s30v second thouhts

I couldn't tell you how many knives we've sold with S30V blades but it would be many thousands. I've never heard a complaint from a customer about S30V. Not ever. Not one. In fact the only place I've ever encountered a complaint is on this forum. I can't help but think that, early on, a few bad apples got into the hands of a few users that post here and the posts created a "legend" that lives to this day.

I have a few S30V knives myself and I think it is about as good a blade material as anyone has ever developed. I'm getting very fond of SKD, however, which is a Japanese tool steel. It isn't hard to get me interested in SKD blades, that's for sure. If S30V and SKD were the only knife steels available, I wouldn't miss a thing.
 
took me about six sharpenings to get a paramilitary to stop chipping while slicing cardboard, my only other S30V blade was a Skirmish that didn't get carried much.
 
I have several S30V knives, both custom and manufactured, I use them regularly and I have never had one chip so far. Maybe I'm lucky, but if so I feel lucky enough I just ordered another custom in S30V. This is good steel and despite one particular detractor who tends to take a small sample and worry it to death like a bull terrier with an anorexic rat, I think it will be around for quite some time. There are other PM steels coming on line though so who knows, it may be completely overshadowed someday.
 
I have 4 S30V blades. Two BM Doug Ritters, a BM Rukus, and a Camillus BK&T Extreme. I've put them all through a reasonable amount of punishment and some good chopping with the Camillus(7" blade). I've gotten a few nicks which are expected when you hit something harder than your steel, but no chips. I keep mine razor sharp with DMT diamond stones.
 
Microalign - No links per se. Just reading I've been doing. ZDP189 is a PM steel for example, SGPS is another, and there are others I can't recall right now. Even more exotic materials are beginning to show up, like ceramic/titanium mixes.
 
I have two Kershaws with S30V blades and no problems. People say the blade can be brittle, but they are so sharp, they just cut! Don't abuse the blade using it for jobs that a knife isn't meant, and you will be fine.
 
Thing about S30V is that we keep on getting threads like this one.

It's sort of like - a whole bunch of folks aren't entirely convinced about
this steel. Rightly or wrongly.

I don't want to have any doubts about my blade steel's durability.
 
Possumman,

I have used my Green Beret 5.5", S30V, to cut people out of their vehicles through the sunroof, seatbelt, window glass, etc., and have yet to chip my blade. That's fairly tough use. I think you'll be fine, as long as you don't try shoving it through a car door!

Gunslinger14647
 
rifon2 said:
Thing about S30V is that we keep on getting threads like this one.

It's sort of like - a whole bunch of folks aren't entirely convinced about
this steel. Rightly or wrongly.

I don't want to have any doubts about my blade steel's durability.
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There is no reason for you to have any doubts about the steel's durability. None at all.
 
I have a Harsey T-2 that I put a tiny chip in from misuse. Perhaps it was from the factory edge being so fine. I was lifting the edge of that cardboard stuff they tack onto the back of cheap furniture and inadvertantly scraped it against the ridges on on of the nails. That sucked, the knife was days old at that point. No problem during "normal" use, though.
You show me a person who has never used a knife(quality or otherwise) for something other than slicing, and I'll show you a liar.
 
possumman said:
i just got a benchmade 635 mini skirmish. but now i've wondered if it was a mistake. i have been reading a lot of the complaints about chipping with the s30v. should i be concerned or give it a wider bevel. i've had no trouble yet but haven't been encouraged by what i'm reading. possumman
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If there are no problems, change nothing. Changing edge angles will not make a bad blade any better but a great edge bader.
 
The Chef said:
I've noticed that when you cut things softer than your knife, chipping seems to happen less.
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You sure miss out on a lot of mindless entertainment with that attitude.

Knife Outlet said:
If S30V and SKD were the only knife steels available, I wouldn't miss a thing.
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If I correctly understand the liberal media, the SKD-11 in your favorite kitchen knife is also known as D2. If D2 can do what SKD-11 in your Yoshikane gyuto does, then I'm more impressed with D2 than I used to be.

rifon2 said:
I don't want to have any doubts about my blade steel's durability.
Click to expand...

All steels are subject to failure from force, be it general fatigue, impact, torque, abrasion, corrosion (okay, corrosion is an electrical action, but since it's electromotive force, I'm staying with it! :grumpy: ), or expansion and contraction from absorbing and releasing energy.

Each and every steel will fail at some point; it's up to you to choose the mode of failure you can accept.
 
I use a fair number of different knives, and check edges under lighted 32x magnification before and after sharpening. I've found that unexplainable chips are due to a hard temper or thin edge, or both. Almost all quality new edges develop micro chips (sorry) since edges will wear smoothly only when cutting soft materials. The larger chips are more of a concern. I've also found this is reduced after a couple of resharpenings and believe it's due to getting past the very hard edge resulting from the thin steel reaching HT and temper temperature extremes faster and higher than the body of a blade where Rc is usually tested. Just one of my beliefs based upon personal observations and may be a mistaken conclusion. Many new blades that do not chip a little at first I find later to be too soft for my preferences. I try to sharpen at angles suitable for the steel type and size of blade. I don't judge a blade until it's been resharpened at least twice after becoming "dull" from normal use.
 
thombrogan said:
If I correctly understand the liberal media, the SKD-11 in your favorite kitchen knife is also known as D2. If D2 can do what SKD-11 in your Yoshikane gyuto does, then I'm more impressed with D2 than I used to be.
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I didn't know that they are identical or, at least nearly identical. Perhaps they are. If so, then I would be a big fan of D2 as well. My Yoshikane has been through three sharpenings without rotating to another knife even once. I can't remember that ever happening in my kitchen. I sharpened it just two days ago and decided to go back and rough it up a little. It kept sticking to the cutting board and slowing me down. I really like that knife.
 
I have chipped my Manix BUT I was well lets just say I shouldn't have tried to do what I did....I don't think any steel will NOT chip under the right (wrong) conditions.
 
straitshot said:
I've found that unexplainable chips are due to a hard temper or thin edge, or both
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I like blades with both of those properties, so the occasional lil chip is fine by me.

Knife Outlet said:
My Yoshikane has been through three sharpenings without rotating to another knife even once.
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That's since November and you're an avid cook. That suggests either SKD-11/D2/D3 is an amazing steel when used in Yoshikane's fashion or you have superhuman strength. It can't be both or you would have wondered why anyone needs knives when a karate chop is just fine.
 
As an example, recently my wife's 3 year old Toyota would not start. I used the Spyderco Native from Walmart ($39.95) in S30V to scrape and clean her battery connections. Hard metal, not lead. The blade did not chip.

Steve
 
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