Mini grip blade steel

T

Tbmfish

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Aug 4, 2016
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I have 2 mini grips in 154, I love the sheets foot blade and was gone have one built in benchmades custom shop, blade steel choices are:
154 which I already have
S30v
CPM 20v

Which is better? And is there a very noticeable difference. I have a pm2 in s30v I carry with my mini grip in 154 And the edge holding on both is really equal almost my pm2 holds an edge slightly longer I guess.

Is cpm 20v chippy
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I also saw you could get the blade in D2 as well I have a manly folder in d2 it seems like good steel as well. So which steel is benchmade best with?
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The choices are 154cm, d2, n680, s30v, m4, 20cv.
20cv and n680 are tied as least tough of all the choices.
M4 is the toughest and probably strongest. It and 20cv have the best edge retention of all choices.
M4 will have the best edge stability by far.
 
or you could get a Doug Ritter mini grip in M390

but if you really want a custom.. what do you plan to use the steel for?

Cutting cardboard, plastic, tape? 20CV
Need more strength? S30V
Need something that will bend and not snap or microchip due to high abrsive materials? 154cm
Want something that doesn't hold an edge and is hard to sharpen but makes for a great prybar? D2 :D
Want something to take Serious abuse? M4

M390 will be the best all around for EDC.
Unless you work in an office, 20CV.
Or as a construction worker, M4.
 
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If you're spending the money to get one custom done, 20CV or M4.
 
You already have 154 and a s30v although not benchmades. should go ahead and get the 20cv. M4 would be cool but its not part of your choices can rust and your "mini" grip should be less maintenance and worries and will be plenty strong with 20cv. Next when you get full size grip get m4 😀
 
Deer said:
or you could get a Doug Ritter mini grip in M390

but if you really want a custom.. what do you plan to use the steel for?

Cutting cardboard, plastic, tape? 20CV
Need more strength? S30V
Need something that will bend and not snap or microchip due to high abrsive materials? 154cm
Want something that doesn't hold an edge and is hard to sharpen but makes for a great prybar? D2 :D
Want something to take Serious abuse? M4

M390 will be the best all around for EDC.
Unless you work in an office, 20CV.
Or as a construction worker, M4.
Click to expand...

What has D2 done to you? I have found it superior to 154cm in edge retention and toughness, but lower in sharpenability and corrosion resistance. 20CV is also a cognate to M390.
 
dkb45 said:
What has D2 done to you? I have found it superior to 154cm in edge retention and toughness, but lower in sharpenability and corrosion resistance. 20CV is also a cognate to M390.
Click to expand...

I think you should rephrase that.
 
Yet another thread with incorrect, misleading answers. What is this, the Internet?
Tough to be a new guy these days with so many "experts" on here...



Russ
 
I had the same question as the OP. I like Spyderco S30V and I know that Benchmade does a great job with M4. However, I am considering another Benchmade, but want a stainless steel blade. I have read reports of Benchmade M390 edge rolling, and not holding an edge. I have also read some reports of their S30V chipping too easily. Are these really a problem with Benchmade?
I don't really need another Axis folder, but mine are 154CM. I might go for another if I could get a steel with better edge holding in stainless steel. While the 154CM blades are OK, I have knives with superior edge holding. I often drop a Benchmade MiniGrip in my pocket when I go out to do yard work, and it is in 154CM. My Sequel is not a yard work knife.

What are your experiences with M390 and S30V by Benchmade?
 
Well now I am confused is 20cv the same as m390? I just want something that will stay sharp not roll and not chip,
I will use the knife for everything, carving feather sticks to slicing tomatoes and cutting rope, every now and than I use the back of the blade to strike a fire steel. Sometimes I use it to clean out my fingernails its and Edc in other words it's the knife you carry everyday to use in whatever situation arises. I just need to know which steel is best for the things mentioned


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Tbmfish said:
Well now I am confused is 20cv the same as m390? I just want something that will stay sharp not roll and not chip,
I will use the knife for everything, carving feather sticks to slicing tomatoes and cutting rope, every now and than I use the back of the blade to strike a fire steel. Sometimes I use it to clean out my fingernails its and Edc in other words it's the knife you carry everyday to use in whatever situation arises. I just need to know which steel is best for the things mentioned


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Click to expand...

