Is s30v worth the money?

Ankerson said:
Depends on the media being cut, if the media being cut is abrasive S30V will perform better cutting longer.

The SXXV steels develop a working edge that continues to cut for a very long time.

It all comes down to the use of the knives in question and the perception of those said users.

Perception isn't always correct though, a lot of people judge sharpness and or edge retention by how long a steel holds a shaving edge (Hair Popping edge). While an opinion that's just perceived sharpness based on that one standard that doesn't tell the whole story.

In the end comparing S30V and 154CM from my testing S30V will be still cutting while 154CM would be butter knife dull.

S30V is one of the better user steels for people who use their knives and need them to to just keep cutting (performing).

Take the SXXV steels a step farther to S90V and S110V and we have steels that will continue to cut for an incredible amount of time taking into count a proper HT.
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Well, my observations have nothing to do with how sharp they "felt" but how well they continued to separate hide from meat on animals, or how long they'll continue to push-cut wood, etc. Obviously, our mileage has varied. I just wanted to try the bold thing there to see how it felt. ;)

OP, the choice is yours---either one is a good one, assuming the make and design are good too.
 
For a folding knife, I prefer 154CM over S30V, prefer BG-42 over both. For a small to medium sized fixed blade, I lke D2, 154 or 440C. Larger fixed blade, 154CM, ATS-34 or 440C. Those of you who were on the forums ten years ago or so, might remember that there were problems with S30V being brittle when it first came out. A lot of people just now have mentioned "with proper heat treat", it's good. In my opinion, a good steel has the ability to offer a generous combination of toughness, hardness and strength within a wider range of circumstances and heat treat. Walter Brend once told me that S30V was not fit for a butter knife and that 440C was the most under-rated steel out there. Years later, I realize that he was right. S30V is a newer steel, which offers nothing and is inferior to many of the older steels and has been marketed to the crowd looking for the latest and greatest steel.

Pete
 
I have to agree with the quality control issues of heat treats over the years. When I first came across this forum in the late 1990s. I recall seeing a lot of complaints about ATS-34 with bad heat treating. Back then, ATS-34 was the "top dog" in
knife steels.

That said, it seems every time a new steel comes out, it takes some time for the various knife companies to get the heat
treat formula right.

I have had good performance in the few knives with S30V that I have so far.

I don't really use my knives that hard, mainly food prep and cutting open or breaking down boxes.

I am also a big believer in edge maintenance/touch-up sharpening or stropping too.
 
AV8R said:
For a folding knife, I prefer 154CM over S30V, prefer BG-42 over both. For a small to medium sized fixed blade, I lke D2, 154 or 440C. Larger fixed blade, 154CM, ATS-34 or 440C. Those of you who were on the forums ten years ago or so, might remember that there were problems with S30V being brittle when it first came out. A lot of people just now have mentioned "with proper heat treat", it's good. In my opinion, a good steel has the ability to offer a generous combination of toughness, hardness and strength within a wider range of circumstances and heat treat. Walter Brend once told me that S30V was not fit for a butter knife and that 440C was the most under-rated steel out there. Years later, I realize that he was right. S30V is a newer steel, which offers nothing and is inferior to many of the older steels and has been marketed to the crowd looking for the latest and greatest steel.

Pete
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S30V with a bad HT is horrid, same goes for any steel though, the problem was it took most companies and makers awhile to get the formula right.

However with a proper HT and Tempering process it's one of the better general use steels around.
 
its worth it if you have your edge angle under 20 degrees,just my opinion,it holds an edge better than many other steels i tested at shallower angles,but i havent tested them all
 
It's all dependent on usage, how much you mind sharpening and your budget.

For me. i'm a light user that doesn't mind sharpening and places more value on build quality and fit/finish than on steel type. So for me it's not worth it.

Is it a good steel? Yes it is. Just fine and many a user will be glad with the upgrade. For me, I don't care so much.
 
It's far more important to know what knife you're buying. I'd pay more for a military than a manix2, but that has to do with the overall package. Buy based on which knives you like, not so much the steel. As someone said, if your picking between two of the same model, one done in 154cm the other in s30v, I'd opt for the cheaper version.
 
In a large knife, if I HAD to go stainless, I'd much prefer a lower carbon, high-ductility steel like AUS-8 or 12c27 to the relatively fragile high carbon stainless steels. Saying, for instance, that VG-10 might be "tougher" than ATS-34 is kind of like saying a butterfly is tougher than a moth...might be true but they're both wusses. If a blade is going to be subjected to impact, torque, and significant lateral stress, and also have a real cutting geometry (that last of course means that Strider doesn't count) it better be made out a non-stainless tool or spring steel. S30V skinning knife? Absolutely--great choice. S30V Bowie? You couldn't give it to me. Actually, go ahead and give it to me, and I'll make use of my Gold membership.
 
Although both great steels, my personal opinion is S30V being a powder steel, has the edge (pardon the pun) on 154CM. Several have mentioned that it sharpens easier and attains a scary shrp edge and holds it longer. This has been my experience with it as well. I have a Benchmade Rukus 610 with an S30V blade and it sharpens up fast to a very keen edge and stays that way. I also have a couple of MOD (pre Blackhawk) knives with 154CM and while excellent, the blades don't exhibit quite the same qualities that the S30V does. Maybe its not scientific, and maybe the difference is not statistically significant, but I think the S30V is worth the extra few dollars.
 
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