S35vn are they all the same?

I would never expect a knife made in China to perform as well as a USA made knife, no matter the sales pitch or data. Sometimes you gamble and win, sometimes you gamble and lose. If a knife made in China, sold for $200, is marketed as comparable to a USA made knife that goes for $400 there are corners cut somewhere & likely not only in unfair wages. It’s certainly a gamble.

For the past 17 years that I’ve been a member on this forum I’ve guided trips all over the US, Mexico, and in the USVI. In the Fall and Winter I lived on a homestead with no electricity or running water for 12 of those years. Much of my other time has been spent camping in the summers in Colorado (months at a time, not days at a time). My knives have spent this time as general use tools, as an edc is intended. Honestly the list of blade steels I have not used is shorter than the list of steels I’ve handled and used.
For a real, honest to god, general use pocket knife, S35VN has been unbeatable in my uses. That’s not to say that I completely disregard others in their particular stand out areas. For instance, O1 holds a great polished, thin edge, sharpens like butter & is plenty tough when it comes to slips and dings - is trumped in the end by S35’s better edge holding & corrosion resistance. 3V for its confidence inspiring assured toughness & good edge holding is trumped by S35’s corrosion resistance. M390 (& its brethren) for slightly better edge holding, but trumped by S35’s corrosion resistance, durability & ease of maintenance. I could go on and on. For my uses I don’t believe there is a steel that covers all the bases of a general use EDC ether than S35VN. Any attribute that is “improved” makes a sacrifice in another area of potential usefulness.
 
I lke Cedric and ada s approach to testing. As he says, just another data point.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mo2
That is very odd, I've noticed that with a toothy edge S30V and S35VN don't see the immediate loss of keenness, and it takes longer to wear to the working edge that it keeps. I did see what he saw, though, where it bites a lot harder with a toothy edge instead of refined.

One thing I vary from his experience with, though, is that I've seen K390 perform just peachy with a refined edge, even cutting (very dirty) cardboard. Kick-ass steel I'd love to see used more.
 
archieblue said:
I would never expect a knife made in China to perform as well as a USA made knife, no matter the sales pitch or data. Sometimes you gamble and win, sometimes you gamble and lose. If a knife made in China, sold for $200, is marketed as comparable to a USA made knife that goes for $400 there are corners cut somewhere & likely not only in unfair wages. It’s certainly a gamble.

For the past 17 years that I’ve been a member on this forum I’ve guided trips all over the US, Mexico, and in the USVI. In the Fall and Winter I lived on a homestead with no electricity or running water for 12 of those years. Much of my other time has been spent camping in the summers in Colorado (months at a time, not days at a time). My knives have spent this time as general use tools, as an edc is intended. Honestly the list of blade steels I have not used is shorter than the list of steels I’ve handled and used.
For a real, honest to god, general use pocket knife, S35VN has been unbeatable in my uses. That’s not to say that I completely disregard others in their particular stand out areas. For instance, O1 holds a great polished, thin edge, sharpens like butter & is plenty tough when it comes to slips and dings - is trumped in the end by S35’s better edge holding & corrosion resistance. 3V for its confidence inspiring assured toughness & good edge holding is trumped by S35’s corrosion resistance. M390 (& its brethren) for slightly better edge holding, but trumped by S35’s corrosion resistance, durability & ease of maintenance. I could go on and on. For my uses I don’t believe there is a steel that covers all the bases of a general use EDC ether than S35VN. Any attribute that is “improved” makes a sacrifice in another area of potential usefulness.
Click to expand...

I think that there is quite a lot of people who have to have the newest hot steel. This has been around for awhile and is more then enough and then some for anything most people would use for EDC. As time goes on steels like m390 are now not being touting as tough as they were once thought to be(still no slouch). Harder and with more edge retention? Sure. S30v/S35VN are still better steels in my opinion as they do a much better job at balancing edge retention, toughness, and more stainless.
 
Popsickle said:
I think that there is quite a lot of people who have to have the newest hot steel. This has been around for awhile and is more then enough and then some for anything most people would use for EDC. As time goes on steels like m390 are now not being touting as tough as they were once thought to be(still no slouch). Harder and with more edge retention? Sure. S30v/S35VN are still better steels in my opinion as they do a much better job at balancing edge retention, toughness, and more stainless.
Click to expand...
Now thems fighting words. Don't you blaspheme the good name of M390!

Honestly, I've found M390 a better steel for pocket knives than S30V or S35VN, tough enough for pocket knife tasks, superior edge retention, easier to sharpen, likes edges both toothy and refined, and has plenty of corrosion resistance. M390 might be the perfect blade steel to me, phenomenal balance for a pocket knife. That said, I have not heard it being super tough, while S30V and S35VN are supposed to be rather tough (comparatively).
 
dkb45 said:
Now thems fighting words. Don't you blaspheme the good name of M390!

Honestly, I've found M390 a better steel for pocket knives than S30V or S35VN, tough enough for pocket knife tasks, superior edge retention, easier to sharpen, likes edges both toothy and refined, and has plenty of corrosion resistance. M390 might be the perfect blade steel to me, phenomenal balance for a pocket knife. That said, I have not heard it being super tough, while S30V and S35VN are supposed to be rather tough (comparatively).
Click to expand...

