S125V vs. S110V vs. S90V vs. S30V

I realized it was old after I d read the first page if posts. Good grief!
 
The fact that this thread is 9 years old doesn't make it irrelevant. In fact, except for the fact that Mr. Paul Bos has retired from commercial heat treating, everything that Phil Wilson discusses is still on point and relevant. Peter's Heat Treating has, in effect, replaced Paul Bos as the "Go To" commercial heat treater since Paul's retirement.
 
I can absolutely tell a difference between S30V and S110V. I cut the same cable with both and S30V had visible damage to the edge. I also have S90V and I am not sure if I can tell a difference between that and S110V but I would choose S110V between the two because of the added corrosion resistance.

I have never used S125V unfortunately.
 
I know it's frowned upon but I love to see these old threads resurrected. Kind of a glimpse into the past. Not sure when the last time Phil Wilson posted on this forum.

I'm waiting for some of the seasoned veterans to tell the OP (if he's still around) that he should be looking at tried and true standards like 1095 et al and not fret so much about the latest/greatest (as of 2009, anyway) super steel.
 
Hi Guide

I own a Spyderco Military in S90V and the steel is amazing - think it is very close call between S110V and S90V. They are hard to sharpen and I get the best result with diamonds 600 grit and 1000 grit and stropping wit 1 micron diamond paste.
I use there knife for hunting and was able to field dress and slaughter 2 animals - after that the knife could still shawe hair.

Cheers,

André

 
I thought I'd update the thread since it's a great continuation of information.

I've rough ground a CPM S125v blade at 63hrc very thin from full thickness 3/32 stock. The edge is ~10 dps and 0.008" behind the shoulder of that bevel.

It's not easy to work with but having a VFD controlled grinder helps by slowing down the speed so you can apply pressure without as much heat to help the ceramic grains on the belt break down better.

The edge is 600grit to 1500grit CBN then a 1um diamond strops followed by a 0.05um diamond strops. It definitely takes more effort to shape the apex then lower alloy higher stability steels but the aggression was very good. Took a very crisp edge and the burr broke off very easy. I find it superior to the s110v I've experienced but I have used custom protocols with s110v to compare. Only production knives.


 
S110v or s30vfor le depending of the ease of sharpening that you need to have
Actually I like S30v pretty much, it is a great edc steel along with s35vn

For an high end folder s110v would be my pick I like it a lot on my PM2

Not a fan of s90v which is a great steel but too much in between the 2 others

No experience with s125v so I cannot comment on it
 
Bronco said:
In very general terms, hardness always comes at the cost of toughness. And vice versa, for that matter. It's just the way it is. And it's the reason why it's worth the effort to evaluate how you're going to be using a particular blade before you set the specifications.

From what you've told us thus far regarding your intended uses, your blade is not likely to be subjected to large lateral stresses. As such, you can sacrifice some toughness for edge retention if you like, making 110V a fine choice, assuming you stick with any kind of halfway reasonable edge geometry.
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Using the right HT to strike a balance seems key if I understand correctly, getting a Rockwell range that balanced the steels performance. Correct?
 
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I'm old school and take form, fitness, and toughness over hardness anyday. I don't mind sharpening a knife. I edc a M4 Gayle Bradley and really appreciate it's utility for cutting things around the house, yard, and shop. Of your choices I would probably go S110V yet think all would work very well if the maker is proficient in the production of the knife. I really think we are splitting hairs here.
 
S110V will hold an edge longer than any other steel I'm aware of but it's a challenge to sharpen. S35Vn will take a very fine edge with a lot less effort and hold it as long as S30V.
 
Alberta Ed said:
S110V will hold an edge longer than any other steel I'm aware of but it's a challenge to sharpen. S35Vn will take a very fine edge with a lot less effort and hold it as long as S30V.
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CRK has proven the utility of S35VN for many years.
 
GatorFlash1 said:
CRK has proven the utility of S35VN for many years.
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"But but it's chippy and will shatter into 100 pieces if used" some claimed. Has anyone posted pics of a quality S35VN or S30V blade chipped or broken from normal use that was not obvious abuse? Crusader Forge has been making bomb proof knifes for decades now using S30V and U have yet to hear of anyone having issues. Does that not come down yet again to the HT?
 
Alberta Ed said:
S110V will hold an edge longer than any other steel I'm aware of but it's a challenge to sharpen. S35Vn will take a very fine edge with a lot less effort and hold it as long as S30V.
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s125vn, rex121, maxamet and a few others will hold an edge longer. But also different factors like heat treatment, edge geometry etc will make one out cut another too.

GatorFlash1 said:
CRK has proven the utility of S35VN for many years.
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So has many other steels been proven. The only knives I like in s35vn are crk's... And I wish they would make a change because it's so common now and I regard crk as a premium brand and expect the keep an above average steel type and heat treatment due to this.
 
Why do you want to change or modify a very successful proven product? Please explain. If it has a good track record I'd buy it.
 
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