Benchmade 154CM vs S30V vs CPM20CV

[spudley112]

I have never owned a Benchmade 550, but this knife caught my eye. I love the way the Griptilian feels in hand but cannot say that I am a huge fan of thumbstuds. The thumbhole on this model seems perfect for me.

The knife comes in 154cm, S30V or 20CV steel. I have experience with the first two, but have never owned a knife in CPM20CV. I was wondering how others felt about how these steels compare to one another. i have done some online research, but really I just wanted to hear from folks here about their real-life experiences using these different steels. Thank you.

[Nix]

I have a Grip 550 in 20CV.

I love it!   


However.........

1. I haven't really used it long enough or hard enough to make a useful comparison to other steels in the Benchmade line. I'll just say that the Griptilian in 20CV is a dream knife and makes my personal "Top Five Folders" list.

2. I use a pocket knife fairly regularly. Typically at the end of a day, I'll touch up the edge with a strop or a stone. So, my needs for 'edge retention' are about 16-18 hours of light to moderate use.  When I got up this morning, I checked the edge of my Buck 112 (420HC) before I slipped it into my pocket: 2 seconds of just feeling the edge, then into the pocket (it is freakin' sharp!).

3. I've used lots of fancy steels. I like 'em all. Yet, 154CM continues to be a favorite with me. I think it is a nice balance of qualities and makes for a great all-around knife steel. On the other hand....I'm still a fan of high-carbon steels.


I don't think you can go wrong with any of the steel in a 550. If you live in a high-moisture, or salt water environment S30V or 20CV may have an advantage worth considering (but even those aren't as corrosion resistant as some other steels.). The question for me comes down to the old "is the marginal benefit of...say, 20CV...worth the extra cost?" I can say, only for myself, "No". 

[comis]

I have a BM Anthem in 20CV, and like Nix, I haven't used it enough to say much about it.  Usually, I take care of my edge religiously on loaded strop/plain strop, and so far it does take a pretty keen edge like many other good steel.

I do have Grip and mini Grip, and I can see how it continues to be a stable for BM to build its rep on.  I have an M-L size hand(in Mechanix glove), and the 550 is just so comfortable to hold and use.  Back then when internet bushcrafting was on full force, I once even tried to abuse the knife by batoning it(yes, silly, I know... ), but after a good 30min-1hr of batoning, all I did was just resharpen it and re-tighten the screws, the knife is good to go again.  To me, that makes it one great hard use knife.

[nate j]

BM Crooked River in S30V has survived a number of months in my often sweaty pockets with no hint of rust.  This is quite a feat for any knife steel, even those generally considered stainless.

[spudley112]

Yeah, my S30V Crooked River has proven to be an amazing knife. The only steel I do't have much experience with the the 20CV. Some of the threads I have seen on different forums says that it is superior to S30V. I would love to be able to do a side by side cutting contest between these two with identical knives. Maybe I should get two Griptilians...one in each steel. lol

[mpgt]

Another vote for the S30V (not able to compare with the other steels you listed). I have a Crooked River mini. I would add that it is very easy to touch up and maintain a hair whittling edge. I like having a sharp blade when I need it.

[RF52]

154CM and S30V is great steels, 20CV I haven't used enough to talk much about.

Sent fra min FRD-L09 via Tapatalk

[VICMAN]

My favorite steel to date is S30V. I have not tried 20CV, but here are a couple of quotes from people who have used both S30V and 20CV:

"20CV = better edge holding on low impact/abrasive material cutting, higher corrosion resistance. S30V = tougher, less chipping"

"My understanding is the same, with 20CV being an American version of the m390. I think the m390/20cv would be better for lighter duties with less need for maintenance while the s30v is better for tougher cutting tasks. This is why I went with the m390 Ritter Mini ifor my EDC and the s30v PM2 for my workhorse."

[Nix]

I don't think you can go wrong with S30V. I wish I had more experience with S35V, too. (I think I have one knife in S35V, but am not sure about that.) As previously stated, 154CM remains a favorite with me. My initial impression is that 20CV takes a bit more work to sharpen. And, as always, it probably depends on the heat treatment of the steel involved.

