S35VN for Bushcraft

MatthewSB said:
Just to update this thread, I've been using the S35VN Bravo 1 almost exclusively for exploring, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, camping, and general woods bumming.

What I've learned is that there is more to a knife than just the steel used, it's the thickness and grind and whatever else. After using the super stainless and experiencing very little compromise between fantastic edge retention and a total lack of a need for concern about corrosion, I don't think I'll ever go for a high carbon steel again if I can help it.

I also learned that S35VN is way easier to sharpen than some of the other super stainless steels, kind of a "sweet spot" that explains why Chris Reeve, Spartan, and other makers of top shelf user knives use it over more exotic steels.

I'm about to put it away (I finally got a Harsey Hunter, that I've been wanting badly since Mistwalker's post in this thread, that will be at my side for at least a while) but the S35VN Bravo 1 is a great knife that I highly recommend to anyone looking for an extremely tough, rust resistant fixed blade that takes up very little space on a belt or in a 'pack and is a great cutter.
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Cool, I hope your Hunter serves you well man, mine has done well by me. It has been worked here in the humid temperate rain forest I live in

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The swamps of south Florida

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On to the frozen waste land that was northern Michigan last year...

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That coating cleans up nicely too. It looked like this three or maybe four years ago now...

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And like this on a hike this past October.

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It has definitely been one of the best, if not the best all around knife I have had in the field. Bill did an excellent job of combining strength and slicing capability with the awesome hollow grind and the tip profile. The cryo-quenched they do on their CPM S35VN blades makes them very tough, and take a great edge, yet isn't hard to maintain in the field.

I have been so impressed with this knife, that I am currently on the waiting list for one of Bill's "Tactical Trout Knives" to have almost the same knife, in the same awesome cryo-quenched CPM S35VN, but in a smaller lighter package and with a tapered tang :)

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sodak said:
Thanks for the long term update! It's always interesting to see a report after a length of time has elapsed. I have shied away from S35VN because I've had a lot of bad experience with S30V, but it sounds like a good steel, I'll keep my eyes open for it in the future. Good luck with your Harsey!
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S30V is very different from S35VN, and not just on paper, it's very noticeable through use.

I've had S30V folders chip from cutting zipties, really any sideways force on the edge can break a chip off if the steel is ground thin enough. Even on my thinnest ground slicing S35VN folder the worst I've had happen is a slight roll in the edge that straightened out the next time it was sharpened.
 
Yea thin S35VN is pretty bomb proof and easy to work with for both cluniary and outdoor use from my experience.
 
Great conversation about S35VN. Now I want another knife in it as my only one is a Spyderco Native 5. I like the smaller Harsey "Tactical Trout Knife". I'll have to wait and see what the dimensions are, but I generally prefer this blade shape for most everything and get much more use out of smaller fixed blades than the larger ones that tend to just sit around unused.

Before Christmas I was in Cabelas and I purchased their Buck 192 Alaskan Guide Series which has a black blade, made in S30V and has a nice leather sheath. Haven't tried it out yet, but it is a really nice knife. Now with the comments about S30V and chipping, makes me hesitant to choose it where I have to depend on it.
 
No s30v troubles here.. Have quite a few knives in this steel.. John:thumbup:
 
I often wondered the same about S35VN, the Spartan Harsey sure seems to show it's up to it.I love that knife!
 
I'm looking at a BRKT Bravo Vortex in s35vn as a general chore camp knife in damp-ish conditions. Some of the s35vn threads here circa 2011 aren't very flattering to s35vn, but the more recent reviews seem to be suggesting the steel is better than what prior threads gave it credit for... Do you guys think this an issue where earlier users were having heat treat or intended-use issues that have since been sorted out, or is it just one of those polarizing topics here on the forums that some people love s35vn and some people hate it no matter what?

For a general camp chore knife in stainless - jack of all trades/master of none, is s35vn a solid choice or should I look at something in Elmax, CPM154, s30v, xxxx?
 
Wasn't the chipping problem of S30V due to high hardness and thin edge ? Those things do make a difference !!
 
I know I'm late to the conversation but I'd like to add a few things from my experience with S35VN. (Sorry for the Necro)

1) The steel is tougher then 1095 and about as tough as O1 tool steel.
2) Great corrosion resistance.
3) Excellent resistance to chipping.
4) Not hard to sharpen.
5) Excellent edge holding.

The great thing about this steel and the reason so many people are using it is because it has so many positives and almost no negatives other then being pricey.
If I was gonna have a one tool option which I know people hate that term, but "if" I was, I would have it made in S35VN just because of everything I listed above. I know everyone is riding on the Gravy 3v train with biscuit wheels but 3V has some downsides as well such as chipping, hard to sharpen, and corrosion issues.
 
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