S30V Vs S35VN

Aerosmith101 said:
I'm just curious and can't find any answers, what's the difference between S30V and S35VN
Click to expand...

S35vn has a little bit of niobium added to it. S30v has a little bit more vanadium in it than s35vn. S30v might have the potential to have abit more wear resistance from abrasion resistance. S35vn tends to be abit tougher and easier to sharpen.

Some people claim that s35vn has only extremely slightly less abrasion resistance than s30v.

I greatly prefer s35vn over s30v. Just personal preferance.
 
I prefer the S35VN I've had over the S30V knives I've had. I like M390 and its cousins much better when discussing stainless steels.

Edit
Sorry, you asked for differences. They've already been explained. My input is pointless.
 
I find S35VN to match CPM 154. Both take a keen edge and hold up to tougher use in my experience. I also enjoy a well heat treated D2 and M390.

After years of use of the above steels they seem finer grained , tougher and take a more polished edge than S30V or 154CM.
 
S30v cuts longer, S35vn was designed to be a little tougher and a little more stain resistant without losing significant wear resistance, S35vn is also easier to finish.

S30v will still be more wear resistant
 
  • Like
Reactions: vba
Aerosmith101 said:
I'm just curious and can't find any answers, what's the difference between S30V and S35VN
Click to expand...

It's so obvious..…….5 and an N :p
This is what I've learned from reading threads here on BF. When S30V first came out, people were having issues with it chipping and difficult getting a good edge on it. Knife makers were having problems dialing in a good heat treat to get the maximum performance out of it. After all, who is happy with the recommended heat treat protocol ? Then S35VN came out and the same issues people/makers were having was resolved without losing performance. Over the years, makers have got S30V dialed in with a good heat treat.
Personally, I haven't any problems with S30V. When it comes to buying a knife, neither steel is a deterrent. I like them both. If I Had to choose, I'd pick S35VN having a slight advantage.
 
I'm not afraid to be technical , V tends to collect at the grain boundary while Nb tends to be evenly distributed .
Yes S30V is harder to sharpen S35VN wears better , but not by much !
 
S35VN is the knife used on CRK knives, so it must be better than S30V for that type of folder. In either case they are both great knife steels. Funny I should say this since I EDC an M4 steel Gayle Bradley. C'est la vie!
 
Last edited:
Awwww.... c'mon.... no Spinal Tap fans here?

S35vn is better than S30v because it's bigger! It's like going up to eleven!

I sharpen on diamond rods, so I see no difference in in sharpening. They are both a breeze to sharpen.

Have a couple of knives in each and frankly, I can't tell any difference in practical use. The daily tasks my work knives perform are so varied I couldn't qualify or quantify with any reliability the actual performance level from both. I have never sat down and made 192 rope cuts with a knife as a test, used a knife to split wood, etc. I sharpen them the way I want and then in the pocket they go with me to work.

If you are asking because you are considering those two steels as a deciding factor for a purchase, I would lean more towards how a knife felt in my hand as well as suitablility for its purpose. Despite the difference in chemical makeup I think both would serve well.

Robert
 
I have used both steel types over the years and both are top of the line. I couldn't notice any big differences. I reviewed a Bravo1 in S35VN.
 
mete said:
I'm not afraid to be technical , V tends to collect at the grain boundary while Nb tends to be evenly distributed .
Yes S30V is harder to sharpen S35VN wears better , but not by much !
Click to expand...

Could you explain that? My understanding is that steels that are harder to grind are also harder to sharpen and wear better.
 
In use, a 5 and an N. With a similarly good heat treat, same hardness and all that, they are incredibly similar. They are different, but barely. For all intents and purposes, most of us can consider them the same steel in use with very minor, minor variations that we probably won't notice unless we work with a lot of that steel. You would likely see more variation from S30V between manufacturer's than you would between S30V and S35VN made to the same specs. I haven't looked at too much data recently on these but I even think the measurable differences aren't too far outside of the margin of error for each steel.
 
NGVI , I really can't explain the effect of smidgens it the steel ! o_O
My 'tests were one year of edc for each steel . Meaning a large variety of uses .. One oops was needing a piece of copper wire Tough stuff but after a second look turned out to be steel with very similar oxide covering .Yes S30V can chip !
 
I've personally seen S30V from any manufacturer chip out far easier than any S35VN from any manufacturer. I think S30V sucks and i think S35VN is at least adequate as far as stainless steels go. I wouldn't ever recommend either as long as M390/204p or Elmax is available for anywhere close to the same price.

Yes, IME, apples to apples, anything from BU is better than anything from Crucible. Carpenter is better than Crucible. Basically, i trust very little from Crucible. When considering the same classes of steel from the different forges, Crucible does not tend to fare well compared to others. S30V and S35VN are both from Crucible. At the very most one of them is only adequate.

The rex series of steels seem very good. Whether another forge could do them better...I don't know, but I'd bet they could. Compare Vanadis 4 extra to CPM 4V.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top