CPM3V is the most outstanding blade steel on earth today. To quote my heat treat guy : “If I was going to Mars & could take only ONE knife, it would be made of 3V with my (his) heat treat recipe!” Being this guy has done the heat treating on on my designed & custom made knives over the last decade or more, I can concur! I use CPM3V exclusively for outdoor, heavy use knives. And the blades I’ve sold I give an ANYTHING warranty on. If the blade fails for any reason, it’s covered. If you cut the blade in half with a torch, IT’S COVERED!

More steel video, please.

This is really well done and very informative. Great job!

3V is my all time fav knife steel. Love it.

Great video and bit of history to know. Thanks for putting these videos out

When I'm feeling lazy I use A2 for my knives, when I'm feeling cheap but a little more ambitious I use AEB-L, and when I'm feeling like making a magnum opus, I use 3V. I screw around with other steels but always go back to those three.

Always fun to learn New things!!

Love this series. Always interesting.

Interesting bit of history! Knowledge videos are always appreciated.

I ordered almost $1000 in Cold Steel knives last week. I returned all of them. I bought 2 Trailmasters and a Natchez Bowie. One Trailmaster was in San Mai and was supposed to be from JAPAN in the AD but it was from Tawain. The quality is NOTHING like the Japanese Trailmaster. The other 2 blades were a CPM3V Trailmaster and CPM3V Natchez bowie. Both had UNEVEN BLADE GRINDS. It was very noticeable. So noticeable I had to send them back. TO BE FAIR I own a Laredo Bowie in CPM3V and it's PERFECT. I would suggest not buying any CPM3V big knives from Cold Steel right now UNTIL quality gets better. They make great knives it's just CPM3V is hard to finish perfectly.

Great video. I appreciate you educating us on the origin of 3v

Informative and enjoyable, excellent video! 3V is an all time fav.

got my first 3v blade today, SMKW really got me covered - love u guys

Thank you for the well articulated and informative video. Based on this post I picked up a Cold Steel SRK and Recon Scout in 3V. Both are fantastic knives.

Several years ago I ordered a Bark River Crusader from SMKW and a week later I ordered another one from you guys. I asked the lady on the phone if you could check to make sure the knife said 'First Production Run ' on the blade like the first one. Six days later it arrived and the knife was outside of the plastic which had been cut open. Both knives are in cpm3v, one is pristine and the other chops tennis ball sized rocks in two. The edge on the chopper is holding up pretty well. Heavy duty Butterfly Swords.

Solid video as always!!

Thanks 4 the info always good shows

I love the thumbnail so much.

Here because that thumbnail is hysterical...well done.

Please more videos like this. I have watched a lot of videos that throw out a bunch of stats and % and what not but they mean nothing. The way you talked like a convo in this video, slow, and went thru the history was actually great. I could put it on and do bush work and actually learn a lot about this steel. I would love to see one on 15V, 4V, and M4. Along with maxamet and AEB L if you can. (I’ll be checking your page for more videos like this and if you have an already done a video like this for something I mentioned above just disregard and assume I will be watching it) These are a few I’m interested in working with in the future. Honestly, if you could do one of these videos for any and all popular steels and even unconventionally used steels and even rare special steels, I would love you forever and watch all of them a few times. Any that you make, I will watch.

3V is one of my absolute favorites! It's the sweet spot of just enough chromium to prevent patina and it holds a great edge but it's not a nightmare to sharpen and damn it takes a nice edge! Wish I would see it in more knives. I'm looking at you kizer...

I've made over 20 knives (including 2 hand axes, a tomahawk and one katana) out of CPM-3V and really like it. Note there's one key point not mentioned in the video. The crucible guys said the powdered steel not only resulted in the smaller carbides (as mentioned in the video), but also resulted in basically all the vanadium going into carbide formation. The older Vasco Die method resulted in a mix of chromium and vanadium carbides. This is a big deal for 2 reasons: vanadium carbides are much harder than chromium carbides, and now all the chromium is available as "free" chromium in the CPM-3V

I have no idea why I love these vids, I’m totally fascinated by steel types, thank you

3V,definitely a favourite

Love 3v, my hunting knife and camp knife in 3v take and hold a wicked edge!!

3v is awesome. I also really like cruwear

MUCH MORE Steel Videos.., PLZ..!!🇺🇸

I love me some 3V but I love CruWear even more. I can’t tell the difference in terms of toughness but I can definitely tell the difference in terms of edge retention. It’s the best blend of toughness and edge retention in a non stainless steel in my opinion.

Love my benchmade socp dagger. Wouldn’t carry any other steel on my plate carrier.

I've got a Creely Blades Mako in 3v and it's a little BEAST 🔥🔥🔥✌🏻

I can’t wait to see how well the Reiff S5 Glider Scandi in 3V holds its edge

I just ordered a Cold Steel SRK in CPM 3V

3V was my favourite non-stainless until i used CruWear.