20CV and M390 are almost identical in terms of element composition (and CTS-204P is the same as them too).

Benchmade has said on their forums that they do heat treat them slightly differently, and get a little more toughness out of M390 and a little more edge retention out of 20CV. (look at post #3)

For an everyday folder M390 (never used 20CV but I assume it's similar) is my favorite for a stainless steel. Great edge retention, never had any major chipping/rolling that couldn't be straightened out in 5 minutes on ceramic rods, and it's still relatively easy and straightforward to sharpen (unlike say S110V).

If you go for sheepsfoot/20CV might as well just get a 555-1 instead of paying extra for the custom.
 
There's nothing wrong with 154CM, it's an easy to live with steel for EDC use, and if you like to sharpen, which I do, it's a very predictable steel.

20CV will be a king of edge retention, and can handle abuse. It is not chippy from my experience.
I love the steel, but because I love to sharpen, it kinda makes the steel less fun, it really holds an edge that well.

S30V is junk (sorry, but that's a fact) microchips are the worst characteristic a steel can have, and S30V is the king of doing just that even doing light tasks....
 
Tbmfish said:
Well now I am confused is 20cv the same as m390? I just want something that will stay sharp not roll and not chip,
I will use the knife for everything, carving feather sticks to slicing tomatoes and cutting rope, every now and than I use the back of the blade to strike a fire steel. Sometimes I use it to clean out my fingernails its and Edc in other words it's the knife you carry everyday to use in whatever situation arises. I just need to know which steel is best for the things mentioned
Click to expand...


Benchmades heat treatment of M390 will help it take more abuse over 20CV and less to prone to chipping. 20CV will be a bit more brittle then M390 but will hold an edge longer on less abrasive materials.





My experiences with Benchmades S30V is that it cuts like a razor but likes to microchip.

I actually love 154cm, it is a very well rounded steel and I wouldnt carry anything less than 154cm.

D2, dont like it. Ill take 154cm all day over D2. Unless I want to pry something.

M390 is Benchmades best general use EDC for 90% of people. Unless you only use your knife for packages (20CV) or you need it to be able to cut through a car door (M4). And it can be had at a very affordable price in the ritters.

M4 is my steel of choice.
For the things OP mentioned I would get M390 no question. The only runner up, and the only reason I would build a custom would be to get M4.
 
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I, for one, doubt anyone in this thread could tell the difference in benchmades ht of m390 and 20cv. Their marketing hooey sounds like BS to me. M390 is more recognizable to most of us, but can be hard for american companies to procure. Thus, they buy the 2 American steels which are the same. People spout benchmade ads like the gospel, perhaps they believe everything Mopar and GM have to say too.
I don't even totally believe what bohler and carpenter say about a given steel, they are marketing a product too.
Russ
 
I vote you write them all down on small strips of paper, toss them in the air and then catch one Miyagi style with some chop sticks. That's your answer.

They're all great. I'm partial to 154CM myself. It's inexpensive, takes a great polish and holds an edge well. If 154CM or CPM154 are an option you're going to have a very hard time convincing me to pay extra for something else, ceteris paribus.
 
T.L.E. Sharp said:
I vote you write them all down on small strips of paper, toss them in the air and then catch one Miyagi style with some chop sticks. That's your answer.

They're all great. I'm partial to 154CM myself. It's inexpensive, takes a great polish and holds an edge well. If 154CM or CPM154 are an option you're going to have a very hard time convincing me to pay extra for something else, ceteris paribus.
Click to expand...

Well I already have two mini grips with 154 and I do like them so maybe I just need to stick to what I have. Thanks to everyone for helping me understand this better.

T.L.E Sharp, if you dont mind me asking, what angle do you sharpen the mini grip in 154. I have been using 20 degrees per side. I uses the sharpmaker in the 40 degree slots not the 30 degree slots. Than I strop with a gray 600 grit compound and than use Lee valley green compound. What grit is the green compound


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I like mine at about 17.5 dps, but I'd be perfectly happy with 20 on the Sharpmaker.

You could always do 15dps and then set a secondary bevel at the 20dps slots. Will make for speedy touch ups.

As far as the grit for the green compound goes, it's really tough to say. I don't think it's really all that uniform, but I'd guess it's somewhere around 5000 grit or 5 microns.
 
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