Did I miss the boat?

d.2.the.p

d.2.the.p

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Aug 30, 2011
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I recently got into CRK and have picked up a few small Sebenzas, all in S35VN. I recently read a thread from another forum on S35VN vs. S30V that was fairly interesting. If you're able to tune out the noise inherent to any superheated forum-based discussion, there's some really good information coming from some reliable sources. So it got me doing some research in the CRK forums here on BF, and it seems that there are a lot of different thoughts on CRK's blade steels. I personally have enjoyed my S35VN blades with 0 complaints so far. Yeah, they don't hold their edge for some insanely long period of time, but the steel isn't designed to do that. They work perfectly for my uses and sharpen up with almost no effort.

That said, am I missing out on the earlier steels? I've been keeping an eye out for a small Seb of sorts in S30V, but they generally get snatched up pretty fast. I'd love to get my hands on something in BG42, but they go instantly it seems like. Is it a fool's errand to try to find these, or is it worth spending a few bucks on a model with one of the previous steel offerings?
 
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I think you said it all yourself. You enjoy your blade in S35VN and it works well for you.

There are sub-hobbies that kinda branch from the knife hobby. I very much enjoy sharpening steel as its own hobby. Some people like to test and experiment with the different available alloys. A casual user wouldn't be able to tell a difference between one of my razor sharp knives versus one that will pass the Hanging Hair Test. I believe that it's the same with steel. Unless you are really dialing in on the nuances of each steel, heat treat and geometry you are likely to miss the differences.

Just my opinion anyway.
 
I've been pretty happy with both S30V and S35VN for everyday use. In my experience they are very similar. Both sharpen up pretty quickly, don't stain with food cutting (so far), and keep a decent edge through normal use. I've used ZDP-189, M4, M390, BG-42 and a few other higher HRC steels, and they have advantages for sure. I do think that if Reeve would do "sprint runs" with steel variations they'd be no-brainer successes, but that's a pipe dream. While it's true that their old BG-42 blades took a very keen edge, all in all I'm haven't found a knife I like to carry more than my current plain-jane 21.

No complaints from here either. :thumbup:
 
You didn't miss the boat sir. Use and enjoy your S35VN steel and when you get a chance you can pick up an S30V Seb off of the exchange and use and enjoy it. As far as the elusive BG42--I have never had one, but have always wanted one simply for the collector appeal. There are those that have experience with the 1-2 points higher hardness on the Rockwell that BG42 offers and they swear it makes a huge difference in edge retention, but that doesn't really matter all that much to me. My S30V/S35VN blade steels hold an excellent edge for a long time according to MY usage and MY needs.
 
I have actually used my sebenza 25 on some things that normally have a detrimental effect on an edge. Thick cardboard, whittling sticks, etc. I am pleased that there was no noticeable flattening or dulling to report. So, for my needs, CRK's s35VN on the 25 is very much up to my standards. There were some rope cutting tests on the internet that showed some issues on a 21 I believe but one sample isn't statistically significant. Any knife will dull, I just prefer to be able to strop my knives back to sharp (not razor, my skills aren't that good, but sharp enough). I have never had to sharpen my 25. I have maintained it every week or 2 with a loaded stop. I don't use it hard every day but I do carry and use it often enough.
 
CRK said that he worked with Crucible to engineer an improvement on S30V, right? I have both S30V and S35VN (large micarta classic, and Umnumzaan and large micarta Insingo). I've been carrying my Insingo with a couple slipjoints lately, and it works fine.
 
Most of us are highly unlikely to notice a difference between S30V and S35VN. Now, BG-42 would be a different question. :wink:
 
I have S35VN and have zero complaints. It holds an edge good for my use. Then with a few passes on Sharp Maker ultra fine stones and a few passes on a loaded strop it is back to hair cutting sharp. I would like a BG-42 but more just to check it out and have one in my collection.
 
I must admit I've been quite disappointed with my S35 Umnumzaan's edge holding - my s35v and s30v Paramilitary 2's have held edges MUCH better. I wish I had the option of 1 - 2 points higher RC without sacrificing the warranty.
 
Just got a small insigno in s30v but I haven't used it yet and I'm not sure I will. As far as I can tell it's from 2011 and never even cut a piece of paper. I'm new to high quality knives and I'm not sure what that does for the value? I would love to use it but it is in pristine condition and just hate to kill the value since it's the most valuable one in my collection so far.
 
I have and use small sebenzas in all 4 steels, and don't really see much difference except a slight edge holding advantage in the bg42. However, I do prefer the stonewash finish on the earlier sebenzas more. For regular use, the s35 is a good all around steel
 
I have a large and small Regular from 1996 and 1997 - I think they hold an edge noticeably longer than S30V or S35VN, but they are also among the most time-consuming blades to resharpen if you let them get even a little dull.
 
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