Recommendation? Sleipner vs aeb-l vs 80crv2 vs 3v

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Sucar

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I’m thinking about ordering 2 custom knives one hunting knife and a “wood knife” and I’m finding it difficult to chose steels, I own a hunting knife in 4v and I was very happy with it until last years moose season, I hit a small bone in hope it would break and ended up chipped my knife so bad I had to finish field dressing with my pm2, I have really liked sleipner my bush knife but it seems it doesn’t get much love here in America as it does in Europe, I’ve never tried 3v or 80crv2 I’ve tried A2 but honestly I like sleipner better, I hunt big game and in the wood knife and in the woods knife I prefer a scandi or scandivex, and if anyone can recommend a custom or semi knife maker that will not take months to reply it would be great and thought not limited, made in the USA would be better for both knives
 
Or any other steel that might be better for each application just considering enough toughness to hold up for each job and be able to sharp in the field if need to, idc that much about corrosion resistance, I’ve never had a problem with rust.
 
Welcome to Blade forums S Sucar

Check the exchange for

*Carothers Feild knife - Delta 3V
*Gossman Tusker - any steel he’s using
*Swamp Rat HRLM or RMD - SR101 steel
*Winkler knives - Feild , belt or hunter model 80crv2 steel

Or you could check the makers market for excellent customs

*JJSMITH
*CPE knives
*Bill Siegle
*Phillip Patton
*Robert Erickson
*Tony Mont

Any of those would probably serve your purpose - might need to thin the edges down a little.
 
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luethge said:
Welcome to Blade forums S Sucar

Check the exchange for

*Carothers Feild knife - Delta 3V
*Gossman Tusker - any steel he’s using
*Swamp Rat HRLM or RMD - SR101 steel
*Winkler knives - Feild , belt or hunter model 80crv2 steel

Or you could check the makers market for excellent customs

*JJSMITH
*CPE knives
*Bill Siegle
*Phillip Patton
*Robert Erickson
*Tony Mont

Any of those would probably serve your purpose - might need to thin the edges down a little.
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Already sent an email to Robert Erickson, he’s work looks very good, thank you.
 
Sleipner is decent but 3V is beastly.

I'm surprised that 4V chipped, it's a very tough steel but I guess if ground thin enough it would chip like any steel upon hitting something really hard. My spyderco Province is ground very steep and I chop with it all the time, no chip or any edge deformation...

3V is also decently stain resistance, maybe not as good as AEB-L but definitely better than A2, 80CrV2 and 4V.

Good luck, let us know how it turns out!
 
My understanding is that 3v becomes brittle with thin edges like a normal zero Scandi due to edge stability that’s why I chose sleipner in my past knife, that has got several knives out of my list, do you know if this is true?
 
If 3V does that, then sleipner is worse...sleipner is an improved D2, and D2 has some toughness, but definitely not known for it.

I've plunged my 3V benchmade puukko many times into dirt to dig up plants, and it has gotten no visible chips.

The thinnest knife I have in 3V is a little LT frontier...and the edge has not chipped.
Screenshot_20220504-123634_Chrome.jpg
Hope this helps
 
Sucar said:
I’m thinking about ordering 2 custom knives one hunting knife and a “wood knife” and I’m finding it difficult to chose steels, I own a hunting knife in 4v and I was very happy with it until last years moose season, I hit a small bone in hope it would break and ended up chipped my knife so bad I had to finish field dressing with my pm2, I have really liked sleipner my bush knife but it seems it doesn’t get much love here in America as it does in Europe, I’ve never tried 3v or 80crv2 I’ve tried A2 but honestly I like sleipner better, I hunt big game and in the wood knife and in the woods knife I prefer a scandi or scandivex, and if anyone can recommend a custom or semi knife maker that will not take months to reply it would be great and thought not limited, made in the USA would be better for both knives
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I don't think your 4V chipping was because of the steel as much as it was heat treatment and geometry.

Use a more obtuse edge angle and go from there imo.

Of course, who doesn't want a new knife with another wonderful steel name to try.
 
Dergyll said:
If 3V does that, then sleipner is worse...sleipner is an improved D2, and D2 has some toughness, but definitely not known for it.

I've plunged my 3V benchmade puukko many times into dirt to dig up plants, and it has gotten no visible chips.

The thinnest knife I have in 3V is a little LT frontier...and the edge has not chipped.
View attachment 1808999
Hope this helps
Click to expand...
I guess I’ll try 3v with a scandi
 
Good thread! I have been thinking of more fixed blades lately and have been asking myself these questions, too. I don't know if I should just do a custom fixed blade from David Mary or somebody, because... do I really wanna pay $300 whatever dollars for a Benchmade Mora (er, Puuko) made from 3V or an 11-inch tanto from Cold Steel that would only be used in the woods, so everyone can laugh at me for carrying a cerakote black tanto camping? Just kidding about that last part, could give a zazz what people think about me, but it'd be silly and a custom might be the best choice for steel quality.
 
Hashishiin said:
Good thread! I have been thinking of more fixed blades lately and have been asking myself these questions, too. I don't know if I should just do a custom fixed blade from David Mary or somebody, because... do I really wanna pay $300 whatever dollars for a Benchmade Mora (er, Puuko) made from 3V or an 11-inch tanto from Cold Steel that would only be used in the woods, so everyone can laugh at me for carrying a cerakote black tanto camping? Just kidding about that last part, could give a zazz what people think about me, but it'd be silly and a custom might be the best choice for steel quality.
Click to expand...
To answer your question, yes you do want a blade from David Mary.
 
