Destroying a $1500 CPM 3V Sword - How tough is 3v?

[@yourhighschoolenglishteach8405]

3:04 just speculating, but this “choil” is often on knives to assist with sharpening. it allows you to get an edge all the way to the choil, without the small “ramp” section between the ricasso and the edge. its also a design feature that lots of people include just for appearances, but it does have a purpose

[@KF1]

8:09 Holy crap, that was one hell of a cut. People watching this might not realise how tough paper can be, but having cut this stuff a lot, my arms were ringing like a bell just watching that. Great show of the capability!

[@Erebus.666.]

It sure was. That was a lot of paper.

[@Kratos_God_of_50_BMG]

I think people don’t realize that knife steels lose that certain something when you stretch it out to 2ft. Thanks for testing it Matt! It does answer a lot of questions that people have had, or myths that they’ve claimed.

[@vicnighthorse]

This is a most excellent video. I had been interesting in seeing you abuse 3V. Thanks again.

[@christopher7398]

you could totally shorten the handle, re-sharpen the blade and turn it into a really nice chopper for camping or just doing tasks around the property. great video Matt.

[@LancelotChan]

Your test echoes my experience with 3V swords. They damaged the same way in the same scale that my better-made 5160H sword would, on the same target. So from that I figured they would probably be around the same league in terms of durability.

[@strydyrhellzrydyr1345]

So your saying that metal is better than the metal he was talking about???

[@LancelotChan]

@@strydyrhellzrydyr1345 not better, but more cost effective, and depends on how well made. If not well made, there would be a significant difference in performance.

[@fallenstudent1103]

3v is the same toughness as those steels. The better performance you'll get is from the edge retention. If you had two of the same sword, but one was made with 3v and the other 5160 granted that they were both heat treatment properly would be the 3v would hold it's edge for way longer without having to sharpen. As far as toughness goes 3v is similar to all those steels so I don't think you'll notice a difference there.

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

5160 properly heat treated slightly out performs 3v. Z TUFF can out perform 5160. 5160 is alot cheaper then cpm 3v meaning the 3v kinda has no point to exist other than maybe I knives. For swords. L6 5160 z tuff. Top 3 alloys besides a few others or modified pours of alloys. Don't think you can get it in sizes big enough for a sword but for a knife or machete 8670 is between z tuff and 5160. Closer in hardness to 5160 but tougher then either. Z tuff gets slightly harder then 8670 and slightly tougher. It gets a decent bit harder then 5160 and similar toughness but at a higher hardness level. Like a few ft lbs difference vs 8670 is like 10 pounds tougher at the same hardness as 5160. 8670 50 ft lbs at 59.7 ish hrc 5160 42 ish ft lbs at 59.5 hrc. Z tuff 45 to 48 ish foot lbs at 61.5 hrc. 1095 is approximately 10 ft lbs at 58 hrc. O1 is similar. 1084 is like 25 ft lbs at 60 to 60.5 hrc

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

@Fallen Student 5160 is actually tougher then 3V at a given hardness. Knife steel nerds has a huge comparison list of samples of the steel done with coupon tests. 3V is kinda highly over rated other than for knives it's tough enough you can essentially leave it almost full hardness. And powder metallurgy advantages. Harder to wear away. Machining even annealed powdered steels is annoying. Might also have better corrosion resistance.

[@erichusayn]

Interesting video of an interesting sword. Been curious about 3V and this answered pretty much all my questions. Thanks dude.

[@erichusayn]

I'd say pass her onto Mr Rizzo. He could probably make something even more unique and cool with it.

[@Highly420]

So... just found this channel for a sword i bought. (not this one) happy i did.

[@gaylynnhorncri]

Skallagrim brought me to your channel, not going to lie those who cringe on how he abuse test his swords and all this channel isn't for the faint of hearts. I love it, it really makes me reconsider on how much a weapon should handle stress. Very interesting this is my first video of me seeing you made me a new subscriber

[@Matthew_Jensen]

Welcome, I hope you enjoy the content.

[@michaelkim8452]

Really enjoy your videos!

[@Arikayx13]

I find it fascinating that there are things that you can do that will almost certainly damage any sword. It seems like to withstand some of this abuse a blade needs to be so robust as to not feel like a sword anymore.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

Few if any swords hit the croquet stake of doom without damage. That said some have minor damage other take more significate damage.

