S30V and S110V are two premium quality steels, but which one is better? Why is one better than the other? Do they have different uses? In this article, you will know everything you need to know about both S30V, S110V, and which one is better.
Here is the short answer:
S30V is a good all-around steel with good edge retention, toughness, etc. S110 is pretty much only for cutting and slicing as it has great edge retention, but is easy to chip and extremely hard to sharpen. S30V is a great all-around steel that works great for almost all knife tasks.
Now we can take a closer look at each steel, when you would want one steel over the other, and what the best tasks are for each steel.
S30V
S30V is a very well-rounded premium steel. It has good edge retention, good toughness, good wear resistance, and is pretty stainless.
The “S” in S30V stands for stainless because S30V is a stainless steel. The “V” stands for vanadium, which is added to the steel to make it have better wear resistance and better overall strength.
S30V’s full name is CPM-S30V and CPM stands for Crucible Particle Metallurgy which is a process that refines the steel’s grain. Smaller and finer grain steels help increase edge retention and wear resistance and reduce the chance of major chipping and breakage.
Here is what S30V is made of:
- 1.45% carbon
- 14% chromium
- 2% molybdenum
- 4% vanadium
All those components each do different things: The carbon increases strength (it’s important to note that at high levels, carbon leads to brittleness, which means easy chipping and breaking), the chromium increases corrosion resistance, the molybdenum increases hardenability (which basically means that it’s easier to harden, and thus easy to manufacture), and vanadium improves wear resistance and strength.
S110V
S110V is a steel that has extreme edge retention, and while it is considered a premium steel, it is more of a specialty steel because it has good edge retention and not much else.
Just like S30V, S110V goes through the same Crucible Metallurgy Process, is a stainless steel, and has added vanadium.
S110V’s biggest downside is sharpening. The rule of knife steel is the better it keeps its edge, the harder it is to sharpen–and S110V exhibits that rule perfectly.
Because S110V’s sole strength lies in its edge retention, it has pretty poor toughness. So, it chips and breaks fairly easily. If you’re looking for a steel you can beat up, you’re better off going for S30V over S110V.
Here is what S110V is made of:
- 2.8% Carbon
- 15.2% Chromium
- 2.2% Molybdenum
- 9% Vanadium
- 2.5% Cobalt
- 3% Niobium
Cobalt increases the overall effect of all the company of the steel and niobium increases the steel’s hardness.
Which one is better?
Now that we have taken a look at each steel, we can see which one is better and when you would want one over the other.
If you want a steel that can cut for a very long time and never get dull, you would want S110V. However, when it does come time to sharpen your knife, you will be at it for a while. The only problem is you are going to have to be careful with your knife as S110V is not tough or impact resistant and can chip easily.
If you want a steel that is a good general purpose steel, you’ll want S30V. S30V is good in all areas and is not too hard to sharpen. As long as you don’t mind touching up your blade a little bit and want a steel that will work in all situations, S30V is for you.
Our favorite knives in each steel
So now you know about each steel, which one is better, and when you would want one over the other. There’s just one more topic to discuss… What knives should you get in each steel? Here are our favorites:
Benchmade Griptillian (S30V)
The Benchmade Griptillian is a silky smooth opening EDC (everyday carry) knife. It has a 3.5-inch S30V blade with a texturized grip that fits nicely in the hand. If you want an EDC knife that works great for all EDC purposes this is the knife for you.
Check out this knife here (link to Amazon)
Spyderco Para 3 (S110V)
The Spyderco Para is an EDC knife that is a little different than most. It has a unique blade shape and a thumb hole for opening. It has a grippy G-10 handle and is lightweight and small, making it great for carrying. If you are looking for a fairly unique knife, this is for you.
Check out this knife here (link to Amazon)
Conclusion
If you want a steel that you never want to sharpen again, you’ll want to go with S110V.
But if you want a steel that is well-rounded and will work in most situations and is a little bit easier to find, you will want S30V.