CRK Heat Treat

What do ya think?

  • Good where it's at 58-59 hrc

    Votes: 1 100.0%

  • Needs to be hardened to atleast 59 hrc

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Needs to change back to BG42

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    1
S

SteelSnob

Joined
Sep 7, 2009
Messages
3,059
Am I the only one that wants to see CRK make their S30V in the folders harder? I just got a Mnandi and the hardest use it's seen is one small cardboard boxand the edge is reflecting light and I have had to resharpen a couple times in less than a week of owning it. I mean I love CRK but this area needs some improvement.
 
I like a little edge rolling over edge chipping which I find can be the case with harder rc levels. Overall, I am happy with the s30v personally
 
They could make it harder fer sure. Glad I'm not the only one that thinks this. Cheers.
 
I think they should go back to BG42, I haven't had to touch up my small Regular BG42 in a looooong time. This little knife keeps an edge forever!
 
I regret not being a knut while the BG-42 was in circulation, but I'm reasonably happy with Reeve's S30V as well. It looses the hair-splitting edge faster than I'd like, but that's a small price to pay for less chipping. The functional edge stays put pretty much forever anyhow.
 
Never once has any of my S30V Spydercos chipped or rolled and they're half the price. I'm sure CRK could make it harder without being chippy if Spyderco can.
 
safetyman said:
I think they should go back to BG42, I haven't had to touch up my small Regular BG42 in a looooong time. This little knife keeps an edge forever!
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Same here; my BG-42 keeps cutting, and cutting, and cutting...awesome performance :thumbup: I'd like the S30V to be at ~59 RHC, personnally.
 
I would also like to see it a bit harder...thats pretty much my only complaint about the sebenza...pretty minor, but still...
 
I voted that its " Good where it's at 58-59 hrc ". Chris helped develop S30V steel and he certainly knows more about knives, steel, hardness than Any of us ever will. I do like BG-42, but I do not ever see them going back to it. CRK evolves. At the time, ATS-34 was the best and they made knives in it, later BG-42 was the premium steel, they made knives in that. Wanting to better BG-42, Chris developed S30V. Whats the next "Super Steel " ??? I am sure it will be something Chris will Thoroughly test and if He feels its better than S30V, look for him to go in that direction.

I have had no issues at all with my many CRK in S30V. NO knife will hold an edge forever. I have read where many say they "Only" cut cardboard with their S30V !!! Cardboard is an edge killer for ANY knife. You can have a knife shaving sharp, cut some cardboard with it and it takes that shaving edge off in no time. I have tried many steels over the years and I have found S30V to be one the best. The Only S30V I have is CRK and they have performed quite well for me. I have not had any chipping issues or edge rolling issues at all. The only time I have had edge rolling " wire edge " was from cheap knives OR knives not sharpened properly, None of them CRK. I know its tough to make everyone happy. When BG-42 was the norm, I am sure people wanted to change it, or thought they knew how to make it better. Now that its gone the way of the dodo, many want it back. CRK will get no complaints from me.
 
safetyman said:
When I said, "my knife holds an edge forever" I didn't mean it literally...it was more of a metaphor meaning that it held its edge for a long time.
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I did not read every post and did not even see that until now. I was just stating an opinion and a fact, no harm intended...... I do think BG-42 holds a better edge and for longer by the way. But since its gone, I have found the S30V to be a good replacement and am happy with its performance and heat treat.
 
I don't want to give anyone the wrong idea. CRK makes the best folders around IMO. I've just been experiencing rolling. I put a thicker edge on it and tried some cardboard and it's ok. I was just used to putting the same thin edges on my S30V Spydercos and they didn't have any problems. Does that mean Spydercos are better? No because I look at the whole picture and overall IMO my CRKs are much better. I just bought my fourth CRK and I've never sold or traded one of them and I never will.
 
I experienced some chipping when the blade was new. It happened while cutting some zip ties. Once I fixed the edge up it has never happened since. Every so often I will pull out a wet stone and give it a touch up, but that is rare. However I do strop both EDC sebbies regularly and this keeps them both very keen and with a very good (sharp) working edge.

BTW, the chipping only happened once on one of my knives despite the fact that I cut through plenty of the hard plastic packaging tape that is used to keep multiple boxes together.

I also agree that cardboard does kill a good edge after a while. Personally I think the secret is to start with a good edge and keep it well honed by regularly stropping on leather.

My verdict is that CRK's S30V is fine.
 
I had no complaints about CRK S30V until I bought an old BG-42 Sebenza. I still don't have any complaints, but the BG-42 certainly holds an edge longer and seems as tough, at least in my use. I also guess that the direction this is headed is not harder S30V but S35VN (which has been working extremely well in the Spyderco Mule I'm using).

nyefmaker said:
I did not read every post and did not even see that until now. I was just stating an opinion and a fact, no harm intended...... I do think BG-42 holds a better edge and for longer by the way. But since its gone, I have found the S30V to be a good replacement and am happy with its performance and heat treat.
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I too voted stay where it's at. My Spyderco Sage3 S30V is harder but has chipped when cutting hard branches. Did shave afterwards but still could feel and see a section with chips.
 
It would appear that thin edge retention was not a primary criteria when S30v at 58 to 60 Rc was selected to replace the BG-42. The lower Rc with it's resultant resistance to chipping but with an increased propensity for edge rolling must be more in keeping with the manufacturer's priorities. The resistance to chipping allows the knife to remain serviceable longer when it is subjected to excessive stresses or when maintenance (sharpening) is deferred. The lower hardness makes hand sharpening less laborious and more quickly gratifying. The lower hardness MAY reduce the frequency of knives being returned by purchasers concerned with blade chipping. A lower hardness permits an increase in the useful life of production equipment and a decrease in consuming other manufacturing resources. This can allow these assets to be devoted to other aspects of production. These reasons and others, MAY have been more important considerations in selecting S30v and running it at the chosen hardness. I too have experienced INITIAL micro chipping when sharpening a new Sebenza. I have also noticed a greater frequency of touch-ups being required to maintain a high level of sharpness, due to edge rolling and blunting. This is as compared to other S30v EDC knives honed to the same edge angle and finish. One of my small Sebenza 21s is still my favorite EDC but I also would like a harder blade steel. OldDude1
 
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i highly doubt they will go back to BG42, but i was under the impression that they were going to be incorporating CPM-S35VN into their line, and in that case would it be harder? i think it would be a marketable improvement, and in regard to my small regular in S30V i think it needs touching up but it is nowhere near dull.
 
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