[@theleagueofshadows100]

@@Matthew_Jensenwhich swords take no damage or the smallest amount of damage and what are they made of in those cases?

[@InkandFish555]

Do you know how it was heat treated? Properly heat treated 3V is tougher than L6 or 1075, and almost as tough as properly heat treated 5160. While also having edge retention equal to D2 and quite good corrosion resistance for a tool steel.

[@promiscuous5761]

Thank you.

[@ArthurHerbst]

One thing to note about those high alloy powder steels is that only loking at the grain size does not tell you that much. Those steels have high amounts of carbides that "pin" the grain bounderies of the steel during the HT, so grain growth is rarely an issue. The Quality of the HT is more determined by things like if there was not enough carbon in solution then the martensitic matrix might be softer but there are more undissolved carbides that lessen the toughness. Or if too much carbon is in solution then you might get excessive retained austenite. And also the tempering temperature is a bit different than usual, because 3V is said to have actually less toughness with high tempering temperatues (at the secondary hardness hump) because of carbide precipitation. All that being said: im not here to say it was a bad heat treatment. Just that it is hard to tell from grainsize alone.

[@helenwrong6363]

This kinda reminds me of this Batman toy sword I used to own. Just the general shape ig

[@aaronnaylor59]

Cpk / Carothers performance knives is a must have for the best heat treat for 3v IMO. They have it down to a science. Great edged retention/ stability and toughness.

[@a-sheep-of-christ]

Really nice piece with an interesting hamon/edge. I just find it curious how this has become a standard procedure we all expect: introduce sword, cut tatami roll, chop through dowel, baton through wood, throw against tree, break on metal rod or other sword of choice, give resume.

[@lt6077]

Its honestly crazy to me that 3v did this well. It’s much more suited to knives than swords.

[@beardedarchery3576]

you should really try something without so many stress risers. There were some glaring design flaws in this piece that no steel could overcome. I would also suggest a convex or at least appleseed edge geometry for anything that you are going to abuse in such a fashion

[@TheGreenGamer33]

I thought it performed better than you gave it credit for. For a semi stainless steel that’s actually pretty remarkable for the blade size. Great bend resistance AND great edge retention are also rare in a steel. The fact that it also held up as well as it did on the stake of doom with a sawtooth back is impressive. The chipping is to be expected with a steel of this hardness and type. Anyways, very informative video, thanks for posting it Matt.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

Fair point. It held up well and had excellent edge retention. I noted this is great if you are going to use the sword on soft/medium targets.

[@sirsir9665]

It is not semi stainless... It very very little Corrosion resistance but not enough to include honestly. It will rust very easy.

[@davidfletcher6703]

I'd like to see how it does against bone

[@Divine_Serpent_Geh]

One thing people have to understand with these higher alloy steels (“Super Steels”) is that in an application like swords their inherent gain in carbide volume (extra elements mean different types of carbides) is pretty useless. In the case of CPM-3V it has lot of chromium, vanadium, and molybdenum. These alloys change the way the steel is hardened and how it behaves in cutting. It can be a great steel for certain applications, and it can be quite tough. People have made big blades from it. But the cost to produce and buy is significantly higher than simpler steels, and its performance for sword work compared to those steels doesn’t really justify it. The biggest thing is that swords and other large blades which is used for chopping into anything from green wood/dry wood, flesh, bone, shields etc… are not going to dull the edge by abrasion, which is what a lot of the carbides in CPM3V do, it has increased wear resistant over other lower alloy steel. Unless you’re using your sword to slice rope and cardboard exclusively (which you won’t), putting carbides in doesn’t help you since the edge on a sword is going to dull by deformation, impaction, and microfracture, not by wear or abrasion. The extra carbide volume can actually make the damage worse. Sharpening is also more taxing compared to “old-school” steels. By looking through various steel properties, the best steels that will suit a sword are steels which are very hard, very tough, and little to no carbide volume (it’s not needed for the cutting mechanics of these blades). So what are those? Well 1050-1084, 5160, 15N20, 8670/L6, 80CRV, (1095/W2/W1 if you like hamons) etc. All capable of high hardness + high toughness, very easily sharpened etc.

