Has anyone else noticed the grind finish differences between these steel manufacturers? It seems like all my CPM para 2s and 3s have vastly more visable grind lines than my Carpenter and Bohler counterparts. Do you think this is due to overall steel property qualities or simply the more refined powder process of Micro-Melt and BU PM3?
Just going off the two in your pic, the Maxamet was made intentionally with a totally different finish, stonewash, rather than satin on the s110v. The marketing blurb and online listings for the knife confirm that.
S110V definitely shows a rougher finish but it’s hard to finish due to the carbides. By contrast, a low carbide steel like the P3 BD1N is a fine satin.
The grit of the finishing belts is what you see. The differences you see are due to how they are finished. Of the three, Carpenter probably has the finest grain. I don't know between Crucible and BU, but I will guess BU is finer. The grain size of all are small. All three use what might be termed their own proprietary improvement of the "second generation," though US manufacturers do not use the "generations" definitions. BU calls theirs 3rd generation, Carpenter calls theirs Micromelt.
I see, I was under the impression Crucible was still "first gen" not that that's a bad thing. It must be the belt grits as you say. I didnt know the Maxamet was already stonewashed either. It just has a matte finish so they must use very fine media for that. Not sure what the M390 finish is but it appears satin like my CPM blades but with a less scratchy looking grind.
The "generations" gets repeated on the internet without the background information that only European manufacturers use that term, so many assume that because BU uses a 3rd generation theirs must be superior to CPM and Carpenter, who don't use that term. The latter two also use an improved version of what the Europeans called 2nd generation, they just call it something else. They all have their own tweaks to the process, so they are not identical, but they all make quality products.
