completely different geometries, and neither one of them particularly "geometrically optimized" for the steel (one is pretty thick, the other is a hollow grind, so the Spydie is probably closer starting point). I plan to see how each holds up in my regular use.

I have had a few knives in S35VN (CRKs, Hinderers) and was disappointed that neither edge held up great under normal use. I was cutting some foil-backed insulation board at work. The foil is is very much just like heavy duty Reynolds Wrap - very thin. I was shocked at how much both Hinderer's and CRK's edges were very quickly dinged up. I plan to do similar cutting with the new knives and see what the difference is. It's all very unscientific, but a "regular guy doing regular cutting" is all I'm after. Do I need 3V in a folder? No. But that's not the point, after all :D.
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I would definitely be interested to hear your thoughts on the performance of the 3v medford, my interest in 3v is mostly based around being able to cut and chop into hard surfaces without affecting the edge, I don't know if the benefits would be needed in daily task but its more about just wanting an extra tough knife that i can have fu doing stupid things with and not worry about damaging the edge. Unfortunately I haven't found much testing that shows what someone can expect from the steel since most internet blade steel testing is on edge retention.
 
"For me, if a maker is using a tough steel, then take it to the highest Rc that it remains tougher than comparable std steels. Otherwise, what's the point. I am not going to chop or baton a tree with it. I am going to cut and cut and cut. If I ever get to the point where I have to use a folder for things that a fixed blade is more suited to, I have much, much bigger problems."

I'm with you on that. As long as it doesn't lose too much of the other attributes the hardness should be to the point where performance is maximized. That is the good thing about customs. We can select steel and hardness to suit the applications the knife is used for. I believe in carrying another knife for other things rather than compromising to try and make one knife for all purposes.

Joe
 
M4 is better for folders IMO. High hardness with an edge strong enough to survive staples and such and it sharpens about the same as 3v(on diamond stone). 3v is about right for fixed blades but for how I use fixed blades I don’t really need 3v. I feel fancy with 52100. :D
 
McFeeli said:
The only blade I own in 3V is a relatively thick machete(by machete standards), done by Big Chris. I got it secondhand so I have no problem absolutely abusing it. First experience with the steel has been excellent. I use it like I would a large chopper or at some instances an axe or hatchet. And like a machete, of course. It’s incredible.

I always thought, yeah 3V is tough but it’s just a steel. No real reason for people to get as excited about it as they do. Hell, I was wrong. It’s pretty spectacular. I love that machete and 3V. I don’t think I’d need it in a folder, or even a smaller fixed blade(I’d rather have CruWear or 4V), but a large fixed blade is where it’s best suited and would probably be my first choice of steel for such a blade.

I swung through some briars a bit too fast and hit a shovel I had a little closer to the cutting path than it should have been. No chip, no rolling, no damage whatsoever on the machete, but I did leave a pretty significant mark on the shovel.

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That is a beautiful blade.
 
W. Anderson said:
That is a beautiful blade.
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Thanks! It’s an absolute joy to use. If I ever push it beyond it’s limits and somehow break it, unlikely I know, I’m going to hang it on my wall, haha. It’s one of the toughest SOBs I’ve ever wielded, and definitely one of my favorites.
 
I have a 3V Master Tanto, which I’ve used to puncture tires, plane a door, chop up a fallen tree, and break oversized zip ties. I like that I can use it with basically reckless abandon and not cause it appreciable damage.

I did absolutely botch a sharpening job on it, but it still works despite looking kind of awful now.
 
ribeyemediumrare said:
I would definitely be interested to hear your thoughts on the performance of the 3v medford, my interest in 3v is mostly based around being able to cut and chop into hard surfaces without affecting the edge, I don't know if the benefits would be needed in daily task but its more about just wanting an extra tough knife that i can have fu doing stupid things with and not worry about damaging the edge. Unfortunately I haven't found much testing that shows what someone can expect from the steel since most internet blade steel testing is on edge retention.
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The Infraction arrived today, and it may possibly have one of the worst factory edges I have ever personally encountered. It was only moderately sharp (not in and of itself unpardonable), but it was full of microchips from tip to heel. The prior owner said the edge was unused. So I will assume it came that way from the factory (the PDV coating is 100% mint, looks completely unused). So either testing it on paper caused it, or it came that way.

Anyway, an hour on the wicked edge at 20DPS and it is all laser-like (I think it was a couple degrees more obtuse than this to start, maybe 22-23DPS), and ready to rock. It will get pocket time for a few weeks. I may do a review in the review section.
 
I love 3V.
But only on big blades or small bomb proof blades. Makes no sense of a folder.

It makes an excellent nearly bomb proof chopper at 59-60HRC (59.5) and you can really give it hell. Hold a great edge too. Now it's no crazy high carbide steel but edge holding is pretty good. So if I were to take a knife out into the woods for a week and survive with it for a week I would use 3V.
59.5HRC would be great but i know what the steel can take at 61HRC with the low temper. So I would likely use the higher rockwell, it's still very tough, and the edge stability is actually higher (less mushy) and has better edge holding and better corrosion resistance. Its not as good as the Delta HT unfortunately but it's still spectacular.

I've made knifes in all sizes with it, and it will be used in all my big knives. The small knives I've made with it have shown excellent edge holding too even with rough use. Great stuff. But still for a folder I would go for edge holding. So 4v or Zwear/cruwear for me. (Zwear is spectacular. Did some testing at 63HRC with a 5.5 inch blade camp knife full convexed at a quarter inch thick. Loved it)
 
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