[@lalli8152]

Yeah although also lot of spring tempered sword blades are to my understanding quite low in hardness atleast compared to knives, and something like 3v i think isnt really made for spring temper. Although obviously not all swords need to be springy, but that might also be big limiting factor

[@bluegrasssurvival9423]

It might be 3v, but I wonder what kind of heat treat they used on it? The way the steel is treated means everything! I got 3v knives that could do all of that and laugh, but these have been double cryo treated and had all the bells and whistles when it came to the heat treatment.

[@addictedtoblades2]

Very informative great job brother 🗡❤️🔥😎🤺

[@isaiahrodriguez3270]

Would this be good for heavy targets and if not what are some steels good or best for heavy targets

[@chrisfields8077]

The discussions of steel type are often funny. For the most part, all sword blades steels are so close as long as they are heat treated properly. And due to that, blade geometry really matter more for durability than the material itself. What steels like 3V and 154 do well, is provide similar properties to sword blade steels but in a stainless variety.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

You have forgotten more about the science than I have ever known. Curious why a sword (granted different geometry) like the DSA blades made from 5160 with similar thicknesses and robust edges held up so differently on the steel rod.

[@chrisfields8077]

@@Matthew_Jensen probably the different geometry and heat treated to an overall lower hardness.

[@fallenstudent1103]

3v isn't stainless but way higher corrosion resistance than the higher end carbon steels used for swords like 80crv2 or 5160 or 52100. You also get way higher edge retention but with similar toughness, but again that's just the potential of the steel granted it's properly heat treated.

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

@Matthew Jensen depending on heattreatment you can actually make a blade more brittle and weaker plus softer by tempering at too high a temperature. It's called temperpered martensite embrittlement. Can also depend on grain structure. And exact chemical composition among other things. With 5160 there's the industrial heat treatment recommendations and then there's what blade makers have been doing with a bit of research that results in a bunch better over all product. Depending where you buy the steel and which batch the exact amounts of alloying agents can change. Some pours are suited for certain things more then others. Properly heat treated 5160 should be stronger then Howard Clark's L6 bainite blades. Geometry plays a big role. But any huge difference likely is from grain size or other heattreatment procedures not being uo to snuff. Or bad steel quality. 5160 Properly done is actually better then CPM 3V. So given DSA issues I'd wager they're using something closer to an industrial or commercial heat treatment rather then something closer to the blade makers heat treatments. Higher austenizing temperature. Leads to grain growth making them weaker.

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

@Fallen Student 52100 is way worse performing then 3V or 5160. And 3V is slightly worse then 5160 other then likely wear resistance and rust resistance. At a given hardness 5160 is stronger/tougher. And can be slightly harder if memory serves. Both slightly out perform L6. ZTuff is probably the best high alloy steel for swords IMO. Sits between 8670 and 5160 but at a couple points higher hardness hrc. For cheaper blades 5160 is alot cheaper then pretty much anything else. And I don't believe 8670 comes in large enough stock anywhere for swords unless you buy like 5 tones of the stuff. Pretty much what Howard clark did for 1086M For swords 3V seems rather pointless due to the cost difference and not really being any better for a sword. For expensive alloys I'd rather go z tuff. Or have Tim zowanda or Howard clark make a forge welded and folded pattern welded L6 billet that can be bainite heat treated. Done right with modern equipment you could ensure perfect welds. And in 100% lower bainite blade you'd get higher toughness at a given HRC and can potentially raise hrc higher. Would perform just as well as any normally heat treated blade. Should be close enough to 5160 and slightly above the normal peak for L6. Pure performance z tuff. Or given 8670 isn't expensive you might be able to find the mill cutting it for suppliers or convince a supplier to cut you a big piece for a sword. But based off price per pound. Cpm 3v is like easily 3 times as expensive.

[@strydyrhellzrydyr1345]

Of course it would break.. I think it needed a different profile and it would have held up better... That much weight.. that much mass.. moving that fast.. hitting steel that thick... I think it did amazing...

[@strangelyfamiliar1729]

Hello. Do you have any experience with, or knowledge regarding, CPM MagnaCut. I ask because I'm considering buying a Survival Knife which comes in the above mentioned as well as in CPM-3V and I'm not exactly sure which to choose. I don't care if a blade is stainless or not and I don't plan to beat the crap out of it but if I have to get nasty with it on occassion I'd like to be confident in its ability to endure. I know there are a lot of parameters but, in general, any words of wisdom you might share will be helpful and appreciated. Thanks.

