Pocket knife suggestions to cut up cardboard

Leo Greer said:
Imagine toughness as the amount of stress a blade can take without chipping, or even how much it could bend without breaking.

The difference is incredible. S110V can often withstand only a few foot pounds of force applied to it, while XHP might hold up to five or six times more pretty easily.

M390, CPM-20CV, and CTS-204P are actually identical steels produced by different companies under different names. CTS-204P is rarer than the other two, and is produced in America by Carpenter, which lends to the illusion of higher price.

M390 is made by Bohler in Austria and is probably the most common of the trio.

For what you want to do, M390, XHP, M4, or even S35VN will all work great. In practice, you probably wouldn’t ever be able to tell the difference between these steels if they were on the same knife!

Basically:

M390 holds an edge very well and doesn’t rust easily. Not super tough, but pretty good. Avoid metal staples.

XHP is the toughest of the crew, but holds the least edge. Still pretty good edge retention.

M4 is very tough and holds a great edge too. Not as tough as XHP, and not for as long as M390, but very good scores in both categories. It rusts easier.

S35VN holds a good edge, is pretty tough, doesn’t rust easily, and is pretty good to sharpen too. It’s the most balanced of these steels.

The guys up there are right though—the shape of your knife is a big deal!

For cutting cardboard, I’d go with the Chaparral. I might not buy it personally, but for what you want to do, it’s great!

(As long as it fits your hand!)

If you really want to get into the science of it, look up Knife Steel Nerds or search for “Knife Steel Nerds” plus whatever you’d like to know about the steels.
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Really, M390 has a better edge than CPM-M4? Did not expect this.
 
Hashishiin said:
Really, M390 has a better edge than CPM-M4? Did not expect this.
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M390 technically holds an edge for longer, but it cannot be heat treated to the same Hardness, as it doesn’t have the same edge stability as M4.

M4 shines for toughness, edge retention, and edge stability at 53-54 HRC, but it doesn’t have the same edge retention as M390 at 51-52.

I would personally consider M4 a better steel, though, due to its chip resistant properties.

I can’t tell you which is a “better” edge, because it really depends on what you like…

Also, I only know anything from reading Latin Thomas’s work, so if you want the nitty gritty, hit up his website!
 
and another vote for the Canary Knife, made in japan (on amazon). it's micro-serrated and blunt, and as such won't easily cut skin. ideal for klutzes, kids & companions you don't trust with a good knife. flouride coating prevents tape from sticking. under $10 each. i bought 5 for $40 in December 2020 to give to patients who i didn't want to have to sew up while they were surviving on Amazon shopping.
 
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