S30V steel...

[Twindog]

It's a good steel, with good edge retention. But tough it ain't, which means it is more prone to chipping than the average steel. In normal use, chipping would not be an issue, unless something went wrong with the heat treat, which did happen a lot in the beginning when makers were getting the quench speed wrong.

Larrin's tests have its toughness at about 6 ft-lbs at a hardness of 60 Rc. At that hardness, Vanax is twice as tough. AEB-L is seven times as tough. Low toughness means the steel is vulnerable to chipping, at least when used hard.

Most stainless steels in the general toughness range of S30V. Not many have better edge wear resistance.

If your S30V edge is chipping, you can go with a more robust edge geometry or a tougher steel.

Knives seem simple, but they are complex. Geometry, heat treat, hardness, steel alloy, knife usage offer almost infinite possibilities.

 

[Wolverine666]

I’m very fond of S30V. I first tried it out in late 2009 on a dealer exclusive Benchmade 707 Sequel. I had to adjust since it was more difficult to sharpen than 154CM which is what I was used to. But once I got it, I never looked back. But S30V is just one of the many steels that I like. Lately , I have become a big fan of S90V. A whole different animal.

 

[SpaceGhost88]

There was a time, a believe around 2014-15 where there were issues with that steel. It's more "micro" chipping. I swore off the steel for a long time. However, in recent years, I've come to like it again. In 14 I sent my PM2 in twice to Spyderco. First time they sharpened. Same problem a month later, they replaced the blade, claimed it was defective.

My S30V Yojimbo 2 and Hogue Exploit have had zero issues. I believe at this point there are superior steels in a similar price range, it's fine for most people.

I wish Spyderco would move to S35VN, S45VN, or Spy27 as the standard.

You must have got a good one. I have 2 Yojimbo 2s and both have lots of chips (big & small) from normal daily EDC use. Mostly cardboard and occasion wood shaving. Not a fan of Spyderco's S30V steel on the Yojimbo 2. I've other Spydies in S30V that are gtg. Might be the heat treat or heat-treat + blade-geometry.

 

[afishhunter]

My Buck 110 with S30V, and Leatherman Charge+ TTI's plain edge S30V blade (serrated blade with gut hook is 420HC) haven't caused me any grief so far.

 

[Gil P.]

You must have got a good one. I have 2 Yojimbo 2s and both have lots of chips (big & small) from normal daily EDC use. Mostly cardboard and occasion wood shaving. Not a fan of Spyderco's S30V steel on the Yojimbo 2. I've other Spydies in S30V that are gtg. Might be the heat treat or heat-treat + blade-geometry.

I'd like to try BMs new S30V. I bought an S30V knife from them around 2005 that I broke the tip off of.
A couple years ago I bought a Taiwan Spyderco in S30V that was terrible. The edge retention wasn't great and it didn't sharpen well.

I'd like to try BMs 162 to see if their S30V had improved.

 

[coolbreezy37]

Got a Buck 110 Pro in S30V. Cuts like a laser and I seriously doubt I’ll need to sharpen it anytime soon. I’m just putting it through the normal paces, no abuse, but not babying it either.

 

[tony281sc2]

I like it. Personally can’t tell the difference between s30v, s35vn or Elmax. None of them chipped (including my 0350 in S30V), but I read on ZTs website they run it a little softer (around 58-59 iirc). I’m Not scientifically testing them tho, just normal use.

 

[tiguy7]

I have got S 30, 35, 45, 60, 90, 110, and 125. I notice that as the numbers go up, so does the wear resistance.

 

[Bechbum2588]

Never really get into S30V.I do like 154CM.