[@ArthurHerbst]

Over all it's a choice between slightly better edge retention and excellent corrosion resistance (MagnaCut) vs quite a bit more toughness (CPM 3V) and only some medium stain resisting properties. If you dont plan to abuse your knife than it probably wount matter too much, but if you plan to do some heavy batoning I would probably go with 3V just to be save. If you want to compare some properties of those two great steels, then I can only reccomend the steel ratings from Knifesteelnerds.

[@michaelrizzo5523]

I think this would be a cool opportunity for you to go ahead and reshape the surviving blade into that chopper you were thinking of, round that awful ring pommel and maybe add a leather wrap for grippiness, then show off your project and re-test it.

[@fallenstudent1103]

Definitely agree with the conclusion that 3v isn't magic. However I think your testing is more of an indication of the manufacturer than the actual steel not sure how you came to the conclusion that this is definitive proof of 3v's capabilities when there are tests out there of what it can do as a sword steel. Maybe reach out to Carothers Performance knives on KZbin and look at their sword testing of 3v. Again though It's definitely not the toughness of 3v that's amazing but the It's fact that it's of similar toughness compared to 5160 or 52100 while having way higher edge retention and corrosion resistance. I also think it would help if you would include the HRC of the blade along with the other measurements it you're talking about how a blade is heat treated.

[@vyr01]

With the destruction testing, what do you do with the swords afterward? Especially things like this. Where it is from a person and not a company.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

This outlines generally what I do - kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2GtmYmVhLFsj5o

[@Leon_Kozza]

I've always thought of 3V as a great knife steel, but for swords not so much. Great review Matt and thanks sword friend Matt for donating.

[@tydeusson]

What is the best steel for zombie apocalypse bike helmet chain linked fence cutting swords?

[@JCOwens-zq6fd]

3V like most all stainless/semi stainless steels it works fine for short blades but when you stretch it out like that it changes the way it has to be tempered etc which change the way it behaves. My preferred options are usually 1075 or some type of spring steel like 5160 etc.

[@KF1]

I agree and would like to add. Very good results on hard targets with even 1045 from RK. Huawei 9260 holds like nothing vs brittle targets, and mystery ebay L6 has been very durable on dowels. Not convinced that 3V is a gamechanger, but have to admit the chops on the wood branch were solid best case. Bit hard but very capable.

[@InkandFish555]

Heat treatment for a 3V skinner or a 3V sword would be almost the same, you might temper the sword to be a little softer but there's little reason to go below 59 Rockwell C. Properly heat treated a 3V sword would be tougher than most carbon steels, tougher than any with 0.70% carbon or more.

[@JCOwens-zq6fd]

@@InkandFish555 thats what I thought. That is till i used a few super steel blades & noticed there seems to be some weird things going on in the longer blades. Im not sure what it is but all the 3V sword blades ive used chipped. While the knives forged to the same compositional specs by the same individual makers did not. Obviously its possible something is going wrong due to swords made from such not being common things people make but still I wouldve figured at least 1 of the 3 different smiths ive tried wouldve gotten it right.

[@InkandFish555]

@@JCOwens-zq6fd It's all about how it's been heat treated. If a 3V sword comes from someone that mostly forges and heat treats carbon steel, they may not have the knowledge or equipment to do a half-decent heat treatment on a complex tool steel like 3V.

[@rickyricardo3551]

​@@JCOwens-zq6fd 3v is more sensitive to heat treats than other super steels. A properly ht 3v sword is going to behave like 5160 with d2 edge retention

[@way2dumb]

"LD is a high quality and high toughness cold work die steel, with high crack resistance and abrasion. Its bending resistance, toughness, and many other indicators exceed CPM-3V, especially the toughness index. Under the same hardness of 60, the impact toughness of LD is about 115J, and CPM-3V is 95J. They also have almost the same wear resistance, but the anti-rust performance is far behind CPM-3V. However, its price is much lower than CPM-3V. We have tested CPM-3V making standard katana, after bending resistance , side shot, and finally, the blade broke when hitting the back of the blade without a notch. This didn’t happen with the LD. That’s why we gave up on making the CPM-3V steel tameshigiri katana. Maybe we would use CPM-3V steel making tanto and wakizashi."

[@Szőrgövény]

Looks like the spitting image of an "Orc dadao" made by Digs Fossils-n-Knives. Was this perhaps based off of that one?

