Sv35sn love it or hate it?

D

djmundle

Joined
Aug 26, 2006
Messages
47
Hello

I was wondering what thoughts you Sebenza owners have about this sv35 steel. How well does your keep an edge? Have you had any edge roll?

Thinking of getting my first sebenza and would like to know your opinion.

Thanks.
!Dale
 
At 60 HRC, I love it. Actually a steel that ticks all the right boxes for me in a folder. Retention is great, toughness is decent (for stainless). However stock (at 58-59... maybe lower), all my sebenzas dent, roll and dull faster than any knife I've ever had. I frankly wouldn't have any CRK's if I couldn't have the blade hardened after. Just simply dulls and dents too easy. Most custom makers I've talked to said 60-61 is perfect for S35, I tend to agree after a years hard and light use at 60.
 
SMI said:
At 60 HRC, I love it. Actually a steel that ticks all the right boxes for me in a folder. Retention is great, toughness is decent (for stainless). However stock (at 58-59... maybe lower), all my sebenzas dent, roll and dull faster than any knife I've ever had. I frankly wouldn't have any CRK's if I couldn't have the blade hardened after. Just simply dulls and dents too easy. Most custom makers I've talked to said 60-61 is perfect for S35, I tend to agree after a years hard and light use at 60.
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Bingo.
 
It works great for me. Holds an edge for a two week vacation, prepping every meal, fishing every day, a camp trip. One point difference in hardness is equal to the margin of error for some harness machines...I.e. no difference.
 
I hate putting a 600 grit hand rub on it but that's all I have to complain about. Hardness 60-61 rc is perfect.
 
I have a BG42, S30v, and a new Sebbie 25 with s35v, and i cant see any significant performance difference between them.
 
SMI said:
At 60 HRC, I love it. Actually a steel that ticks all the right boxes for me in a folder. Retention is great, toughness is decent (for stainless). However stock (at 58-59... maybe lower), all my sebenzas dent, roll and dull faster than any knife I've ever had. I frankly wouldn't have any CRK's if I couldn't have the blade hardened after. Just simply dulls and dents too easy. Most custom makers I've talked to said 60-61 is perfect for S35, I tend to agree after a years hard and light use at 60.
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I have the same issues and it's disappointing on a $400+ knife, to say the least. How do you have them hardened?
 
Great steel, easier to hone than S30V, takes a finer edge, no problems with rolling or chipping even with a hair-popping edge. Kudos to Chris Reeve and CPM for coming up with this one.
 
No issues here - I think I have tried most of the steels available used in production knives - no real problem with the S35vn CRK uses.

My Nyala, Professional Soldier, Mnandi, and 3 large sebenzas all have the 35 - no issues. My umnumzaan has S30V, and other than a slight color difference, I don't experience any measurable differences between the two steels in CRK. I think the Crucible Mills data sheet for S35VN says there is a 20% increase in durability over S30V.

That being said, I'm not real hard on my gear, and I have quite an edc rotation, so I have no opinion on long term carry/ usage. I have not experienced any edge roll, and for my normal cutting needs edge retention is good.

My edc during the week (office job) is one of my large sebenzas in a slip pouch. I usually strop them at the end of the week and all is good.

If I have some real hard cutting or hard use coming up, I tend to grab one of the knives I have in 3v, D2, M4.
 
dano said:
I have a BG42, S30v, and a new Sebbie 25 with s35v, and i cant see any significant performance difference between them.
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I can most certainly tell the difference. I have all three steels mentioned above by CRK. First off the S30v I have from 2010 is at a HRC of 55-57:eek: smooth as butter but also soft as butter I guess haha. The s35vn is a little better and the bg42 is the best when talking about blade steels straight from CRK. I recently had my s35vn sent for re heat treating so I will have more to say on that later. I have however, had other knives with s35vn hardened in the 60-61 range one of my hinderers and they do perform better in edge retention. Of course you run the risk of the steel being a little more chippy at that HRC. Note this chippiness is seen more in s30v. The s35vn has the benefit of taking a higher heat treat without or less of a risk of running into a chippy edge.

So if your going to use S35vn for chopping or very hard use and easier sharpening, the lower HRC may serve that purpose well. If you are just going to cut and slice and edge retention is your goal then 58-59 is a bet weak in my very humble opinion. Although it is easier to sharpen and strop. My s35vn sebenza is much easier to sharpen (stones cut faster that is) than by seb in BG 42.
 
brownshoe said:
It works great for me. Holds an edge for a two week vacation, prepping every meal, fishing every day, a camp trip. One point difference in hardness is equal to the margin of error for some harness machines...I.e. no difference.
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Those of us who have used it at 58-59 and at 60-61 know what that single point can do. Trust me, it isn't "no difference."

