I really enjoy making my knives out of 5160 steel... it's forgiving and has fairly easy hardening/tempering capabilities for a novice like me that likes to heat treat with a torch and kitchen oven. I like that I can get free 5160 when my buddies or I swap out leaf springs on our Jeeps. Mainly, though, I was astounded at the difference in edge retention and toughness of these 5160 blades when compared to the cheap stainless steel blades I'd been using since childhood. But I HATE that it rusts if you even whisper the word "moisture."
So, I think I would like to try a blade out of one of these new "super steels," like CPM S30V. I'd send it away to do the heat treating, because I don't have the equipment to even attempt it. I've read a lot of opinions about this steel, but I still have two lingering questions no forum or website has ever been able to get rid of:
1. In a performance test (NOT including corrosion resistance), how does CPM S30V compare to 5160?
2. Similarly, from a strictly performance aspect (not including cost, stainlessness, or ease of heat treat), is there still something about a carbon steel like 5160 that would make it preferable to some over CPM S30V?
So, I think I would like to try a blade out of one of these new "super steels," like CPM S30V. I'd send it away to do the heat treating, because I don't have the equipment to even attempt it. I've read a lot of opinions about this steel, but I still have two lingering questions no forum or website has ever been able to get rid of:
1. In a performance test (NOT including corrosion resistance), how does CPM S30V compare to 5160?
2. Similarly, from a strictly performance aspect (not including cost, stainlessness, or ease of heat treat), is there still something about a carbon steel like 5160 that would make it preferable to some over CPM S30V?