Awesome steel lesson! What about corrosion resistance? Compared to Cpm-s30, or cpm-m4, or cpm-s35?

Nice video thank you.A1

Great history,you should do an cpm axe history and or wood gouges/chisels .No one really makes them,which is a shame because we can't test many.someone could make big money in the world of woodwork/craft beyond knives

I’ve been trying to find a Reate Exo for almost a year there never in stock I managed to get the mars valley tanto Exo from you guys today but noticed the ones In stock are 3v. From my understanding there’s not much difference in 3v and elmax other than 3v is tougher but also not as corrosion resistant. I’m not planning on using it for much work really just needed it in my collection. Is it still a really premium steel like elmax?

dear tc. please sharpen the cpm-3v on camera for all of us like you said you would in this video thank you!

How does it compare with other premium steels? Hardness, toughness, edge retention, etc.? What type of edge works best: angle, thickness behind the edge, polished or more toothy?

All my Cold steel fixed knives are in cpm3v and among them Recon Scout and Loredo bowie are the best and then SRK maybe.

are you going to get the Reiff F6 back in stock anytime soon?

Had my Cold Steel Warcraft Tanto fixed blade in CPM-3V for over a decade, I'm certain its made with Alien space magic or Dwarven voodoo Alchemy.

If it’s a pocket knife the high end stainless steels M390, S35VN, Cruwear are great . But if it comes to a bushcraft or beater knife I love my 3V. Takes a likin and a little stropping and it’s back to shaving sharp. No doubt about good ole 1095 will handle a ton of abuse as well and much easier to put a new edge on it I. The field. Love my Essex’s that are in 1095. But the upgraded stainless steels they have used cut but don’t handle the hard use. The bottom line, if it’s hard use I want 3V. 😁

the red one

Wish I watched this before ordering my two new knives in 3V and Cru Wear. I am not good at sharpening knives and now worried about upkeep.

3v is not a stainless steel correct ? so it’s more prone to rusting ?

Can you please do CTS XHP?

It sounds like San Mai 3 with its carbon core is sharper than CPM 3v which is more robust!?

My cold steel SRK cpm 3v has a black blade and is my best friend . I would never sell it or give it away.

3v....Harry Johnson approved!! 🫡

I love that Cold Steel makes swords out of 3V. I would love to get my hands on one of them.

3v is the daddy. Its perfect

What toughness test did you do? The hype regarding this steel is insane. It does not perform nearly as much as the hype. The only 3v thats heat treated properly is CPK knives

i have a not quite unhealthy (yet) obsession with blade steels

I mentioned this in another video, you guys offering sharpening on 3v blades? How about a 3V recurve? I'm fine with most other steels, I'd rather have a pro take on my biggest most expensive blades!

Whenever I hear this guys voice I think of “cannot cancel order once it’s placed, even if requested 2 seconds later.

Does toughness=edge stability? It seems nobody uses geometry when rope or cardboard testing steels. According to BBB and Larrin Thomas the most important feature of a superior slicer is geometry aka edge stability. So we get these ultra high carbide steels like maxamet supposedly being the best at these type tasks. What I would like to know is what steel will hold the most acute angle without rolling or crumbling. It certainly isn't maxamet. Seems to me that 3v is a contender. Can you take it to 12dps? 8dps? Is there a point where a stable steel will out perform a high carbide steel when performing the same tasks? You certainly can't take maxamet to 8dps.

TC, where did u buy the ring

How does it stack up to k490?

"Vonad-ium" i thought it was "vand-ium"

4v steel has entered the chat.

Thank you for a well done presentation but this might change your mind on 3V. Check out the destruction test of a Cold Steel SRK 3V knife by Joe X at kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qdqmjZWYrqyplp8.html , and then watch the same destruction type test on the Cold Steel SRK in VG10 San Mai steel at kzfaq.info/get/bejne/a9d-qJxex7y0n4U.html . BTW, the SRK in 3V steel is $146.59 on Amazon, while the SRK in VG10 San Mai is only $98.38. Joe X on you tube is really revealing what steels are prevailing under EXTREMELY rigid destruction test. I own the SRK in 3V, and wish I had now bought the same knife in San Mai. Thank you again for a good presentation.

The sentence at 6:35 doesn’t make any sense. Wear resistance and edge retention are the same thing...so is toughness and strength

Please give credit to Larrin Thomas for all the information you stated.

Hello mon ami américain 🇺🇸🫡 nous allons devenir incollable sur les aciers grâce à SMKW c'est bien je trouve qu il faut savoir les différents acier le minimum quand on n'est fan de couteaux

I'm going to name my next 3V design, "The Harry Johnstin." 🥸