[@Matthew_Jensen]

I did not think he made it but maybe I am wrong. Do you have the forums post link that talked about it. I could not find it.

[@Szőrgövény]

@@Matthew_Jensen I tried to post some links to 'jerzeedevil' forums where there are some posts about it, but youtube doesn't seem to like that. You can find the forum posts and some youtube videos if you googgle "orc dadao". At first glance I thought that the two swords were the same, but the scales and pommel are slightly different.

[@Th3Xp3rt]

What happens to the broken swords? Do they join a pool of molten steel under the house? Do they get sorted by steel type and turned into new swords? Are you building your own Iron throne?

[@bencowan23]

So what is the best steel for a sword?

[@Matthew_Jensen]

That really depends on what you do with it. Everything is a series of tradeoffs in some way. Price, shock resistance, edge retention, weight, and a bunch of other factors too. Competitively cutting straw mats may warrant something different than a camp tool cutting throw brush.

[@bencowan23]

@@Matthew_Jensen I guess I should have asked you what sword in your experience stood up to the most abuse? What type of steel and heat treatment did it have?

[@Matthew_Jensen]

That is still hard to answer but S7 has probably been the best I have personally pushed to failure so far. ZTuff looks on paper like it might be the best but I have not pushed anything made of it to failure. In katana I have pushed 1045,1060,1095,T10, 5160, 6150, S7 and probably some others I am forgetting to failure and S7 followed closely by 1060 were the two most durable. At least in terms of standing upto stupid things like being thrown at a tree, and hitting other steel objects.

[@fallenstudent1103]

I've been trying to convince someone who knows how to make historical European swords to make me a Messer out of 3v and hopefully they come around. The only problem is I've heard it can be more expensive to manufacture because you will waste considerably more belts from the grinder and sandpaper. Like instead of one belt lasting you a few swords one sword will waste a few belts. That's the case for the the higher alloy CPM steels unfortunately which is why I believe we don't see it as much for swords despite being a more premium steel.

[@tainowarrior5781]

I'm of the mind that you could make a badass bowie out of the remains if you ever tire of the orc chopper thing. Also, have you given any thought to reviewing a Zsey sword?

[@cubancigarman2687]

Looks like an awesome chopping machete now! Similar to a Skrama now.

[@tengu190]

I want to see someone try and make a blade out of Inconel or C300.

[@barretharms655]

Yeah that skullcracker is not worth it but that is also a personal choice I'm questioning is there a distilled taper on that clever? And as far as that skullcracker is concerned I would be happy with a Chinese ring

[@Ranstone]

You turned a fantasy Messer into a Gilpin. :P

[@godzilla5599]

You've got guts doing that I'd be fairly scared of the thing shattering ,there are some D2 factory swords and I've considered buying one but the idea that it could shatter kinda freaks me out.

[@not-a-raccoon]

D2 in a blade longer than say 5 inches or so would be dangerous, I think. D2 has big ol carbide crystals that would severely weaken the blade.

[@godzilla5599]

@@not-a-raccoon It's kind of a gray area really since you have some top end custom makers building swords out of D2 (who may have zero idea of what a sword is other then movies they have seen) and then you have the stuff I'm looking at,the United Cutlery swords that so far as the carbon bladed one I have is decent,needs the edge reworked,but decent to the few D2 swords they have out which are a Gladius and a Sax. And of course you have the question of are the UC stuff actually D2? Being made in China I'd guess yea it probably is since the Chinese have flooded the market with real D2 knives of all sorts the past few years. And yet I still wonder how damn well would a sword,even a short one,do in that kind of steel....

[@KF1]

Can you do a drunken review on the croquet stick of doom? Preferably as an everyday swordbreaker that people might buy all the time. Curious why swords aren't made out of croquet sticks, which it appears they should be. *edit 19:05 Fascinating footage, that. Would be a cool idea to include this on every break vid. Satisfying highlight of the vid.

[@katana24]

you cuold put 2x4's on the tree trunk and stop damaging it, at least damage wouldn't go any further.

[@Montblanc1986]

Nails can kill a tree, you have to use actual iron not steel .

[@katana24]

@@Montblanc1986 you don't have to nail the wood to the tree, wrap them like a shield with rope or something

[@rickyricardo3551]

Or let the tree die and let the natural process take over. It's a tree its ok if it dies its good for the soil.

