Decided on a PM2, now what steel

T

Tarheelpwr

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Jan 14, 2018
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I wanted to start out by saying thanks for all the feedback on my other threads. This place is great, although slightly addictive, lol.

I plan to pick up a PM2 for my one and done EDC option. I plan to go with a higher grade steel since I don't mind spending a few extra $$ since this will likely be my only high quality EDC knife, or so I'm telling myself. But, I'd prefer to keep it in the $150 - $180 +/- range. I don't plan on picking up an old unicorn sprint run at all costs.

So, I'm looking for a a balanced option, but I lean more towards SS since I want good stain resistance. I don't plan to neglect it, but I also don't want to have to wipe it 3 times a day. I want good edge retention, but not at the cost of MAJOR toughness.

From what I've seen in my limited research, M390 or Elmax seem like the best bet with 390 having a slight advantage. S110v is obviously the cheapest/available now while only giving up a slight bit of balance in favor of edge retention. 390 MIGHT be available again from DLT, but we'll have to wait and see.

So, what does everyone say? What steel would you lean towards and why? I'm very new to all this so I don't know all the sprints that were available and will be available soon.
 
Stone will be Sharpmaker. I'm new to sharpening, but if a certain steel is worth the effort, I plan to learn. I can also send to Spyderco for $5 sharpening when necessary.
 
First m390 and 20cv are my favorite steels I enjoy using them and I am appreciative of the chemical properties of them. I also EDC the S110V and I like that steel but I did have to re-profile it. You may want to invest in the diamond rods for your sharp maker. Anymore I find that even the S30v or the S35vn cut what I need cutting and If I am truthful with myself I cant tell the difference unless it is stamped or etched on the blade......
 
My first decent knife was a para2 in s30v... still keep it in my pocket for work now. I carry all my others knives for non work days.
 
M390

It will dull less and you, using only sharpmaker, will have easier time dealing with burr.
Use the 40 setting and later send to spyderco when your microbevel is too big.

Meanwhile learn to sharpen on your cheapos
 
Nothing wrong with S30V.
Or even 110V.
Is there a reason not to go with the above?

The other steels you will pay a premium
because they will become unicorns.

Don't believe me... Search DLT red M390.
 
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Unless your willing to wait awhile you might want to just consider the S30V or the S110V. If DLT or BBS do get more M390 PM2s my guess is it won't be for a while (could be wrong). You said you prefer stainless but take a look at the 52100 Carbon Fiber PM2, it's not stainless but it wears well. I've used it a good deal on my Military and I haven't had to maintain it terribly much (just wipe it down once in a while).
 
Thanks for the feedback. I've steered away from looking at 52100 due to staining concerns.

DLT did say they would be looking months, if not a year on more M390. That's IF they even get confirmation.

I've been leaning toward the S110V mainly due to availablilty, but my inexperience in sharpening has made me slightly gun shy. I've also wondered if the extreme edge retention resulted in giving up too much in the line of toughness.

Based on folks with both, is there a noticeable difference in 30v vs 110v in every day terms? Is a novice just asking for trouble starting off with 110v? For reference, I'll be upgrading from an Oso Sweet in 8CR13MOV steel.

I do plan on eventually picking up a Chaparral with XHP as well for more dress clothes. I'm wondering if I might be better served learning to sharpen the oso sweet and the XHP steel prior to picking my PM2.
 
I think m390 is a very impressive steel for knives. It holds a keen edge longer than any other knife steel i have owned. It maintains its ability to shave arm hair longer than any other steel i have used. I own: 14c28n, 420hc, s30v, s35v, m390, 20cv, vg-10, 1095 and have owned s90v. However, i believe that spyderco's s30v is a very good steel and worth having.
 
Just get a s30v, its perfectly fine steel.
A S110v will mean you don't have to sharpen it a lot, but when you do you're going to be working at it longer, and will definitely need good diamond stones to do so. If you've never sharpened your own blade, S110v is probably not the entry point that makes the most sense.
Get an s30v and just sharpen it more so that you can build that skill of sharpening.
 
I bought a sharpmaker and couldn’t... didn’t take the time to get the hang of it. Bought a wicked edge instead. I’m sure some day I’ll pull the sharpmaker out and try again, now that I’m making some real progress on the wicked edge. S30v is a great steel. All of the steels mentioned are great. You can’t go wrong with any of them. And of course try learning to sharpen with any cheaper knives before more expensive ones
 
ucfgrad93 said:
Bentobox has PM2s in Elmax, Maxamet, CruWear, S35VN available now. They also have a para 3 in M390 that they are taking preorders on now.
Click to expand...

It looks like bentobox has the Maxamet PM2 before bladehq which surprises me, but they want $300 and bladehq wants $180.

I've been waiting five or so months and the silly knife, I can't wait to get the email from bladehq that it's in and ready to ship.
 
I'd choose a PM2 in S110V. A nice long-lasting edge. Sharpening , however , is tedious if you're a beginner.

But S110V is just outstanding stuff.
 
My top 3 choices would be(in order), M390, Elmax, and CTS-XHP.

M390 has the best wear resistance of those three, while being plenty tough for what you'd be doing with any PM2. Easy to sharpen to boot! It's my favorite steel by far.

Elmax is like a less wear resistance M390(to me at least), but a lot tougher. It's being called the toughest stainless steel out there. The biggest issue with an Elmax PM2 will be price. They're rare as hell and because of that they're priced higher than almost any other sprint run PM2.

The next option being CTS-XHP is a great all rounder. It acts more like a carbon steel in most aspects(save for being stainless of course, haha). I'd personally choose this over S30V for any knife. The orange G10 is a huge bonus too, haha.

* Oh shit! I forgot CruWear! Don't forget CruWear! Haha.
 
  • S30V is a superb all-round steel -- Buck declares it the best knife steel ever. Tough, easy to sharpen (with diamond hones), highly stain resistant, and affordable. Other high end steels with additional tungsten/niobium/cobalt etc. sound neat, may hold an edge slightly longer, but are more difficult and time consuming to sharpen, and in the real world offer little advantage IMHO.
 
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