Hey guys, new here...

N

NateHodge

Joined
Apr 30, 2018
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First, Id like to say hello and introduce myself. My names a given, I work in the oilfield, and I like knives. Which leads me here. Admittedly, I dont know a whole lot about the details of knife steels, collectors knives, or sprint runs as Spyderco apparently calls their limited edition knives. But Ive been lurking a while and trying to do my reasearch before posting this question. So here goes...

I live close to the beach, so a stainless or highly corrosion resistant knife I think would be my best choice. I have been eyeballing the paramilitary 2 for quite a while, and man, Im blown away at how many different steels are used in sprint runs. I am considering getting a basic pm2 for work since it will be taking a beating, but Id like to get something for a carry knife made with something better than the s30v steel. I have found a few c81cfp2 pm2s, but obviously at a premium, as well as a few c81cfpe2 models. Same price.

My question: for a salt air environment, what blade steel would you guys recommend? I have read a lot of good things about M4, but Im scared it wouldnt hold up too well in a beach town.

Oh, and I look forward to learning a lot here. Thanks for having me, and thanks in advance for any replies here! And sorry if this is in the wrong place.
 
unwisefool said:
Spyderco makes the salt series out of H1 which will not rust
Click to expand...

Thanks, Ill look into H1. I will say, Im not a diver or do I plan on taking the knife into the water, but it is possible itll find itself there if Im fishing, but the air itself tends to be saltier, so H1 may be overkill for my use as far as corrosion resistance goes. How does H1 fare as fare as edge retainability and whatnot?

Edit: Im looking into the Para2, so what blade materials that are available on this model is what Im looking for.
 
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H1 sucks at edge holding although reportedly it's OK for serrated blades. S30V is very corrosion resistant and should be fine in a salt water environment. CPM S110V is even better, but more time consuming to sharpen than S30V.
 
H1 will not hold an edge very well, but resharpens easily. Water will not bother that steel, however.
There are many stainless blade-steels which would work quite well...it's always a good idea to dry it off at the end of the day, and perhaps a drop of oil... if it gets moisture or sweat...
Yes, the better steels will cost more, but it's a one-time expense and will last you a very long time...if not forever.
I'd recommend a stainless (definitely stainless) of one of the M390, CTS-20CP, CTS-204P family. These three are essentially chemically identical and have equivalent edge-holding, toughness, etc.
CPM-154, ELMAX, CTS-XHP, Elmax, S35VN would also do a nice job, I'm sure, with less cost in the steel.
Working in the oil-field as you do, I might also suggest that you look at the Spyderco Military, which is a knife made for heavier-duty than the PM2, although both are excellent choices. Of course, then the PM2 would be a perfect choice for EDC...as many here have found...
Glad to have you here...Welcome.
Don
 
Not a glamour shot, but if you’re concerned about corrosion, check out the Spydiechef. It’s still new to me, but I’m very impressed. It’s super slicy and supposedly all but impervious to rust (LC200N). It’s less of a pocket hog than the PM2 with top notch materials and manufacturing.

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With regards to the PM2, if you’re used to 8Cr steel, S30V will blow you away. M4 and 52100 steel might not be best if you’re worried about corrosion and salt, but other members here will correct me if I’m wrong (please do!). I recommend getting the scale/DLC combo that apeals to you most.
 
I lived near the beach for much of my life. Though I wasn’t this big a knife nut at the time, I did carry various stainless knives and stored them in my home. I dont think you need to overthink the ocean. You will be fine with most of the stainless steel you might end up choosing unless you literally get salt water on it all the time. Just keep it oiled. But if you mean live by the beach as in florida, i would be more worried about humidity.
 
Some find the tip of a PM2 to be too thin for hard use ("taking a beating"). You may want to reconsider on that basis.

Don't get me wrong... I love the PM2! One of the best knife runs, ever. Consider a Hinderer for rough use. Eventually you should absolutely have a PM2. Just not for oil patch work.
 
Another Nitrogen steel, which I recently bought, is the Sandvik 14C28N - it's only 0.11% Nitrogen, so it won't be as rustproof as the spydy LC200N but should still be more rust resistant than most plain high Chrome steels. Bonus with this stuff is price, you can get really decent flippers using it from Ruike, Real Steel, Kershaw.

Check out this heavily built 0.14" thick blade https://www.knifecenter.com/item/RS...dvik-14c28n-plain-blade-blueblack-g10-handles
 
If you plan to take it with you to fish, which it is a handy tool to have fishing, then I would keep stainless properties in mind LC200N is an interesting one but I don't know enough about it to speak on it. There have been plenty steel choices mentioned in the PM2 lineup and ultimately any will work with proper care and maintenance. I would recommend looking into maintenance in regards to helping improve the rust resistance such as keeping a light coat of oil on the blade washing it and drying it particularly if it gets salt water in/on it. I personally use and recommend just basic mineral oil from the pharmacy to coat your blades with.

I will say my top steel choices mentioned are M390/CTS-204P/CPM-20CV & S110V you should be able to find a PM2 in one of those steels easy enough the first 3 you will likely pay a premium even if new and a bigger premium 2nd hand however the S110V is a standard production item and priced fairly.
 
be aware that s110v is very high in carbon, to the tune of 2.8% which makes it quite brittle and not a good choice for 'hard use' environments
 
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