Will S30V ever be an "outdated" steel to you?

Nope. I don't consider 440/425HC/D2/10xx/5160 "outdated" either, since they still do what I need, and it is easy to refresh the edge in a short amount of time -- with an Arkansas stone or smooth river rock. SiC and/or diamond plates/stones need not apply. (Admittedly, they do make thinning and re-profiling the edge go a  lot faster.)
 
irsh said:
At some point knives will no longer utilize a metal cutting blade, at that point anything prior will likely be considered an antique.
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You can already get ceramic blades.
Can't be sharpened (at least not by conventional means. I don't know if they can be knapped.) Even worse, they are quite brittle and prone to chipping.
Personally, I don't think steel blades will ever become history. At least not until they overcome the brittleness, and possibly the user sharpenability issue.
Maybe someday they will come up with plasma knife blades, that don't need to be plugged in to a high voltage outlet, or an external battery pack, won't cook the fish you clean, or your apple or game critter when you cut or peel it. Doubtful, though, considering how warm plasma is ...
 
It's going to always be steel and steel makes a good blade. Some high end makers are still using some form of 440 and it's just fine.
 
23 years already?!?!?! I remember working with it a LOOOONG time ago when I dabbled in making knives in college and I graduated in 2002! CPM S35VN was made to improve on S30V since people complained about S30V being hard to sharpen and hard to finish to a nice finish. CPM S45VN was made to be a US made version of Elmax after the duties/taxes on it went way up, not as an improvement to S30V from what I read? CPM20CV is Crucibles version of M390.

But I still like S30V. I have a few folders with it that are in the daily rotation.
 
My EDC Bugout is S30VN and I don’t have any issues putting an edge on it. I have chipped the edge a time or two using it aggressively other than cutting but I worked it out every time. I’m surprised that people still buy the traditional knives in “surgical steel”. I did pick up a couple Case Trappers and Stockmans in S35VN though. They may see more pocket time. I can’t carry their CV knives as I sweat profusely. 🐷
 
shqxk said:
S30V still has better edge retention over Magnacut, Elmax and S45VN, according to CATRA. So definitely far from outdated...
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Also worth noting that s35vn was designed to make s30v easier to machine. The only thing that makes it better for the end user is it's easier to sharpen and tougher.
 
Also the price difference between S30V, S35VN and S45VN is pretty small, especially relative to the overall cost of a knife. And S30V is the most wear resistant of the three so it should actually cost manufacturers a little more in terms of consumables.

People are also sometimes surprised to learn that M390 and S90V are both older than S30V. M390 is from the early 1980s, S90V the late 1990s. "New" isn't always new.
 
I've been messing with S30V for a long time now. I like it. I don't think steels have progressed enough to make it irrelevant, yet.
 
Macchina said:
When I got into knives back in the late 90's 440C and 154CM were the king of steels for folders. VG10 and D2 were advanced steels (that I still love) and ironically 1095 wasn't nearly as common as it is now. S30V would be released in 2001 and was instantly the king of stainless for folders!

Now that S30V is 23 years old (holy cow)! It seems it should have faded away, especially since S35VN and S45VN are "improvements" on the steel. But it hasn't and is still available in many premium knives. It is easily sharpened with diamonds and ceramic and tends to hold a useable edge (in my use) as long as steels that go for a much higher premium. It is a powder steel and arguably quite similar to many of the more recent super steel releases.

Some people have complaints about S30V (I've never had a chip in 23 years, but others claim to), but it's still a very attractive steel to me. I'll happily buy a several hundred dollar knife in it and bring a knife with it as my only knife for week-long hunts. I can't say the same for 440C and 154CM! Sure, the new super steels are fun and I like some of them more, but S30V crossed a threshold in edge holding and since what we use our knives on doesn't change the usability of S30V will never change either. It definitely seems to be sticking around.
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It was outdated to me the day that S35 was released. It's ok for smaller blades, but it does chip if you are chopping with a larger blade. Or if you're using one of the fighting knives it has been used for in a fight and hit the edge on a magazine or metal clip or buckle on your opponent. Or hitting a know while cutting a tent stake or a sector stake.
I'd rather have 154CM or ATS 34. Or a good carbon steel.
 
It already is outdated, but in reality I still buy 1095 bladed knives and would love to find O1 bladed knives. Who is using Magnacut or 3v to their potential besides people testing the steel? 1% of people who actual use the knife? Less?
 
For "bragging rights" the latest & greatest super steels are mandatory.

For actual use, anything that Spyderco chose for a blade steel going back to the 90's (including but not limited to: Gin 1/2, ATS34/55, AUS 8/10, VG10 or SV30) should be just fine
 
S30v is a great steel to me. I hope it does get outdated so it will be offered on more knives for less money.
 
sharkattacksw said:
Considering most knives spend more time decorating pockets than actually being used, S30V is just fine.
Guys like to go on and on about super steels, and how they can tell a difference. If there was a “blind taste test” and the same knife, in different steels, was sharpened exactly the same way (same edge profile, same stones used, etc.) and then guys had to pick which steel was which, I bet most couldn’t do it.
Going on and on about “super steels” is like having a Z06 in your garage that you only drive 35mph to pick up a loaf of bread. It’s fun to talk about various steels, but in the end, most guys’s knives are basically pocket jewelry. But most won’t admit it.
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I’m glad you said most knifes. But, I wouldn’t take it to everyone of them. There are actually some people who's profession and lifestyle are able to tell the difference in the performance.
Maybe you should get out more and learn about other things that other people do and work with then maybe you might have a better understanding. It seems there are many people on the forum want to compare everything to their own standard of profession, work, lifestyle and hobbies without considering there are other ways other than their own ways.
In your world maybe you don’t do things or encounter the materials, situations and environments that really put a knife steel to the test. So you don’t really have a need for the super steels and that’s okay but in my world I have need for super steels and I’m glad we have them. That doesn’t mean yours is junk or trash, it just means you don’t have need of something else.
 
VorpelSword said:
Not sure what you mean by "outdated". The industry h=seems to have moved on from
S30V in favor of S35VN and now Magnicut though . . .so maybe it is already outdated.

Interesting to note that 440C is still used by some premium knife makers. Its gotta be 60+ years old as a formulation. is a steel out dated if it is still used by semi-production shops like Randall?
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The fact that Crucible has come out with two "updated" generations since S30V was released in 2001 (i.e., S35VN and S45VN) suggest it's getting a little long in the tooth. Magnacut is interesting because it is exceptionally well-rounded. For less than a 10% decrease in edge retention compared to S30V, Magnacut offers 3-4x the toughness, is close to corrosion-proof, and is easy to sharpen. The extreme edge retention steels (e.g., S90V/S110V/S125V, ZDP-189) still have a niche they dominate. But for a general EDC stainless steel, pretty much everything is going to be substantially worse than Magnacut in at least 2 out of the 3 primary steel qualities (edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance). That sort of combination makes pretty much all general-use stainless steels "outdated" by comparison.

440C is absolutely outdated, but for a shop like Randall, that's sort of the point. You're paying for a nostalgic heirloom that's more or less the same as the knives they've been making for the last 80+ years.
 
I don't have near the breadth of experience with different steels that lots of folks on here do. I like S30V, though. It may be my favorite overall steel. It takes a good edge with a minimum of fuss and holds it a good, long while for me. (Probably because I don't actually use it all that much, except for opening letters.)
 
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