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Ordered S30-V received 154-CM. Problem?

Powerstroke219

Powerstroke219

Joined
Dec 19, 2013
Messages
166
I just received my Microtech D.O.C. In blue. The steel seems to keep changing with these knives. But in your opinion, is this a big deal? On the website for blade material it states S30-V. Where instead I get 154-CM. So I wonder, is this something to worry about? Kinda caught me by surprise.
 
Only of you were dead set on s30v. Some people buy knives for the steel so for them it would be an issue. 154cm is a fine steel and makes for a good knife. So whether or not its a big deal would be up to you.
 
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Personally I never liked s30v much. I like my knives to be obscenely sharp and s30v seems to lose its razor edge quickly and it develops a toothy working edge. 154cm seems to do hold a razor edge a little longer even though overall it doesn't have the edge retention of s30v. It's also much easier to sharpen. So I'd be fine with 154cm. But I would be pretty annoyed I didn't get what I was expecting.
 
I'm not going to get into a steel argument here. I'm new to the knife world and I don't have enough experience to judge steels, and all I know is others' viewpoints. What I can say is that S30V typically costs a lot more than 154 CM, so if the company you purchased from misreprestented the product, I'd see about getting a partial refund or at least some store credit. That is assuming of course that you don't mind 154CM. If you do mind, return it!
 
Isn't Microtech known for changing steels a lot?

That being said, I haven't found any real world difference between S30V and 154CM. They have similar edge retention and they both sharpen easily.
 
tokerblue said:
Isn't Microtech known for changing steels a lot?
Click to expand...

Yes. I have one DOC in Elmax made in June 2013 and the second one in 154CM made in December 2013. MicroTech makes them with whatever steel they have available. In between June and December there were runs in S30V and CPM154. Don't be surprised to see future DOCs in S35VN and ATS34. They have excellent heat treat so they're all good.
 
Cool. Great responses, all very helpful. As long as I can get this crazy blade clamped in my wicked edge I'm more than happy to sharpen it. I'm not a steel freak or anything. Just wanted to get some opinions from others more knowledgeable than myself. Forum delivers!
 
I prefer 154cm. S30V will hold a dull edge longer. Like that's what a knife enthusiasts want. Some s30v is great though like spyderco and strider. They've got good ht.
 
I have a lot of both steels and I can't tell much difference in terms of performance. My s30v's do seem to be a bit more stain resistant.my Spyderco native s30v especially, it is my jogging knife and gets a lot of sweat. But both are fine steels. I would love to see a comparison of performance of the Doc in both steels and Elmax just out of curiosity.
 
Get what you paid for. Don't settle for less. The dealer needs to be responsible for describing the item correctly.
 
154CM instead of S30V is not a big deal at all if it done with a good HT. In fact 154CM actually better than S30V in some way such as easier to sharpen, get sharper and also tougher/less likely to chipped an edge.
 
If it was CPM 154 I wouldn't complain as it's a CPM grade but 154CM .is significanlly different from CPM S30V.
 
my s30v hunting knife holds an edge better than my cpm154 one from the same maker. you should ask them why you got the wrong steel
 
I generally don't like getting something different than what I ordered. In this case, while 154CM is a fine steel, I think it's a step down from S30V (at least in terms of price). Contact the seller and see what they tell you.

I've had a similar situation and the seller offered either to return the knife and get a refund or to keep it and get some store credit for new purchases.
 
I'd actually rather have 154CM. I don't believe in powder steels. On paper they're very homogenous supersteels. In reality they are prone to chip.

I'll just take my classic steel thank you. Heck I own many Buck knives in 420HC which hold their edge esily as long as my S30V blades. Heat treat is so important !
 
I like most powder steels but as for S30V I do prefer 154CM. I have nothing but great experience with it (quite a few knives). So if it were me, I'd keep it.
 
I prefer non powdered steels. I know they're supposed to be super great, but I've found S30V to be chippy and harder to sharpen. Not to say it's not a good steel, but I use knives rather hard and find powdered steels harder to get back in the game even without chippage.
 
I too prefer 154cm over s30v. It wouldn't be much of an issue for me. I have had this "issue" with microtech and strider, and didn't think much of it. I am not a huge blade snob, but I do love to have various steels in my stable.

What part of Indiana are you from?
 
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