Is s30v worth the money?

J

jon_robz-96

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I know s30v is an awesome steel, but 154cm is also a great steel for a lot less money. Is s30v really worth the extra $$$?
 
I wouldn't make a choice between knives based solely on this difference. IMO S30V, 154CM, D2, ATS-34, or even 440c, Aus-8A, and 420HC are all fine when used by quality manufacturers. Pick the knife you like and get it.

Of course, there is a jump in performance when you get to M390, S90V, CTS-20CP, or Elmax tho. ;)
 
I like both steels, they both are good all-around type stainless steels, S30V will give you a some better edge holding, but will be a little harder to sharpen as well. Although you can get into S30V for as little as $55ish dollars, Buck vantage pro or mayo Kaala, spyderco native, etc. If you're looking at a certain model that comes in both steels, and the S30V version is way more expensive then, I'd say no, its not worth it because they are similar enough, I'd probably pay an extra $10 - $20 for an S30V upgrade though depending on the knife, for example on the ZT 200.
 
I find S30V to be a finicky steel... it has to be heat treated properly to really excel... Given proper heat treat, I would definitely take S30V over 154CM...
 
The_Guide said:
I find S30V to be a finicky steel... it has to be heat treated properly to really excel... Given proper heat treat, I would definitely take S30V over 154CM...
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Properly HT'd s30v is definitely one of my favorites steels. so I'd agree. :D
 
Not me ~~ I have a couple of each and I will take the 154CM's over the S30V everyday as it is faster to sharpen and the edge stays alot longer than the S30V.!
Fact is my S30V's are sold and being shipped out on Monday Morning to Texas on a trade plus cash.*
My Manix 2 will split hairs and as long as I don't try to cut Rocks and it will stay that way for weeks. (Course just my opinion.!*)
 
You know, it's odd...I've used dozens (and sharpened hundreds) of knives in both of these steels and damned if I can tell much difference. I'm sure if I'd forget about all of these practical experiences and just read magazines, though, I'd know that S30V is vastly superior. ;)

If you took those two steels and made two knives, ground exactly the same way, to exactly the same thickness at the edge shoulder, sharpened to exactly the same edge bevel, and heat-treated to exactly the same hardness, you might notice a single-digit (less than ten) percentage advantage to S30V in general cutting chores, edge durability, ease of sharpening, etc. Might.

I have 154CM blades hardened to the low 60s HRC that will walk all over a Sebbie in the high 50s HRC in terms of edge holding at the same bevel angle. Obviously, if you bump S30V up higher in hardness, it will do better too, but the point is you're comparing two very equivalent materials.

If you like one knife better than the other in terms of design or feel, then let that be your deciding factor. If the knives are identical other than steel type, a mildly higher price for S30V isn't out of line, as it's more expensive and takes *slightly* longer to work with in my experience. If they're asking you to lay down another $40 or $50, however, they're counting on the hype.
 
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Like others have said, S30V with a good heat treat is excellent stuff, and I'd take it over 154CM (which, to be clear, I'm also a fan of) even if the price were a little bit higher.
 
jon_robz-96 said:
I know s30v is an awesome steel, but 154cm is also a great steel for a lot less money. Is s30v really worth the extra $$$?
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Depends who does the heat treatment. I believe Buck, Strider, Spyderco, and Kershaw have that one down. Benchmade, not so much. CRK runs it a bit soft IMO.

Heat treatment of 154CM also matters too. I only have experience with the steel from Emerson, and boy is that bugger chippy at a lower hardness(Rc 57-59).

I'd prefer S30V for better toughness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. Some people take it for granted, but I like how when I forget to wash my knife after cutting fruit for over 24 hours, the most I see is a little discoloration that washes right off.
 
Good 154cm is great steel. What hurt 154cm in the past was it wasn't very consistent. Some of it is great, some of it isn't very good at all. CPM 154cm is better than even great 154cm.

S30V is supposedly better than both of them but I can't tell much difference. I have good knives in both steels. While I haven't had a knife S30V chip out the edge you sure do hear about it.

If you are looking at cheap knives you kinda get what you get IMO. Better makers can make any of these steels perform very well.

ATS34 is almost the same as 154cm on paper. I have two knives in ATS34 that I carried for a number of years all over the world and worked them harder than anything else I have ever owned. They held up extremely well.

Personally I think any of these steels make excellent knives. That said M2 is still my favorite ;)
 
154cm and CPM154 are made by the same people, if you noticed a difference in 154cm it was from the HT method.

s30V is going to have much greater wear resistance and will hold a "working edge" for a long time where 154cm would be blunt and dull. On the flip side of things 154cm will hold its keen edge for longer than S30V, this is the edge retention most judge by.

Depends on the maker though and the quality of their HT, unfortunately 154cm is not done correctly often enough.
 