[@DarkBluePaperHats]

you're NOT suppose to differentially harden CPM-3V. This is poor heat treat.

[@mattsilvaarmwrestling]

Choil was for sharpening

[@steverodgers8035]

Joex has the real test

[@Matthew_Jensen]

He brings torture testing to the next level.

[@tube-gk3og]

You are a great challenger

[@BodiDelgrosse]

Generally for me blades should have no problem cutting wood. Although hard spruce nots can be pretty tough. If really want to test a blade chop into some deer antlers. If the blade survives that then you got a good blade. If start chopping into metal then that’s a bit much. But damn definitely should not have snapped in half like that.

[@barretharms655]

That is the reason I do not like katanas and I have no use for a T-10 blade I am satisfied as the failure point however yes it would have been interesting to see what it did against brass. As we knew chipping was expected it seems most of the strength came from the depths of the Cleaver. Snapping a Cleaver is quite a heroic task from this I grade 3D equal to T10 as any purchase achieved into the croquet sticks was returned with chips just a standard backhanded deal.

[@Primslim]

you should get into podcasts you have such a calm relaxing voice

[@steverodgers8035]

Who made this how do you know it's real 3v ?

[@Matthew_Jensen]

As stated in the video, I am not going to say the smith by name. Though as this is a unique sword, it has been talked about online, it is not impossible to find. I am reasonably confident it is 3v and heat treated well.

[@EurofighterTyphoon-EF2000]

This'll be interesting

[@samuraibyrd]

3v Orc Chopper by Jensen Swords,lol. Do you know of any katana companies using 3v? If not yet,im sure someone will soon,thanks

[@samuraibyrd]

@Star Gazer1212 thanks,but i was wondering about companies like Jkoo, or hanwei using 3v

[@samuraibyrd]

@Star Gazer1212 well.thats what im wondering, i see alot of L6 entering the Chinese sword market and curious if 3v will make its way into the production sword market as well.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

I have only seen Byzer mention making 3v blades.

[@samuraibyrd]

@@Matthew_Jensen thanks!

[@pvsampson]

@@samuraibyrd Zsey are using a steel called LD. I have been told that it is equivalent of 3V

[@nickaschenbecker9882]

This behaved admirably considering it's 7.5% chromium. It's not so much as to be stainless-CPM grades that ARE considered stainless are 14% chromium-but still. Usually you add enough carbon to make a chromium steel martensitic and it snaps a lot easier. Usually manufacturers of machetes and the like will counterbalance this by picking something with around 0.35-0.4% carbon like 420 or 3CR13. And we all know how often they need sharpened and how the edge likes to curl over. The 0.8% carbon in this steel is more than adequate for edge retention. Not cheap, though, like you said. Admiral Steel sells a 36" slab of this thick and wide enough to make a sword for between 65 and 99 dollars. I'm not sure it's worth all that. As another commenter said, 5160 behaves much the same albeit with less edge retention. 9260 does, too. If it was a true stainless steel and this tough and sharp then we'd really have something remarkable.

[@hugofeynman]

Thank you very much for this test. Like some steel experts have told me before, cpm3v is not the super tough steel some people think it is and your test confirm this.

[@nathandkreosote9917]

For swords? No it isn't the toughest steel or the most practical. For things like knives and with the proper heat treatment, 3V is almost perfect besides not being stainless.

[@jakejakedowntwo6613]

There’s a difference between elastic deformation and plastic deformation. Some steels aren’t tough but won’t chip, it only bend and roll no matter how much force you give it. Cpm3v is tough as it’s threshold before plastic deformation is high, but can’t handle absurd forces which causes it to chip and act like a harden blade. How they are depicting toughness is wrong, it’s different from how toughness actually works.

[@rickyricardo3551]

Cpn3v is about a tough as 5160 so it's plenty tough. Now like we can see in this video 3v heat treat are even more important than your avg super steel.

[@greekveteran2715]

Heat treatment > Edge and bevel geometries and blade overall design > Steel

[@LordPeachew]

What is the best Apocalypse Steel then? 1055 ,5160 ,9260 (just my guesses) the people need answers!

