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Showing 1 of 25 conversations about:
Pawz2142
35
May 6, 2017
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seems slightly expensive for S35VN but I guess I'm a steel snob...
MDDoge
296
May 7, 2017
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Pawz2142 Steel is only one part of a knife's production cost, with some others being handle material, handle complexity (e.g. interior milling, inlays, lock type, construction, lock inserts,) bearing type, blade and handle finish, tolerances, QC, etc. Paying for just the steel instead of looking at the overall knife can lead to poor purchases.
Also, S35VN is a fine steel. Chris Reeves uses it for a reason.
Also, S35VN is a fine steel. Chris Reeves uses it for a reason.
Pawz2142
35
May 7, 2017
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MDDogeI'm not saying that the rest of the knife doesn't matter but when it comes down to what matters most (to me) about purchasing then blade steel is at the top of my list. The design and style and everything else I look at second. Call it higher standards.
DutchKnifecollector
8
May 8, 2017
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Pawz2142Jay Fisher has a large section on his website about steel worth reading. A very well made heath treated 440c blade with the right geometry can perform better and hold an edge better then a blade with more expensive steel but with poor geometry and/or poor heath treat. Now these days the steel is far too much emphasized i think. But everyone his own choice of course. Luckily we are free to chose whatever we like :-) Me myself, don't consider the steel as the most important thing. Ergo's, grind, design come first for me.
bdpf
233
May 9, 2017
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DutchKnifecollectorI agree, same for me.
Plus, most people I know that have nice knives with better steels (S35VN, M390) tend to use their cheaper knives with cheaper steels anyway so they don't wreck their nice knives. I tend to do the same :)
Ironically, the nice knives with better steels get used for the lighter tasks that don't require the better steel LOL!
DutchKnifecollector
8
May 9, 2017
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bdpfThat's true. A funny paradox among the knife community for sure!
DutchKnifecollector
8
May 9, 2017
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Pawz2142What about CR knives like the Sebenza? These are starting at $425,- and have S35vn bladesteel & non contoured ti billets for the frame. Also read he comments below on bladesteels.
Pawz2142
35
May 9, 2017
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DutchKnifecollector Everyone has valid opinions here, it just happens that I wouldn't pay $250 for a S35VN blade when i can find an Kershaw with an ELMAX blade for $150 less and almost an ounce in weight less with a decent build quality. I value the less weight, less money, arguably better steel, and familiar brand.
Spidey12341
220
May 9, 2017
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Pawz2142How is elmax better? It seems like many companies and knife makers go for s35vn why not elmax if it's better
Pawz2142
35
May 9, 2017
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Spidey12341People can go on and on all day about what steel is better than another steel, a lot of it is opinion, and the knife market really doesn't determine what's steels are good compared to others. I'm sure if M390 was cheaper it would easily over take s35vn assuming that's the state of the market right now. There's tones of articles about what steel good or bad or whatever, here's one about ELMAX and comparable steels https://www.bladeops.com/Articles.asp?ID=272
MDDoge
296
May 9, 2017
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Spidey12341I think Elmax is used less than S35VN because it's harder to machine and grind. Also, it barely outperformed S35VN in Jim Ankerson's steel edge retention testing, so it's likely a case of too little benefit for the extra cost of manufacture.
@DutchKnifecollector is correct, the geometry and heat treat matter more than the steel (given that they're both similar in purpose). The steel used really only matters in cases where the knife requires incredible performance in one category, which a niche steel fulfills. For example, 3V is often used when high toughness is required, S90V holds a working edge for an incredible length of time, and H1 is highly water resistant.
Otherwise, both Jim Ankerson and Cliff Stamp, highly reputable names in the knife steel testing world, have dicussed at length how little blade steel matters for normal human-knife operation, where the difference in your sharpening and cutting from task to task is far greater than that of the knife's steel, and even more so between knives of different geometry and design. The vast majority of any percieved different between steel performance in use will be operator error and bias. In light of that, I'd personally take the quality of WE over that of Kershaw any day (though I do have several Kershaw knives).
@DutchKnifecollector is correct, the geometry and heat treat matter more than the steel (given that they're both similar in purpose). The steel used really only matters in cases where the knife requires incredible performance in one category, which a niche steel fulfills. For example, 3V is often used when high toughness is required, S90V holds a working edge for an incredible length of time, and H1 is highly water resistant.
Otherwise, both Jim Ankerson and Cliff Stamp, highly reputable names in the knife steel testing world, have dicussed at length how little blade steel matters for normal human-knife operation, where the difference in your sharpening and cutting from task to task is far greater than that of the knife's steel, and even more so between knives of different geometry and design. The vast majority of any percieved different between steel performance in use will be operator error and bias. In light of that, I'd personally take the quality of WE over that of Kershaw any day (though I do have several Kershaw knives).
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