The toughness factor is the point I was trying to make. At one point m390 was considered a stainless M4. It’s clearly a fantastic steel but not as tough as we once thought
 
It's all in the heat treat. The only two s35vn blades I've really compared under similar daily use is my CRKs and My ZT 0770CF. Both say they're S35vn, and I trust CRK and ZT ;) to sell me the steel they say they are. ZT makes there's a little harder and CRK runs theirs a little softer.

Definite performance difference though. My 770's edge lasts longer but chips easier. My CRK doesn't keep a razor edge as long as the 770 but it is quite a bit tougher. The CRK is also easier to sharpen.
 
Leo3an said:
Nice. Data doesnt matter, but country of origin does. Interesting.
Click to expand...

This is not a place where the truth or facts get in the way of an adamant opinion...

I am trying to get a friend of mine to trade knives with me for a couple of weeks so we can do our own unofficial tests on S35vn bladed knives. I have knives with 154cm, S30v, and on a on and have found that at least part of the difference in the testing and personal experience FOR ME is the blade geometry. I noticed this years ago when we started having the flavor of the month steels come out, and every single steel was better than its predecessors by leaps and bounds... until it wasn't.

I want to compare my ZT0909 to his Benchmade (can't remember the model) by practical use on the job. That would be the test I would appreciate. He is pretty happy with the S35vn on his Benchmade and I am tickled pink with the performance of the S35vn on my ZT. I don't shave with my knives so I don't put razor edges on them. They have to work on site with me all day. I stop at 1200gr, and the ZT's steel seems to hold that edge well and it sharpens VERY easily. I can usually get rust spots on any knife steel in my sweat soaked pockets pretty quickly, but nothing on the ZT. I like it! Looking forward to a couple of weeks trade with my buddy to put his Benchmade to the test.

He likes the same blade style I do for work, large and flat ground, so I doubt there will be much difference overall.

Robert
 
archieblue said:
I would never expect a knife made in China to perform as well as a USA made knife, no matter the sales pitch or data. Sometimes you gamble and win, sometimes you gamble and lose. If a knife made in China, sold for $200, is marketed as comparable to a USA made knife that goes for $400 there are corners cut somewhere & likely not only in unfair wages. It’s certainly a gamble.
Click to expand...

LOL. No.
 
Here's another data point we should be ignoring due to the country of origin making the data worthless.

 
Don't own a Kizer but imho s35vn is easy enough to sharpen with decent edge retention to make a good choice for edc. Anything harder to sharpen than M4 isn't worth the trade off for me.
latest
 
A person can cut all the cardboard in the world if that’s what they enjoy. Personally I use a Stanley 99e for that. If that same person were to prepare to take a survival course or hike the continental divide and two knives were laid on the table to choose from... both S35VN... one knife has “Fiddleback Forge, USA” stamped on it & the other is engraved “Kizer” with a removable “Made in China” sticker it would not take a rocket surgeon to do a little research and draw as a logical conclusion that his/her expectations lean toward the Fiddleback Forge being the likely superior option.
The key word here is “expect.” A statement is the sum of its parts and I choose my words carefully. Things are made in China because they can be made with less expense. All facets imaginable are considered in cost savings. A knife, such as a CRK, practically spares no expense. Therefore, one can and should “expect” to get a better product from a small company who designs, QCs, and manufacturers their product in-house vs. a Kizer or a a WE, etc... who simply piggybacks their soulless geometric/organic/android/steampunk designs off of someone else to sell ol’ Westernballs Moneybags a new shiny-shiny.
 
Pomsbz said:
Yup and yet again you have put the basis for your opinions into perspective.
Click to expand...
He’s actually not wrong. Even the tidbit at the end. At the end of the day it’s a business. A lot of the Chinese companies are taking advantage of low cost labor.
 
archieblue said:
A person can cut all the cardboard in the world if that’s what they enjoy. Personally I use a Stanley 99e for that. If that same person were to prepare to take a survival course or hike the continental divide and two knives were laid on the table to choose from... both S35VN... one knife has “Fiddleback Forge, USA” stamped on it & the other is engraved “Kizer” with a removable “Made in China” sticker it would not take a rocket surgeon to do a little research and draw as a logical conclusion that his/her expectations lean toward the Fiddleback Forge being the likely superior option.
The key word here is “expect.” A statement is the sum of its parts and I choose my words carefully. Things are made in China because they can be made with less expense. All facets imaginable are considered in cost savings. A knife, such as a CRK, practically spares no expense. Therefore, one can and should “expect” to get a better product from a small company who designs, QCs, and manufacturers their product in-house vs. a Kizer or a a WE, etc... who simply piggybacks their soulless geometric/organic/android/steampunk designs off of someone else to sell ol’ Westernballs Moneybags a new shiny-shiny.
Click to expand...
I love this attitude!
I like to generalize thing as well, whether it be knives, computers, or services (pretty much everything). When I see Chinese (stuff), i feel it/they is passionless, souless, and greedy.

That is even when i see a proven, scientific data. Because data or scientific fact is not important. What is important is... who made it. Was it cheatin, lying scum Chinese (companies i mean, not people)? Or proud, honest, patriotic American. Answer is simple.

The keyword here is “expect”... sure there might a few honest Chinese (company). Or there might be few data showing quality.. or some might actually be good. But I expect none of those.

ALL Chinese = Dishonest, ugly, lying, cheating in my book. Because most are.

ps=yes... jeez im being all twisty and entire thing is a joke. Last time i didnt mention something like this a joke, some people went bonkers. Its a friggin joke.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top