[@ArthurHerbst]

I would go with z-tuff/CD#1, or S5. But thats just me :D

[@barretharms655]

The skills look like cocobolo very heavy very acceptable the blade looks like it is not easy to put on point. It is a bit reminiscent of zombie tools but obviously not as if I recall correctly the zombie tool requires two weeks to achieve a patema and that service was achieved in a couple of minutes I don't care because I would take it off it's just makeup and I prefer to burnish the surface before I apply the nighters blue nevertheless First Impressions I'm interested in how the steel will react

[@jakewolf079]

3V is the most overhyped steel and everyone is really just repeating what they heard on forums ''oh yeah this is super tough'' over and over again without any abusive tests to back it up. The only 3V knives that are any tougher than say 1095, are custom or handmade knives cause they get the heat treat right, but then again you can have other steel performing like miracle too if you get the heat treat right.

[@barretharms655]

2in and under as long as you're working with softwood I don't care I would expect to give a sward at least that much abusive battle. Swing for the hills!

[@MURDOK72605]

Try Z-Tuff or 8670. I use 3v and as someone else mentioned it's good pending heat treatment. I don't think I'd use 3v for something that length. Not that you can't with a good ht but I just personally prefer a different steel.

[@Erebus.666.]

Wouldn't like to think how much a blade of that size would cost in z-tuff or z-wear. Probably double the 3v cost.

[@r1pbuck]

Interesting video, although I am not a fan of destructive tests. Any sword or device can be destroyed if you abuse it enough, and no wise warrior abuses his weapons. I really like the look of that sword, BTW. Most fantasy swords look ridiculous, but that one looks like it could have been a historic design. A few small changes to the hilt would make it a very viable weapon, although a 22" blade on a sword that weighs nearly 3lbs. seems a little off.

[@mysticmarbles]

If you watch enough of his videos he basically says this. The point of destructive tests is not to find the legendary sword that can withstand them, nor is it to shame the swords that break. The point is to see how well the steel and blade design performs before breaking. Most of his destructive videos end to the tune of "this thing withstood way more than a sword should ever face and didn't break until the most ridiculous test." So now if you buy the same sword you have the confidence of knowing it's not going to break under normal usage.

[@petar.dj98]

Try s5 or s7 steel

[@coryanckner6401]

I find this sword to not be the best representation of Cpm3v blades- especially as it has a hamon (unless it’s just cosmetic)… typically I have heard of 3v blades being TH as opposed to DH…. I have heard peters heat treat does a really good job- and would be curious flog this was a sword from someone like Dan keffler if it would perform much better

[@ArthurHerbst]

I dont think it is a real hamone. 3V is almost an air hardening steel, which makes it kinde impossible to make a differentially hardened blade. Could temper back the spine i guess. which would not be such a great idea

[@elijahoconnell]

turn the pommel into a mace

[@Skully317]

Skallagrim approved steel....👍

[@strydyrhellzrydyr1345]

Wait... Now so the test with this lighter piece... It SHOULD act differently. I would think

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

CPM 3V is pretty tough for how hard it gets. If I'm not mistaken it's actually almost as good as 5160. But alot more expensive to buy raw material.

[@bmxriderforlife1234]

It's honestly a rather over rated steel other then for knives that'll see some abuse but you also want good edge retention properties. But other things exist. End all be all of zombie apocalypse sword steels would be Z Tuff. The best way to think of vpm 3v is like a slightly stainless and more wear resistant like stainless steels are, version of 5160. But slightly weaker. For tough steels. There's really only a few better then 5160 which is why albion and so many other makers use 5160. It's cheap readily available in the right sizes. Is cheaper then 8670 would be even if it came in the right lengths just based off price per pound although not by much. And 8670 is only 10 ft pounds stronger at a point or 2 harder in hrc. And 5160 has a better reputation due to an issue that happened with 8670. Z tuff is really expensive and newer. Think it is more expensive then cpm 3v. But for production and even customs. 5160 strikes the best blend. Cpm 3v for the huge cost difference isn't worth the minor edge retention and rust resistance. Z tuff has enough strength difference while Also being being a decent bit harder at said strength. Plus should have decent wear and rust resistance as a high alloy steel. Almost like S7 but with stainless properties that are good but not that bad ones besides being powdered steel so hard af to machine and work, plus expensive. And harder to sharpen but should stay sharp longer.