I like S30V steel ok. Whether it's worth more money completely depends on the other steel. Would I think It's worth paying $30 more to get an S30V knife over a 52100, or an O-1 knife? No way. Perhaps S90V, but not S30V. As far as 154cm ( not CPM 154) it depends on the usage I have in mind, as well as other factors like geometry, size etc. There wouldn't be a cut and dried rule for me. 154cm is a great steel and I can get great performance from it. I'm not saying that CPM 154 outperforms S30V but generally I like it better in similar platforms ( Buck 110's Alaskan guide S30V vs. Bass pro CPM 154,[now discoed] )

You might also notice I'm a fan of carbon alloy steels too and consider 52100 and O-1 some of my all around favorites. Though not used commercially they would do great in folders, not just fixed blades. ( that lockback in "the edge" movie has an O-1 blade in real life. Last I heard he was back ordered and had to stop taking new orders)http://www.lyttleknives.com/gedgcm.htm . It used to be O-1 anyway, now it's stainless. Those that recall Cold Steel's "carbon V folders remember how well they did taking edges. Etc.
 
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like someone above said... S30V seems to be very consistent. My current EDC rotation consists of mostly s30v and S35Vn. I really like that folks do their own idea of what is best for the HT. Strider is very hard, Spydies in the middle and CRK on the softer side. The differences are fairly minuscule, but they are there. The ONE difference that stands out is that the CRKs are pretty noticeably easier to sharpen & the Spydies & Striders do seem to hold an edge longer. Honestly, I REALLY like S30V. I prefer the S35Vn in my Nyala to the 1095 in my ESEE3 any day of the week.
 
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edge geometry>steel.

A pry bar made out of S30V wont cut as well as a slicer made out of 440C .

I look at the knife and then the steel. :)
 
i have the manix in 154 cm and a few other knives in s30v. id go along with those who say the s30v holds a better edge imo significantly longer than 154 cm though its somewhat harder to sharpen i dont find it so much harder to sharpen that its a detractor to using s30v. i find edge holding of 154cm somewhat better than vg10, somewhere between that and s30v in my experience. either way its a good knife steel and sharpens to fine edge that will push cut threw free standing hair.

as far as s30v being worth the cost, well like its been mentioned its really no longer the new kid on the block and has been well surpassed in price and performance by other much more expensive steels. though its a go too steel for the high end knife makers still. i personally would prefer say Stryder. who wants 400 and up for a knife to be using something a little more refined than s30v. but then again maybe that speaks more to a proven track record of the steel.
 
michaelm466 said:
I like both steels, they both are good all-around type stainless steels, S30V will give you a some better edge holding, but will be a little harder to sharpen as well. Although you can get into S30V for as little as $55ish dollars, Buck vantage pro or mayo Kaala, spyderco native, etc. If you're looking at a certain model that comes in both steels, and the S30V version is way more expensive then, I'd say no, its not worth it because they are similar enough, I'd probably pay an extra $10 - $20 for an S30V upgrade though depending on the knife, for example on the ZT 200.
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+1 Good answer
 
jon_robz-96 said:
Is s30v worth the money?
I know s30v is an awesome steel, but 154cm is also a great steel for a lot less money. Is s30v really worth the extra $$$?
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Not enough detail for an answer.
How much more?
Same knife, just a difference in alloy?

If it were two different knives, I'd not base my choice on the difference in alloy.
If it were the same knife, but just different alloy, I might spring for the S30V, depending on the price differential.
 
I have a Buck 110 with an S30V blade, and an old version of the same in 440C. I bring it up because they happen to be exactly the same knife, ground to the same dimensions by the same company and so it is a fair comparison. I have found both to be fully capable of skinning/processing a couple of elk without being resharpened during the process, and both have about the same degree of edge degradation upon the hunt's completion. S30V is a finer-grained steel than 440C, and so sharpens up *slightly* faster to a gloriously hair-whittling edge, but we're talking a difference of ten or fifteen minutes.

Really guys, I love knives too (as evidenced by thousands of posts on this site) but the Knife Knut Coolaid really needs to be lain off a bit. There are not mountains of difference between the steels talked about in this thread.

The one good point that was made was that S30V's consistency as a material is comparatively very good, as several outfits offer 154CM and many are not as exact from batch to batch as Crucible is. Don't forget, though, that Crucible also offers 154CM. Also, the days of the really crappy 154CM batches that ruined that alloy's reputation and brought about the dominance of ATS-34 seem to be long-since over.

Mountain men survived for their entire lives using (not collecting) knives with steel that couldn't hold a candle to today's alloys.
 
I feel that the comments on heat treat and S30V ability to excel to be correct. I have a variety of S30v knives, but I find that my Military is able to achieve the best edge(sharpest)out of all my spydercos and Benchmades. I don't know maybe because it is the longest blade or it's all in my mind(not really a scientific experience).
 
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