Paramilitary 2 s30v not holding an edge too well?

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hemi1300

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Sep 9, 2013
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After numerous cuts through pretty thick cardboard I perform the paper cutting test and the s30v seems to lose it's razor sharp edge and doesn't slice too well. 30 seconds on the edge pro with a strop and back to razor sharpness. Is this normal for s30v to lose it's edge a bit cutting cardboard? Haven't had to hit the stones yet, just stropping on the edge pro brings it right back
 
i havent had that problem with mine at all.....ive only had mine about a week tho but have used it pretty good on cardboard, packages, and everyday little things...still as sharp as it was day one so far.
 
It depends on what you expect for "sharp".

S30V in general stabilizes to a "working sharp" edge quickly. Some prefer a slightly keener edge so they either touch it up frequently or seek a different alloy/steel.
 
It's normal for a lot of steels, including S30V, to lose their edge somewhat when cutting a lot of cardboard. That's a pretty tough and often dirty material to cut. The fact that it comes back quickly with stropping seems to indicate that it isn't really damaged or heavily dulled. The strop is straightening and refining the edge a bit when you use it and that's bringing it back to it's razor sharpness.

It's possible that the edge is a little on the thin side. The final sharpening on these knives is done by hand so there will be some deviation from the 30 degrees or so that they shoot for. You can strengthen the edge a bit by using a microbevel, but you'll still experience a loss of the edge when cutting a lot of cardboard. Another factor might be that the steel right at the edge on a new Para 2 is a bit weak from the final factory sharpening. Some people have reported that using stones and actually resharpening their blades to expose new steel has stabilized the edge and increased it's performance.
 
dalefuller said:
It's normal for a lot of steels, including S30V, to lose their edge somewhat when cutting a lot of cardboard. That's a pretty tough and often dirty material to cut. The fact that it comes back quickly with stropping seems to indicate that it isn't really damaged or heavily dulled. The strop is straightening and refining the edge a bit when you use it and that's bringing it back to it's razor sharpness.

It's possible that the edge is a little on the thin side. The final sharpening on these knives is done by hand so there will be some deviation from the 30 degrees or so that they shoot for. You can strengthen the edge a bit by using a microbevel, but you'll still experience a loss of the edge when cutting a lot of cardboard. Another factor might be that the steel right at the edge on a new Para 2 is a bit weak from the final factory sharpening. Some people have reported that using stones and actually resharpening their blades to expose new steel has stabilized the edge and increased it's performance.
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Thanks, that clears it up a bit. The edge definitely is not dull after cardboard abuse, just not as razor sharp as it was straight off the sharpener. It literally only takes a few swipes per side on the strop to bring back hair popping sharpness
 
I try not to judge a blade or the steel until I've sharpened it several times. Sometimes the HT right at the edge seems to get a little mucked up at the factory. Like Señor Fuller said it would typically be caused by a hot sharpening but the thinner material can be different hardness than the rest of the blade after HT. In my experience the Para and S30V are excellent!
 
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csisland said:
Is the s30v the best steel blade for the pm2?
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In my opinion it's hard to beat S30V/S35VN. It can certainly be difficult to sharpen. It's not as hard as some others though. Edge holding is great and it's a really tough steel. I don't know of any other steel that really does everything so well and does not leave much to be desired.
 
archieblue said:
In my opinion it's hard to beat S30V/S35VN. It can certainly be difficult to sharpen. It's not as hard as some others though. Edge holding is great and it's a really tough steel. I don't know of any other steel that really does everything so well and does not leave much to be desired.
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What would be the other steel option for the pm2?
 
Horses for courses. Opinions and belly buttons.

While there are many that love S30V, I would offer a contrasting viewpoint. I place it way down my list of preferred materials. I have a fair bit of experience carrying, using, sharpening, and grinding S30V, and I feel that my observations are consistent.

I have seen huge performance gains as a result of geometry and finish changes I imparted, but nothing I would say negates the consistent stabilization to a "working sharpness" that falls below my preference.

Is it the best steel for the PM2? Opinions vary;)

It certainly seems to be Spyderco's current choice for its current production standards.
 
:D As you can see from archieblue and unit's responses there are widely varying opinions on S30V. And they're both right, I think. When S30V came out and began to be used, it was a step up from earlier production company knife steels in terms of toughness and edge holding. It took a while for companies to get the heat treat down to make the best use of the steel for their individual design philosophies, but they got it worked out. Now it's a few years later and other companies besides Crucible have gotten into dedicated cutlery steel. Other stainless steels have come out that do out perform S30V in different areas. Several of those steels have been used in Para 2 sprints.Some have better toughness, some have better edge holding, some are easier to maintain.

Picking the "right" or "best" steel for a specific knife model depends as much on the user's preferences and intended use for that knife as it does on the manufacturer's designed uses. Some ELUs are real knife aficianados that love to push the envelope of what they can do with cutlery steel. S30V probably isn't going to satisfy their desire to constantly get the best and beyond out of their knives. For the folks like me who fall into the category of "if it works for me, it's OK", S30V or S35VN will likely do a fine job. Steel performance parameters are always a balancing act. Toughness versus edge holding versus corrosion resistance versus... All of us have a little different range of what we consider acceptable performance. Companies like Spyderco, Benchmade, and Kershaw give us a lot of variety in the steels they put in their knives so we can all have some things that satisfy us and some things that challenge us.
 
Cardboard will take the edge off practically any steel. It's a testament to S30V's excellent qualities that it sharpens up again with just a stropping.
 
unit said:
It depends on what you expect for "sharp".

S30V in general stabilizes to a "working sharp" edge quickly. Some prefer a slightly keener edge so they either touch it up frequently or seek a different alloy/steel.
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Truth. Another aspect is tht cardboard is composed of all sorte of things and is not all the same. It can contain dirt, rocks, wood, metal, plastic, and an assortment of other garbage. It's one of the most abrasive substances you can cut through. Double and triple walled cardboard is especially loaded with these particulates. I would say that yes, it is normal for S30V in general to react this way, regardless of the company. One other variable is the geometry of the edge, the thinner the edge, the more microchipping and potential deformation you will have, as opposed to a slightly more obtuse edge. Sharpening is relative, if you have an Edge Pro or similar, you can sharpen any steel from 154CM to S110V in a matter of minutes all the same.
 
Fiberglass duct board is worse but cardboard eats edges. I cut through a 12 pack cardboard box to flatten it out with a stainless mora. Mora was hair whittling sharp with a 20 degree microbevel and at the end of cutting the box...it was about dull enough to run a finger down the edge and not get cut. Sharpened up quick.......but still......
 
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