[@rickyricardo3551]

​@bmxriderforlife1234 Actually, you have it backwards. Z tuff is the older stuff it was called Vasco die , cpm made it into PM and it became z tuff( ztuff came around in the early 2000's so it was released after 3v but has been around longer) . To add Crucible did not actually make or patent these steels they had to workaround patent laws and In we got cpm 3v , and z tuff which are in the same range of steels , and if the ht was good 3v is a better option than 5160. While z tuff imo os good for prybars.

[@JoshSweet]

Next time try 4v or 80crv2

[@rickyricardo3551]

I know this is a year late , but 3v has the highest toughness out of all tool steels.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

Not when walking metal. At least it would seem.

[@jakewolf079]

on paper

[@JoeSteel1]

Very useful video on 3V steel blades, you gave it much abuse, grain structure looks pretty fine, I have yet to see a steel that can truely be called "super steel" ......a very uncommon destruction of a $1500.00 piece, thank you Sir

[@ryanwalker1825]

You can break it and make three extra knives out of it

[@marianiurea6217]

Get a Condor Dadao for about $150. It will perform the same.

[@jananilcolonoscopu4034]

Interesting

[@robertjensen1438]

Just a comment for the algorithm

[@strydyrhellzrydyr1345]

Ok.. what I wanna know... Is you aren't old... And you have A LOT. OF SWORDS.... What did you do before YT... Or maybe you still do it??? Sorry I'm not sure if u are only doing yt or not.

[@Matthew_Jensen]

I have a day job. I do supply chain stuff..

[@not-a-raccoon]

As a knife steel, 3v is good stuff. But the leverage involved with sword blades is a whole different animal. I don't feel like the juice is worth the squeeze when compared to well tempered carbon steel. Really interesting to see how much 3v can take though

[@richardhenry1969]

To me steel is a gimmick. I've found in chopping tools I like 5160. Just haven't found enough differences to justify prices of so called super steels. In fact my favorite knife is A8. Which is tougher then 3v.

[@darthvaper6745]

ZombieTools, must be devastated watching this lol!

[@tengu190]

154CM, D2, SK-5 I can name a few other tough knife steels.

[@tengu190]

@Star Gazer1212 Motohara makes some of their blades in 154CM and SK-5.

[@excalibur3311]

M390

[@tarinindell8217]

@@tengu190 You should review Larrin Thomas' work on knifesteelnerds regarding common knife steels and how tough vs how hard they are. He is also the inventor of Magnacut steel, and has a PhD in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. The steels you listed are hard, not tough. They have decent edge rentention but shatter under certain loads, even as knifes. CPM 3V is supposed to be one of the toughest knife steels out there, with less impressive edge retention and stainless qualities. Ideally, it should bend, not break. Im guessing that because it is considered a knife steel, it is better for large choppers, not actual swords. Also, this doesnt include heat treat. A bad heat treat can ruin an otherwise perfect steel.

[@tengu190]

@@tarinindell8217 I know Motohara uses 154CM, SK-3, D2, L6, SG6, M4, SKS-3, among other exotic sword steels. Byzer is using S7 and S5. Byzer though seems to be struggling in polishing their blades, I got mine and the kissaki down a quarter was dull.

[@tengu190]

@@tarinindell8217 S30V is popular with Zero Tolerance.

[@strydyrhellzrydyr1345]

So u have had some that have done better

[@Matthew_Jensen]

There have been a few that held up better.

[@ralizek497]

The core almost looks like it wasn’t wielded properly during folding.

[@jeffhicks8428]

You sure can do some talking mister.

[@steverodgers8035]

The inside of that blade looks like it's definitely not from crucible steel this is false info lol l

[@Matthew_Jensen]

I don't think I can look the grain structure and tell if the steel is crushable steel or not.

[@barretharms655]

No magic

[@Erebus.666.]

I think I'll stick with a plain old 1080 ISH blade when the zombies arrive.

[@darthvaper6745]

I guess 3V doesn't temper very well after hardening quenching.

[@44SCB]

3v is a very tough steel within 12" or less, past that, it's not ideal.

[@DOGFACESOLDIER0708]

By far the shittyist sword I've seen in 3v not worth a dollar in my opinion

[@rickymartinis8530]

3V steel is the most overrated crap of steel.stay away

[@ArthurHerbst]

Excellent for knifes though!

[@javaman2022]

Super hard = Super brittle

[@George-nw6xg]

3V is crap. A huge number of people report the same cases.