FW JSB said:
I have the same issues and it's disappointing on a $400+ knife, to say the least. How do you have them hardened?
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Paul Bos Heat Treating (Paul Farner now runs things). There is another thread in the CRK forum dedicated to it. You'll be able to see a lot more info there.

This is the thread
 
As a guy who's considering buying his first CRK in the next month or so, this is a bit disconcerting. Maybe I should be on the lookout for a used S30V model? Don't want to have to send a brand new $400 blade to get re-heat treated.
 
Krazy Cash said:
As a guy who's considering buying his first CRK in the next month or so, this is a bit disconcerting. Maybe I should be on the lookout for a used S30V model? Don't want to have to send a brand new $400 blade to get re-heat treated.
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Well the s30v model won't fix this situation, it at the same or lower HRC. It's more chippy at the higher HRC. It can be put to 60-61 (quoting crucible if I remember right) but if your doing to cut anything really hard you might run into a problem. Hence why s35vn is favored now. I have a s30v at 55-57.

As far as this steering one away from a CRK. It should not. A lot of people around this forum (CRK) have owned a lot of high end and custom knives, but we all keep coming back to CRK. At least I do. I mean I love some of my customs and all but there is nothing like a sebenza in my opinion. It's my perfect pocket knife. The fit and finish, the attention to detail, the simplicity of its design and take down is pure brilliance.
Would I chop with this knife?...no I have an camp axe or fixed blade for that with a lower HRC that can take the beating. In the day of over sized folders and insatiable appetite for the decked out grail knife, I still think the sebenza takes the prize. It's in my opinion a pocket knife with the qaulity to back it up. I could certainly go on all day and by now you know what camp I walk around. I also am not a fan boy and I dont instantly praise absolutely everything CRK. That being said this whole heat treating thing is a minor detail and is really about making my favorite pocket knife even better. Honestly a few HRC is not much, and yes it makes a difference, but I would choose a stock sebenza over a lot of production models you put in front of me. Plus I know what I am going to use this knife for. It's not going to be cutting anything to hard so I feel comfortable with the higher HRC. The lower HRC may actually have a benefit in being able to take more abuse. So depending on how you look at it, the 58-59 may actually build the case for why you should buy one!

Cliff notes?! = if you are thinking of buying a CRK and have the money, do it you will not be disappointed. The HRC is a very minor detail in the whole package and in my opinion simply put it over the top. It's only interest to me bc I want my sebenza to be even better than it already is and I know what I am going to be cutting with this knife.

I'm just sayin..
 
Love love love S30V and S35VN. The only real cut tests I've personally done were to compare CRK and Strider's HT. I spent hours cutting different media with both. My results? Little to no difference except it takes more care to get a great edge on the CRKs. I still love em both but CRK makes the better all around knife.
 
Krazy Cash said:
As a guy who's considering buying his first CRK in the next month or so, this is a bit disconcerting. Maybe I should be on the lookout for a used S30V model? Don't want to have to send a brand new $400 blade to get re-heat treated.
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I don't see a big difference between S30V and S35VN at approximately the same Rc. Results may vary with different uses, though.
 
I only have one CRK in S35VN, but I own a Spyderco Native in S35VN and a Spyderco Sage in S30V. I can attest that I notice the steels are very different. The easiest way to demonstrate is simply the sound and feel the blades (which are very similar in size and shape) make when you run them across a Spyderco triangle sharpmaker. The S35VN is much smoother and sharpens up a lot quicker. (it almost feels self lubricating) The S30V seems harder and makes much more of a scratching sound. I hard-use both my Spydercos and chip them often. I would say it takes twice the effort to remove a chip from S30V than it does from S35VN. Also my impression is that S30V stays sharper longer. I can't really attest to toughness as I am not typically prying on anything. I also feel the S35VN takes a better mirror finish, and is overall easier to make beautiful, which I think may have been one of the motives for CRK to look for an alternative to S30V. IE, a blade that is easily sharpened, by the end-user, that can be machined and polished to a better finish, in less time, with less wear and tear on the production equipment. Being a tool and die maker, I would assume Chris Reeve factors in the cost of how often all the stones and hones that are used to produce a CRK knife blade need to be replaced, and how much time is spent making them perfect, when switching to S35VN. My comparison is not scientific as I do not know the exact hardness of my S30V Taiwan Sage vs my S35VN USA Native, but my impressions seem to line up with Crucibles concept for the steels. I suggest you try a similar comparison if you own knives in both steels.

All in all, my CRK knife is one of the most technically perfect and highest quality items I own. I love it and am happy with either steel. Whatever CRK needed to use to produce it is OK with me. Just thought I'd add my observations and some speculation. I have yet to use my sebe as hard as I use my Spydies, but I am working up to it!
 
I like it and think it's fine at the HRC it's at.
It gets sharp easy, stays sharp, tough, corrosion resistant, no chips or rolls, wear resistant as well.

Good all around blade steel and I like it on my CRK's.
 
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