The only 3v I have is a little LT Wright Frontier First and I haven’t used it hard. I have mine sharpened to 30° inclusive and it seems very tough and durable with my limited use. I can’t imagine this particular knife being chippy at this angle/hardness/etc. It’s also a very aggressive cutter, I think it may become my favorite.
 
AntDog said:
3V is damn durable. I don’t see it chipping on bone, even chopping through it.
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I can see any steel in any grind with any heat treat chipping when hitting frozen bone, especially a huge, dense moose bone.

OP, 3V can be very hard, which is good because it will roll less, but could still chip. Any steel can chip. 3V is a good choice, and is tougher than the other options. I have a 3V knife but haven't tried it yet because I've been so busy. But my Benchmade Leuku seems great so far. Anything with D2 or D2-like steels I dislike, although I'm testing a Manly Patriot in D2 currently. Either way, the 3V or AEB-L options are great.

As an aside, maybe use the back of a knife, or the back edges as a breaker instead of the edge.
 
IaccidentlyCutmyThumb said:
I can see any steel in any grind with any heat treat chipping when hitting frozen bone, especially a huge, dense moose bone.

OP, 3V can be very hard, which is good because it will roll less, but could still chip. Any steel can chip. 3V is a good choice, and is tougher than the other options. I have a 3V knife but haven't tried it yet because I've been so busy. But my Benchmade Leuku seems great so far. Anything with D2 or D2-like steels I dislike, although I'm testing a Manly Patriot in D2 currently. Either way, the 3V or AEB-L options are great.

As an aside, maybe use the back of a knife, or the back edges as a breaker instead of the edge.
Click to expand...
Who ever said anything about anything being frozen? I said I don’t see 3V chipping on bone, and I don’t.

I’ve wailed on a 3V knife I have with wild abandon (pounded it through stuff you shouldn’t try cutting, at all) and it hasn’t taken any damage.
 
80crv2 is also very tough... and if you like a puukko style, whynot get the
Terävä Jääkäripuukko 110? it's under $100 and they have great reviews

by all means, get 3v from Carrothers if you can afford it & are lucky enough to get it in the 5 minute sale window (they sell out really fast)
 
If toughness, edge stability and stainlessness are the combination of qualities you want, go with AEB-L.

If toughness is most important (but not stain resistance or high edge-holding), go 80CrV2.

If toughness and edge-holding are what you want, go 3V. (and if you want to add edge stability to that mix, go Delta 3V from Carothers Performance Knives).

For what you're wanting to do, if was me, I'd go for AEB-L with a thin stock (between 0.10" and 0.15") and a full height convex or flatvex grind. If David Mary were willing to take on a custom job, I would get him to make it and would ask for Suretouch handles.
 
Sleipner is not like D2, it’s more like Cruwear or 3v without powder process. I like it, too.

Just not that popular in the US for whatever reason. That being said CPM 3V or Cruwear are great chip resistant steels if you don’t mind a little maintenance; if you want stainless, AEB-L or NitroV are good choices.

BTW, I suggest to let whoever your maker will be help you with the steel choice. Him being more comfortable with the steel, his grinding process (e.g., main grind before or after heat-treat? Wet or dry ? Etc.), and the edge geometry that he picks, are more important for your knife’s performance, than any steel suggestion anybody else can make here.

And welcome ! :)

Roland.
 
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JWright214 said:
The only 3v I have is a little LT Wright Frontier First and I haven’t used it hard. I have mine sharpened to 30° inclusive and it seems very tough and durable with my limited use. I can’t imagine this particular knife being chippy at this angle/hardness/etc. It’s also a very aggressive cutter, I think it may become my favorite.
Click to expand...
ferider said:
Sleipner is not like D2, it’s more like Cruwear or 3v without powder process. I like it, too.

Just not that popular in the US for whatever reason. That being said CPM 3V or Cruwear are great chip resistant steels if you don’t mind a little maintenance; if you want stainless, AEB-L or NitroV are good choices.

BTW, I suggest to let whoever your maker will be help you with the steel choice. Him being more comfortable with the steel, his grinding process (e.g., main grind before or after heat-treat? Wet or dry ? Etc.), the edge geometry he picks, etc., are more important for your knife’s performance, than any steel suggestion anybody else can make here.

And welcome ! :)

Roland.
Click to expand...
I agree, I cannot say about edge retention compared to D2 because I’ve had so much of a gap in performance between knives in d2 that I’m not sure what would be considered average, I have a dozier Columbia river skinner that changed how I see d2, but sleipner is so much tougher, i don’t understand why people compare it with d2
 
IaccidentlyCutmyThumb said:
I can see any steel in any grind with any heat treat chipping when hitting frozen bone, especially a huge, dense moose bone.

OP, 3V can be very hard, which is good because it will roll less, but could still chip. Any steel can chip. 3V is a good choice, and is tougher than the other options. I have a 3V knife but haven't tried it yet because I've been so busy. But my Benchmade Leuku seems great so far. Anything with D2 or D2-like steels I dislike, although I'm testing a Manly Patriot in D2 currently. Either way, the 3V or AEB-L options are great.

As an aside, maybe use the back of a knife, or the back edges as a breaker instead of the edge.
Click to expand...
 
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