CPM S90V in wood processing performance

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Polamalu

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how is S90V comparable to m390 or elmax? im getting mixed opinions upon searching its toughness. aside from it having a great edge retention whats the toughness like? people say it chips out easily, some people say it wont chip since its a pm steel? is s90v good for outdoor use
 
S90V would probably be the last thing that I would pick for a wood processing knife. It is good for other outdoorsy things, like hunting or skinning though.
 
it would handle those tasks just fine given the grind and ht are suited for it. a high alloy steel doesn't really shine in this area though, and is technically more brittle than most litter wear steels.
 
goodeyesniper said:
it would handle those tasks just fine given the grind and ht are suited for it. a high alloy steel doesn't really shine in this area though, and is technically more brittle than most litter wear steels.
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Some people say it chips and brittle but since it's a crucible steel don't you think it's less likely to chip since the carbides or grains are so close to one another?
 
that's not exactly how it works. if there was a non pm version of the same steel, then maybe the pm version would be finer grained than it. but compared to your typical, good carbon steel these big carbide steels are inherently more brittle.

they're still steel, and not glass, you could definitely get away with it, but the strengths and weaknesses of this steel don't line up with batoning and wood work. just seems like a waste of expensive steel, IMO. this stuff will really shine if you do a lot of skinning of game, cutting card board etc
 
I have a fixed blade in S90V but I have never done any battoning with it. Email Big Chris, I believe he has and also has quite a bit of experiance with it in general. Im sure he can answer any questions you have. Its not as bad to sharpen as people say though, I spent a good amount of time trying to get mine dull and it sharpened up in just a few swipes on the strop (loaded with diamond paste).
 
I think its a case of choosing the right tool for the job. There is always a trade-off with steels. Edge retention over super toughness, rust resistance over corrosion. You have to pick your poison. I usually take two or three knives with me when I roll out camping. I have a Gossman UFK in S90V and my Gransfors small forest axe. These will cover pretty much anything I need. That said, I am not a bushcraft guy, so if you want something for that, I would say you need to shoot for a specific bushcraft knife.

If you want ONE knife to do everything and are keen on a super steel I would probably opt for CPM-M4. That gives you toughness and incredible edge retention. But you have to remember to keep it clean. I very often forget to clean my knife after using it which is why I opted for a stainless steel and S90V is one of the best stainless steels out there! I would say you would NOT be any worse off with M390 or Elmax though. Dont forget the heat treat is also critical. My S90V knife is not treated to a very high rockwell, so its not as brittle.
 
Like any steel it has limitations that can be exceeded. Don't thin the edge too much then work it too hard or it will have problems like any other steel.
Impact Toughness
CPM S90V offers higher impact toughness than 440C at
comparable hardnesses.
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http://www.crucible.com/PDFs%5CDataSheets2010%5CdsS90v1%202010.pdf

D2 and M390 are about 3 pounds higher ( 19 lbs vs 22 lbs) at around rc 58 ish so that isn't substantially tougher. S90V is about midway between 440c and D2/M390. They are all pretty close IMO. Not much to brag about either way. The thickness and angle will make more of a difference in comparing 440C, S90V, and M390.
 
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The knife Big Chris made me in S90V has done very well with making shavings. I'm pretty careful not to pry out huge chunks when I whittle so I can't say how well the steel would do in that regard. He sharpened it very well and it's pretty thin so it glides through most of the wood without too much muscling. I'm also using woods on the softer end of the spectrum for the most part. Dried white oak, hard maple, locust, hornbeam or osage might be more of a challenge.

This particular knife is only about 3" in blade length so I've never tried batoning it.
 
There was a misconception before that m390 is a brittle steel and I remember seeing the owner of survive knives doing some abuse on the m390 without having big chunks of chips being that steel is perceived as "brittle" . My question is considering gso 4.1s blade geometry and heat treat, will it withstand that same abuse? To be clear I'm not going to do that with any of my knives. although it's comforting to know that your knife can withstand those type of abuse.
 
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