We are sort of talking about comparing an excellent steel with another excellent steel against an excellent steel. No losers here.

[eTripper]

My Cold Steel 4 MAX comes in CPM-20CV, which is Crucible's answer to Bohler's M390 stainless steel, and Carpenter's CTS-204P.  As stated, these are all great premium, steel alloys.  They vary slightly by the amount of chromium the mill uses in the forging process.  A little tougher to sharpen but, they hold an edge much longer.   

[comis]

I think it's hard to compare those good steels like that, unless those  steels are used in exact same knife with same geometry.  And depending on use, some folks may prefer more stainless, some may prefer more edge retention than toughness.

The cloest semi-scientific testing I could find is from Cedric and Ada outdoor gear on YouTube, where he has done a pretty impressive amount of edge retention test(by rope cutting) with different blades over the years.  The following is a link to his data point, via his YouTube channel:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1b_rNfdJnL9oyn-JoL9yUHhUmDLAP1hJ1dN_0q5G4tug/htmlview#

20CV is advertised supposedly to be similar to m390, which is a newer generation of "premium" steel.  But in reality, the edge retention tests done on his channel shown it was just on par with s30v.  3v and 1095, which are my favorites for outdoor knives, performs far behind the s30v/20cv, but it's probably expected since they are "tough" steel.

On a different note, for the past few months I have been participating in various 'challenges' on the forum, and most of these are using simple Vic steel, carbon steel or 420HC--the bring home message is so as long the steel has decent heat treat/right geometry, they are a joy to use, really easy to maintain with minimum effort.  Don't get me wrong, I still love the new steel with their special qualities, but for my easy day-to-day cutting, I have learned there is good value in using the 'average' steel.

[chip]

This is a great article explaining  the attributes of various steels, and the graphs near the bottom are great for helping you choose what suits your needs best.
It was reading this that explained to me that a harder steel does not automatically mean better.

https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Best-Knife-Steel-Guide--3368

It was also reading this that has help me decide that s30v and s35vn were the Steels that suited my needs best as they are great allrounders.

[Gerhard Gerber]

What's the price difference between the models?

I have only one knife in 154CM and it's the TOPS/Buck CSAR, never used it and it's not a great example of a cutting tool 
I have however seen enough user feedback and test cutting to be sure its a good and tough steel.

My most recent purchase was Spyderco PM2 in S110V, lots of money so I did a lot of online research.  Going from that and looking at the price list I had to choose from it was obvious that the S110V sprint was only slightly more expensive than S30V models.  The difference between S110V and S30V is greater than the difference in price.

You can't argue with 20CV if the heat treat is right, worth every cent, if it means keeping that kidney, 154 will be solid. 

[Nix]

I picked up Spydie in S90V a couple of years ago. Nice stuff, could even be a favorite, but I don't have enough practical use and experience to make that decision. S110V might have an edge over S90V (heheheh), but I've heard that it can be difficult to sharpen.  Dunno....

[Gerhard Gerber]

I need a new rough diamond stone for my Lansky before I try, but I overcame Maxamet, so not worried about that.

What seriously impressed me was the CruWear, it had a slight flat spot from cutting ribs on the grid, I'm not I repeat NOT a freehand sharpener, but I touched up the edge on the Para3 using a tiny DMT stone and a strop, I know the edge is not perfect, but every millimeter slices receipt paper like nothing.
I would like to get through the factory edge to the good steel on both.......but I prefer to do it naturally.  The thought that it can only get better is a bonus 

[spudley112]

Considering I do quite well with my favorite knife, the Victorinox Huntsman, I figure any of these will work like Wolverine's claws.

I would still like to do cutting tests, and subsequent microscope examinations, of both steels head to head. For example, 100 cuts of a 12 inch length of cardboard, then magnify the edge to see how each edge looks. I have eye loupes for that, but saw a 1600x digital microscope that I would love to have for that purpose.