Torn on S30V

[DGG]

Count it on the human touch.

Blop - Sure there is!

It is easy to see. Most VG-10 (Spyderco steel) knives come with a very narrow hollow-ground blade. Most s30v blades have a little thicker and often times a flat-ground blade.

Remember the knife rules, "Thinner is sharper in knives (most times)" and "Bigger is stronger in knives (most times)". The secret is to find the sweet spot between the two. That's the battle the knife designers and engineers fight daily.

Here is a very good flat-ground Spyderco "Military" model with an 4mm thick s30v blade.

http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=19

Here is a very good hollow-ground (actually called saber hollow-ground) Spyderco "Delica 4" model with a 2.5mm VG-10 steel blade.

http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=210

Just by looking at them (without any testing) which do you think would feel sharper and cut easier?

I think every knife owner/collector should own one of each of these little beauties!

Now here is the Spyderco "Chinook" model that seems to have the best of both worlds, hollow-ground 4mm s30v steel blade.

http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=22

If I were looking for a folder to take camping/hunting I would really be considering the Chinook model. You can find the same types of knives from Benchmade and many other manufacturers. I just posted Spydies because the pictures show up so good.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

If I were clearing brush and swinging full arm, say I didn't notice the big azz rock and came down on it brakeless. What would 1095 do? What would s30v do?

I have done that numerous times clearing brush, the tougher steels won't chip, they will just deform and take far less damage. The toughness of S30V isn't in the same class as the tougher tool steels, they are as similar in that respect as they are in corrosion resistance.

-Cliff

 

[G3]

I have done that numerous times clearing brush, the tougher steels won't chip, they will just deform and take far less damage. The toughness of S30V isn't in the same class as the tougher tool steels, they are as similar in that respect as they are in corrosion resistance.

-Cliff

Maybe. My point was also that it may not matter what the steel is but rather how you hit the rock.

Lets take this perspective for discussion:

If s30v is molecularly denser and the molecules are closely knit, wouldn't logic stand to reason that hitting a smaller spot on the edge will chip it easier than hitting a larger surface area? Where you may have .25" surface impact as opposed to say 1" of surface coming into contact with the obstacle. I would think s30v may chip in smaller areas due to weakening of a smaller portion due to the impact, but would be stronger spanning larger surface areas than something like 1095. In the same scenario I would foresee 1095 denting severly on the .25" hit as opposed to rolling the edge or mushing it on a larger surface area.

True 1095 may not chip as easily but the edge would be destroyed nonetheless. I still think that it may also depend on the obstacle your hitting that can make a drastic difference on the edge. If you hit a flat surface of a rock the edge may not chip but hit a corner or jagged area and it would stand to reason that chipping will occur regardless unless the steel was too soft.

 

[Redguy]

GFarrell3,

You are absolutely right, but remember, a deformed or rolled blade can be steeled out, but you can't repair a chipped one without removing a significant amount of metal.

 

[G3]

Yes but that's a repair issue. My point was about the steel used when getting damaged. Repairing leads to another slew of methods and practices, etc. So what is the real proof S30V isn't as good as a tool steel for chopping?

Cliff may have already drawn an opinion from his testing and thats fair...for HIS experience. Obviously there are many of us with different examples and experiences and thats what needs to be combed through and proven or eliminated to clear up the general understanding of its capabilities and limitations.

 

[DGG]

Too much talk, IMHO.

Does anyone have a link to pictures that show edge closeups of all this damage to s30v blades along with an explanation of what the user was doing when it occurred? Pictures would be the proof of the pudding!