Where to buy thin 3V

F

fields_mj

Joined
Nov 29, 2015
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Can anyone point me towards a source for thin CPM 3V? I'm looking for something 1/16" or less. I'd like to make a set of steak knives, and potentially a pair of fillet knives with it. I can find it as thin as 3/32, but I'd like to go a little thinner.

Thanks,
Mark
 
Not 3V but SB specialty metals did sell thin cpm M4, maybe they’ll have one or the other.

Hoss
 
Just checked Alpha, they have K390, M2, and Z-wear, all would be similar or better than 3V. All in thin sizes.

Hoss
 
DevinT said:
Just checked Alpha, they have K390, M2, and Z-wear, all would be similar or better than 3V. All in thin sizes.

Hoss
Click to expand...
Just checking Alpha. They only go down to .093 on Z Wear. I'm looking for something in the .050 to .062 range, and would be willing to go a little thinner.
 
Story of my life, which is why I'm on here looking for some thin 3v or ZWear. Dream on ... (Never cared for the Stones anyway...)
 
Click on the link below to go to the 80CrV2 page:
https://www.alphaknifesupply.com/shop/1080-carbon-steel

On the right side of the page, after the "Add to cart" buttons is a column named:
"See All Blade Materials By Thickness".

Click on the .040" Group. This will show all alloys in stock that are around .040" thick:
https://www.alphaknifesupply.com/shop/blade-materials/040-blade-material

Click on the .060" Group. This will show all alloys in stock that are around .060" thick:
https://www.alphaknifesupply.com/shop/blade-materials/060-blade-material

If you want a high performance alloy similar to Z-Wear, check out Bohler K390. It is an excellent high performance high carbon blade steel. We currently have it in .052" thick.

Chuck
 
Alpha Knife Supply said:
Click on the link below to go to the 80CrV2 page:
https://www.alphaknifesupply.com/shop/1080-carbon-steel

On the right side of the page, after the "Add to cart" buttons is a column named:
"See All Blade Materials By Thickness".

Click on the .040" Group. This will show all alloys in stock that are around .040" thick:
https://www.alphaknifesupply.com/shop/blade-materials/040-blade-material

Click on the .060" Group. This will show all alloys in stock that are around .060" thick:
https://www.alphaknifesupply.com/shop/blade-materials/060-blade-material

If you want a high performance alloy similar to Z-Wear, check out Bohler K390. It is an excellent high performance high carbon blade steel. We currently have it in .052" thick.

Chuck
Click to expand...
Any word on when the Vanax is coming back? That was a wonderful assortment of stock thickness you guys had when it was available.
 
We received part of the shipment: K390, N690, 440C, D2 & Vanadis 4 Extra. We are still waiting for M390, Elmax & Vanax.

We will have them back on website as soon as they arrive.

Chuck
 
Alpha Knife Supply said:
Click on the link below to go to the 80CrV2 page:
https://www.alphaknifesupply.com/shop/1080-carbon-steel

On the right side of the page, after the "Add to cart" buttons is a column named:
"See All Blade Materials By Thickness".

Click on the .040" Group. This will show all alloys in stock that are around .040" thick:
https://www.alphaknifesupply.com/shop/blade-materials/040-blade-material

Click on the .060" Group. This will show all alloys in stock that are around .060" thick:
https://www.alphaknifesupply.com/shop/blade-materials/060-blade-material

If you want a high performance alloy similar to Z-Wear, check out Bohler K390. It is an excellent high performance high carbon blade steel. We currently have it in .052" thick.

Chuck
Click to expand...

K390 doesn't seem like it would fit my application very well. My wife uses our steak/kitchen knives for everything. We have a decent set of Wusthof knives that I bought her when we were dating (+15 years ago), but they sit in the block. Edge retention is always important to me, but on such a thin blade, and with such a thin profile, I would have thought that durability would be the primary trait that I would want to look for in a steel. Same for a fillet knife. I use my fillet knives a LOT. I use them to process pretty much all of my game (pan fish, pheasants, quail, deer). For me, they do a much better job than a boning knife (which I have a few of). Again, with such a thin blade that's going to get some side loads, and is going to flex while in use, I would have thought that I would have been looking for something really tough which is why I'm looking for 3V. Sounds like Z-Wear has nearly identical traits to 3V, so I'm happy to go that route. K390 seems to normally get compared to 10V, S90V, and other ultra hard, wear resistant steels. I've been warned away from using those steels in some applications because they are prone to chip when abused.

I didn't plan on this thread becoming a "which steel is best for XXXX" discussion, but I'm willing to listen to good advice. I don't make knives to sell (yet), I've just made them for my own use. It's more expensive than buying a good production knife, and probably more expensive than many custom knives by the time I include the cost of my equipment, but I like making my own tools. It allows me to get what I really want (despite what Hoss might say ;-) ) instead of what someone else wants to sell me, and the tools I acquire along the way always seem to be a lot more useful once I own them. I was starting to get into making blades before I got married (20 years ago). Made a handful of different hunting knives out of 01 that I've been using ever since. Once I got married, bought an old house, and started a family, there was no longer time for it. My home made grinder spent several years relegated to sharpening my mower blades. Over the last several years I've been doing a lot more welding projects making accessories and mods for my ATV, tractor, trailers, and logsplitter. That has put the grinder to good use, but the knife bug has been biting at me consistently for about a year now so I'm trying to ease back into it. Steak knives and fillet knives are about the only blades I ever use that I didn't make, so that seems like a good place to start. So basically I've been a newb for a really long time.
 
Yup, dinnerware made from porcelain, ceramic, glass, stoneware etc. is the main killer of steak knives. It will take the edge off of 3v, 4v, vanadis 6, vanadis 8, vanadis 10, 10v, 12v, 15v, even rex 121.

There is no such thing as a hard use steak knife. And, you’ll need to put small serations at least on the belly of the blade.

Hoss
 
DevinT said:
Yup, dinnerware made from porcelain, ceramic, glass, stoneware etc. is the main killer of steak knives. It will take the edge off of 3v, 4v, vanadis 6, vanadis 8, vanadis 10, 10v, 12v, 15v, even rex 121.

There is no such thing as a hard use steak knife. And, you’ll need to put small serations at least on the belly of the blade.

Hoss
Click to expand...
True. Pretty sure that dinner ware would dull a Jedi lightsaber. I have the tools to keep them sharp. It's having to grind out the chips that's getting old .

In my experience, serrations are a waste of time. I don't like sawing through food to begin with. Once the tips dull, you're back to forcing the blade in order to make it work. Good way to get hurt. I'd rather take the knife to a steel or a stone every time I use it.
 
Consider wharncliffe edge for steak knife - point contacts plate surface = non-cutting dull point, while the rest of edge cuts steak = remain sharp a long time. Also slowly over time discourage users from trying to cut the plate in half using the tip because of pointlessness in doing so. Toughness still needed because of bone contact (get last bit of yummies from tbone and ribs). Wear resistant maybe more of a bragging than a should have since meat isn't loaded with abrasives.

3V & Zwear are good choices for steak and fillet knives ~61rc but so as many other steels. 61rc k390 0.05" thick 6" blade fillet knife with drastic distal taper tip would support 90* elastic bend but it won't supports plough through fish hard rib bone with thin edge geometry (e.g. ffg distal, 15dps, sub 0.01" edge shoulder). Due to limited stock thickness options, maybe buy 0.093" zwear and surface ground it to 0.05-0.06" before or after cut blanks. Before making a set of steak & fillet, maybe pilot this project with inexpensive A2 or zfinit - it might win spots in your knife block.
 
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