CruWear vs S30V

CruWear holds an edge longer, is tougher and is easier to sharpen; S30V resists corrosion better. Choose CruWear for toughness, S30V for corrosion resistance.

CruWear vs S30V ratingsCruWear: Edge retention 7/10, Toughness 7/10, Corrosion resistance 3/10, Ease of sharpening 5/10; S30V: Edge retention 6/10, Toughness 4/10, Corrosion resistance 7/10, Ease of sharpening 4/10Edge retention7 / 6Toughness7 / 4Corrosion resistance3 / 7Ease ofsharpening5 / 4CruWearS30V

Who wins each property

CruWear vs S30V: rating differencesEdge retention: CruWear 7, S30V 6; Toughness: CruWear 7, S30V 4; Corrosion resistance: CruWear 3, S30V 7; Ease of sharpening: CruWear 5, S30V 4← S30V betterCruWear better →Edge retention+1Toughness+3Corrosion resistance−4Ease of sharpening+1

Side by side

CruWearS30V
TypePowder metallurgy tool steelsPowder metallurgy stainless steels
Hardness60–64 HRC58–61 HRC
Edge retention7/106/10
Toughness7/104/10
Corrosion resistance3/107/10
Ease of sharpening5/104/10
Price tierPremiumMid-range
MakerCrucibleCrucible
CruWear vs S30V hardnessCruWear: 60-64 HRC; S30V: 58-61 HRC55 soft60 mid65 very hard507060–6458–61

Composition

ElementCruWearS30V
Carbon (C)1.11.45
Chromium (Cr)7.514
Vanadium (V)2.44
Molybdenum (Mo)1.62
Tungsten (W)1.15—
Manganese (Mn)0.40.5
Silicon (Si)1.20.5
Phosphorus (P)0.030.03
Sulfur (S)0.030.03
CruWear vs S30V compositionCruWear: C 1.1%, Cr 7.5%, V 2.4%, Mo 1.6%, W 1.15%, Mn 0.4%, Si 1.2%, P 0.03%, S 0.03%; S30V: C 1.45%, Cr 14.0%, V 4.0%, Mo 2.0%, Mn 0.5%, Si 0.5%, P 0.03%, S 0.03%0%5%10%15%Carbon (C)1.11.45Chromium (Cr)7.514Vanadium (V)2.44Molybdenum (Mo)1.62Tungsten (W)1.15–Manganese (Mn)0.40.5Silicon (Si)1.20.5Phosphorus (P)0.030.03Sulfur (S)0.030.03CruWearS30V

Property by property

Edge retention

CruWear holds an edge longer: 7/10 against 6/10 for S30V, a 1-point gap. Vanadium: 2.4% vs 4%; more vanadium carbide generally means more wear resistance.

Toughness

CruWear is tougher: 7/10 against 4/10 for S30V, a 3-point gap. Typical hardness: 60–64 vs 58–61 HRC; harder blades trade toughness for edge holding.

Corrosion resistance

S30V resists corrosion better: 7/10 against 3/10 for CruWear, a 4-point gap. Chromium: 7.5% vs 14%, though what matters is the chromium left in solution, not the total.

Ease of sharpening

CruWear is easier to sharpen: 5/10 against 4/10 for S30V, a 1-point gap.

Knives in each steel

CruWear

KnifeBrandBladeWeightLockList priceBuy
Spyderco Manix 2 CPM CruWearSpyderco3.37"4.9 ozBall Bearing Lock$252Blade HQ
Spyderco Para 3 CPM CruWearSpyderco2.93"3.5 ozCompression lock$289Blade HQ
Spyderco Stretch 2 XL CPM CruWearSpyderco3.99"4.6 ozBack lock$320Blade HQ

S30V

KnifeBrandBladeWeightLockList priceBuy
Benchmade Bugout 535Benchmade3.24"1.85 ozAXIS lock$200Blade HQ
Benchmade 940 OsborneBenchmade3.4"2.9 ozAXIS lock$300Blade HQ
Benchmade Griptilian 551-S30VBenchmade3.45"3.88 ozAXIS lock$175Blade HQ

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FAQ

Which is better, CruWear or S30V?

CruWear holds an edge longer, is tougher and is easier to sharpen; S30V resists corrosion better. Choose CruWear for toughness, S30V for corrosion resistance.

Which is harder, CruWear or S30V?

CruWear is typically run at 60–64 HRC and S30V at 58–61 HRC.

Is CruWear or S30V more rust resistant?

S30V (7/10). CruWear is a powder metallurgy tool steel; S30V is a powder metallurgy stainless steel.

Related comparisons

Full steel pages: CPM CruWear · CPM S30V