other steels vs CPM 3v?

J

Javelin

Joined
Dec 19, 2008
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Well, after watching that Monkey Edge video, I gotta say I was impressed about what the Strider DB can do. Now I'm not gonna be hammering my knife through cinder blocks any time soon, but the little boy in me wants one that could withstand that. However I would like to avoid dumpster diving behind safeway at 3am too. So, my question is:

Could a knife made of 5160 or maybe SR-77 or SR-101 stand up to the same abuse as the Strider and hold its edge comparably given the same hardness and geometry? or is CPM 3v just a magic steel?
 
No opinions on this? I'm just curious if I'm really missing out by getting a custom in 5160 or maybe a scrapyard/swamp rat vs the CPM 3v.
 
CPM 3V, when heat treated properly, is an amazing steel. However, it is not for every knife or every application. It is extremely tough and abrasion-resistant, which can be a headache to sharpen if allowed to go completely dull. 3V is best suited for fixed blades and it excels in wood processing applications like batoning, shelter building and similar heavy duty use. It resists stains very well but it is not stainless. I'm a bit surprised to see such a tough steel being used on a folding knife (it seems to be an overkill), but what the heck, it can't hurt. 5160 is a spring steel that can't be compared to a modern powder steel like CPM 3V (apples and oranges). Lots of folks use 5160 to make large choppers as it is well suited for that application and is easy to sharpen. I have not used the other two steels so cannot comment on them.
 
5160 and S7 are tougher than 3V, but much less wear resistant. 52100 is less wear resistant and less tough, but I doubt anyone finds it lacking as a blade steel..
 
Hmmm, well when it came to the monkey edge video the thing that impressed me the most was how little edge damage came from going through the aluminum siding and the cinder blocks. From going through the masked guy's videos just now it seems that in terms of major abuse the edge damage in 3v and 5160 or sr-77 are pretty comparable. Think I'll be going with the 5160 knife as i really like the shape of it (and it'll only be about 65$ :D ) so thanks for your replys!
 
Javelin said:
Hmmm, well when it came to the monkey edge video the thing that impressed me the most was how little edge damage came from going through the aluminum siding and the cinder blocks. From going through the masked guy's videos just now it seems that in terms of major abuse the edge damage in 3v and 5160 or sr-77 are pretty comparable. Think I'll be going with the 5160 knife as i really like the shape of it (and it'll only be about 65$ :D ) so thanks for your replys!
Click to expand...

What knife are you looking at with 5160 for $65? Pics! :D
 
I picked up both Strider models DB and DB-L in 3V after seeing the MonkeyEdge video - except mine is the .250" thick version and not the .190" version that was used during the testing (I have since sold the DB and kept the DB-L). I'm in no way de-valuing 3V steel, but I do believe the design of the knife and "stoutness" does contribute to the performance of the knife in the video. It is a very short, thick, stout knife.

I realize MonkeyEdge was trying to sell knives, but it would have been nice to see them replicate the abuse with the same model knife in S30V so a direct comparison could be made. I'd also like to see a Crusader Forge fixed blade with triple tempered S30V put thru the same paces to see how it fares also.

That being said - I was cringing with some of the abuse he was putting the knife thru. He also posted some detailed "before" and "after" pics on another forum - and it is amazing how little damage was done. I would call it "wear" before I called it "damage".

I have no experience with the other steels you listed, but honestly I can't imagine they would outperform the 3V in a stout fixed blade application.
 
knivesandguns said:
What knife are you looking at with 5160 for $65? Pics! :D
Click to expand...

I plan on ordering a knife from Ecos over at http://ecosknives.com/index.html when I get back from my summer cruse/internship. Nothing too fancy, when it comes to knives I'm sort of a minimalist guy.

00026.jpg


This, but with more of an up sweep on the main edge would be the best shape for a knife IMO. I always find myself tilting the blade back when cutting branches or anything so I figured I should get a nice up-swept blade. The little tanto point would allow me to still make cuts kind of like a wharncliffe, and finally the top point would still be nice and stout and stabby for whatever I'd need it for!

As nice as it is I'm still a little torn between this awesomely-shaped super useful knife and the near indestructible strider DB
 
I know this is an old thread...but I'm gonna revive it. I would also like to see how a Strider DB in S30V .250" thickness would compare to the CPM 3V version. Since the DB that monkey edge tested in cpm 3v was only .190" thick. I'm fairly confident that the DB .250" S30V version would perform almost if not just as good. I think its more Striders heat treat and the DB design which makes it able to handle so much abuse.
 
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