Starting to get into knives

J

johnnyr135

Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Messages
21
Hi this is my first post I' am new to knives. My first I bought a year ago it was a Cold Steel knife I do not see it on the site it was advertised as a small folding Katana it had a Tanto blade and was a limited knife.

I ended up losing the knife when I moved recently or it walked away since a few of us were using it. I decided to replace the knife with a new EDC knife. I do not like to buy things twice so I usually try to get quality item when I purchase. I was looking at Chris Reeve knives and while I was doing reading it seems for about that money I could buy a custom knife. While doing reading on the forums it seemed that steel the blade was made of was a big factor in how long the blade lasted, I was not impressed with my cold steel knife as the blade dulled quickly or the money around $400.

I ended up purchasing a Duane Dwyer Custom DDC SMF Tanto Carbon Folder Tactical with a CPMS 110V Steel Blade. Could some one tell me what DDC, SMF and CPMS 110V mean? I know the CPMS 110V refers to the steel and what I have read it is strong and should keep an edge but that is as much as I know. I think this could become a new hobby and I would like to learn more about custom knives thanks
 
well i suppose "starting at the deep end" is what would be most appropriate, welcome to baldeforums
 
Thank you for the info! Is the knife I bought a good EDC knife? Is their a stronger steel for a blade to be made of I saw a CPM Rex 121 Grade but I did not see any actual knives made of it other then 2 and they were sold.
 
Wow you got a great knife in my opinion!

DDC = Duane dwyer custom
SMF = Strider military folder.

CPM s110v is a fantastic steel! It is one of the best. It is in the top tier of steels, a "super steel". I think there is only 1 more steel higher grade from crucible in that line and its s125v. I have yet to even see a knife in that though.

I don't pretend to know very much about steels but I can relay what I have heard about s110v. It it supposed to shine in edge retention. But not in a razor edge necessarily, but a toothier edge that will cut forever. I have heard that all of the steel in that line have that trait. So don't be discouraged if after you use it a few times it feels a little dull. It isn't dull, it just lost that initial razor edge. It's prime is in the deceptively "dull" toothier edge. It will cut till the cows come home.

Now i know this is true from experience from s30v and s90v, I don't have any personal experiences with s110v. If its better than s90v,(which it is), then you have a damn fine steel.

For example you should check out Ankerson's thread comparing steels. So far, from the steels he has tested, he has s90v at the top, and s90v is below s110v. It is to my understanding that these steels are a powder steel, that are melted in a vacum with electricity. ( I think I read it somewhere, someone correct me if I am completely wrong.) So the process makes it an incredibly pure steel and something about the process with the carbides makes it stronger.

Btw, good luck sharpening!

There are a lot of people that know a of a lot more than me, hopefully they will chime in and correct me and add to my understanding of s110v.

Gratz on your knife and Welcome to Blade Forums!
 
Last edited:
Welcome!
sterb094.gif
 
johnnyr135 said:
Thank you for the info! Is the knife I bought a good EDC knife? Is their a stronger steel for a blade to be made of I saw a CPM Rex 121 Grade but I did not see any actual knives made of it other then 2 and they were sold.
Click to expand...

Rex 121 is extremely rare, expensive, and hard. Hard doesn't = good. Hard usually means brittle as well. Rex 121 is a tool steel and isn't stainless.

Trust me, you got a FANTASTIC knife steel!
 
Thank you guys the forum is very informative and I made my decision from what I picked up here. I was hesitant on whether I bought a good knife I know it was expensive but that does not always mean good. Is their a way to upload photos without a URL, just browse and import? Thanks
 
Welcome!

johnnyr135 said:
I was not impressed with my cold steel knife as the blade dulled quickly or the money around $400.
Click to expand...
Umm, I lost you here bud.

johnnyr135 said:
I ended up purchasing a Duane Dwyer Custom DDC SMF Tanto Carbon Folder Tactical with a CPMS 110V Steel Blade.
Click to expand...
Excellent choice! I wish I could shell out $900 for my first high end folder.
The only thing I would be concerned if a tanto blade would meet your EDC requirements/tasks.

johnnyr135 said:
I know the CPMS 110V refers to the steel and what I have read it is strong and should keep an edge but that is as much as I know.
thanks
Click to expand...
No matter how good the steel is, sooner or later it will become dull, depending on frequency and type of cutting. So if you want to keep your blade sharp I'd suggest investing in a good sharpening system such as EdgePro. Buy some cheap knife and practice on it until you perfect your sharpening skill as I would hate to see someone ruining a custom blade by sharpening it first time.
 
Yes you can. You could send it back to Strider if you wanted. Be cautious with that approach though. Even though I am a Strider fan, they are a small company, and it is somewhat difficult to contact them + slow turnaround time.

If you want to go that route. You might want to consider some professional sharpening services. They would probably be faster. They would charge, but it wouldn't be an arm and a leg. You would probably have a turnaround time of a couple weeks instead of over a month.

I would seriously consider getting a high end sharpening system as a future purchase. I know your probably broke for awhile, but luckily your knife won't be dull for awhile. :D lol Some of the best systems on the market are the already mentioned Edge Pro, Wicked Edge, DMT,Sharp maker, Paper wheels, or a Tormek. Just depends on what your comfortable with, and is cost efficient for you. All the systems have Pros and Cons, just look at each system objectively and pick one your comfortable with.
 
Welcome! nice knife and all but I think you're in a bit of a situation sharpening wise.I'm far from an expert but your knife will probably keep that edge for a long time with reasonable use. However, it will eventually need to be re-sharpened and S110V is reportedly a b***h to sharpen.

One option is sending it in but as has been mentioned turn around time might be a little extended. We have a lot of members here who offer sharpening services with lots better turn around time.

You will probably eventually have to learn to sharpen(since you're here now and you'll probably be buying more knives in short order) and obtain quality sharpening tools. So just enjoy your knife for the moment and read and learn from this forum(this forum has a lot of combined experience, knowledge, and wisdom which make it a valuable resource for an individual wanting to learn about knives).
 
The above knife is the Duane Dwyer I purchased I'am reading more and started a new thread now that I'am reading more I would like your opinions. I hope this is OK, Thank you all!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top