Sypderco Blade Steel choices

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The folder thread followed by breaking the pocket clip on my EDC kershaw china knife got me shopping for a Spyderco. I think ive narrowed it down to a PM2 or PM3. Looking for the best blade steel for occasionally breaking down a deer, or at least being a backup option. Probably skin some rabbits/squirrels and clean a fish or two. Other than that, just everyday EDC work. Will i tell a discernible difference in S30V, S110V, Rex 45, or S35vn? I hand sharpen with a rough grit water stone and then use a hard and soft arkansas to get it shaving. Kind of annoyed with how shitty the edge holds on my normal EDC kershaw knives. Im sure some of that has to to with angles and such but either way dont talk me out of this purchase :D.
 

Beendare

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I have a Spyderco mule I put dedicated lefty scales on that is PMA11....its better steel than my other S30v blades [from Buck and Benchmade] for animal processing.

I dunno how the steels you mentioned compare, sorry...you get a bump out of it anyway
 
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I've got knives in most of the steels you listed. Honestly I dont see a huge difference between them. They all hold an edge well and have been super durable for me. I dont know that I've ever read of anyone wishing they'd got one over the other for real world applications.
 

sndmn11

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s110v or Rex45.
My experience with steels that are barely stainless or not stainless has been much more positive from a sharpening standpoint, so I would personally choose the Rex45. It profiles elementally similar to CPMm4 which I have a few of and really like. The folks who like stainless seem to rave about s110v.
 

Beendare

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I have a s90V spyderco folder....I haven't really had a chance to give it a good test on animals [no shortage of knives here!]

I can tell you its a very hard steel....so much so that I didn't feel the need to pull the trigger on S110V.

The comments on the S110v is its so hard its tougher to sharpen. I have heard that about many of the particle steels and it hasn't been the case with the right equipment [edge pro]

My S30V and the CPM 3V sharpen pretty easy. The PMA11 and S90V are noticeably harder.
 
OP
A
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Man I really wanted that Rex45 in burnt orange. I like that color in general. That one was up on my computer screen about the time my wife walks over and says “$140 for a knife??!!!?” So any color but burnt orange.
 
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I think you’ll be happy with a Para3. The S90v is excellent at holding an edge far superior to a s30v but that steel is still very nice.
I own about a dozen spydercos and have used a para2 in the past. The para3 is my favourite edc knife
 

boom

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My coworker just got a Para2 in s30v. It is by far the sharpest folding knife edge from the factory that I have ever seen in my life as a blade freak.it was wildly sharp. The guy is brutalizing it already. He touched it up,with a pocket soft Arkansas stone and it is right back

It’s sharper than my brand new ZT. Mine is s35v.

The para 2 is huge felling tho. To me. But what a fantastic edge!
 
OP
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I ordered the tan g10 pm3 s35vn. I liked that color the best and I’ll experiment with more blade steels if I like this model.
 
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