So I went to European forums to look for info. There's a German knife named Jurgen Schanz who is somewhat a legend. I tracked down a post from 6-7 years ago. He said he thought it was better than RWL-34 (cpm-154 equivalent) and S30V. He espoused finer carbide formations leading to better lateral strength and finer edge. The finer carbides are also almost as wear resistant as vanadium and doesn't have to deal with as much large carbide fallout. I'm not a metallurgist so I don't know if I have all the terminology right. The quoted text has been translated by google translate from a German forum.
"
My experiences with the material relate above all to the edge retention and toughness of the cutting bar. And since there is nothing to complain about. I myself have two knives out of them can find no outbreaks in long-term test and even with heavy loads.
One of these guys .... reported that he had broken up with this knife 55 wild boar, has struck out of the ceiling and disassembled without the need to re-sharpen the knife. This of course also hacked on bones and leveraged to joints, which was not a problem.
Because of the lateral loads you have to look anyway only times for which the steel is patented: Cutter knife in the food industry. This one has to do with high speeds and sometimes harsh substances. the knives are loaded significantly on impact and bend and show no problems.
Of course, it is not carbon steel, with which I selectively hardened can make the usual games of ABS. But compared to other Stainless is the material in terms of toughness and flexural strength significantly forward. This is logical from metallurgical point of view, since in this steel aggressive carbide formers are used, which "eat away" before the chromium to carbon, while developing much smaller carbides than chromium and store them in the case vonm niobium also within the grains / crystals. This leads to fewer problems at the grain boundaries and thus to higher toughness, since considerably reduced chromium carbides occur, otherwise just at this "break points" store and weaken. Simultaneously, the niobium carbides provide a finer distribution of carbides on the cutting edge and thus more uniform resistance and ergo less wear. And in addition is significantly more free chromium available, which helps the resistance to rust on the jumps even at lower chromium content. This is the sum of exactly what we are looking for a better compromise between the grate freedom, toughness and edge retention.
so I think the good of handyman not moved here from so far and probably have to confess at this point that I also this statement may not necessarily underline .... aha, the steel is good for nothing? - No!!! However, 55 wild boars with dirt in the fur (I'm not a hunter-forgiving) - that grabs no knife, for one can tell me what he wants - as I see it! so my contribution was -. here are a few statements from achim the steel is absolute class, but do not ask "wonderful steel dream" of which I am definitely been a few years away ... what the sb1 is definitely: - much sharper than any other steels I have been processed so far - with the exception perhaps of vandis4 - very !! cutting properties, just not in a dream or desire areas, but much better than ATS34 I say better than rwl (this is a purely affective assessment - not scientifically proven by me) - in spite of extremely high hardness very flexible - no sweats, even in thin sound minus point, would be when one has not the best "tools" to work, he can (actually, only when finish) to be something wiederspenstig - but definitely still better than bearbteiten eg s30 .. etc.. reminds me even more of a guaranteed when I start to think."
