Spyderco Hap 40, Rex45 and M4 head to head edge retention testing. Let's see how these 3 slug it out

Spyderco Hap 40 Stretch, Rex 45 Para 3 and Manix 2 M4 esge retention testing. Thank you to Travis Young from the Edc brotherhood group on Facebook for loaning me the Stretch, thank you. The Para 3 and Manix belong to me. I put Hap 40 and Rex 45 together since they are analogs. I added M4 after testing and using Rex 45 and the first steel it reminded me of was M4. Head to head battle of tool steels right here.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on all 3 steels if you have used them down below.
Edge retention testing data sheets
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Contact me at [e-mail]
Follow me on Instagram at Outpost76
As always I appreciate your time and thanks for watching.

[@FearNoSteel]

You and Tom have to drop the angles to take advantage of the higher hardness, it's also more stable than the M4.

[@solaydbak]

Big Brown Bear what angle would you suggest?

[@lionknives3]

Hi G, a knife maker friend tested my Rex 45 Native Chief and it was 67,5 HRC. Thanks for the testing

[@glockgaston2922]

G really good video!! Great confirmation on SSS and your testing!! Thanks for sharing brother!!!👊👊👊

[@Outpost_76]

You're welcome

[@jaystrongbow9435]

All greats steels. I have the exact Stretch in Hap 40, but I think mine is soft, as I never got that level of performance out if it as you got. I am new to M4, but I love it so far. Easy to sharpen (with diamonds), gets sharp easy, really good edge retention. I live in the Northeast, and wipe the blade at night, so no rust/patina yet. But ya, I wish I got an M4 blade long ago, highly recommended. Rex 45 looks like a madman too ! Thanks Gerald, great test !

[@bubbapeppers4354]

Great job G!

[@Outpost_76]

Thank you

[@patrickvanovermeeren4513]

Great testing video !

[@Outpost_76]

Thank you

[@kevinfitz3721]

Excellent video

[@Outpost_76]

Thank you

[@49giants3]

You picked m4, cuz m4 kicks ass! Thanks Gerald

[@Outpost_76]

You're welcome

[@tdmjason]

i have hap40 been using it for a long time - love it - easy to sharpen up with a cheap sharpener to where you can shave with it, im talking like cheap hand sharpener type also. i dont abuse it either like i see some people do. Its a knife not an ax. I am very please overall and will continue to use at minimum hap40. may try m4 out some day.

[@holdernewtshesrearin5471]

Is that the unmistakable sound of a sleeping bulldog i hear in the background? Lol I sure miss the sound of my two little snoozers!

[@Outpost_76]

Almost, it's my Pug that follows me everywhere and falls asleep. I don't remember all the videos I've show clips of him but it's about 6 or so. It's sad loosing any if them, our Boxer passed away a couple months ago.

[@holdernewtshesrearin5471]

@@Outpost_76 - they all sound so similar. Sorry to hear about your boxer man. Yes its so hard. Its been almost 10 years since losing my 2 bullys Bruiser and Dixie, about 2 yrs apart. I still think about them every day. We'll see them again....

[@jcoolG192]

Great test G! Between you and Steve, that was a lot of cardboard!! Thanks!

[@Outpost_76]

You're welcome Kurt

[@SteveKluver]

Have you tested these knives yet, Kurt?

[@jcoolG192]

@@SteveKluver I don't remember! 😁

[@joshuabriggs7114]

Nice test! I have a Rex45 Mille I've on the fence about putting into service. May have to follow Shawn's advice and thin it out. Thinner bevel certainly improved the performance of my original Gayle Bradley.

[@Outpost_76]

Thank you, I need to do something with my original Bradley

[@Howardsheppard]

Same! I’ve have a Rex 45 Millie that is itching to be used.

[@aerius30]

Not surprising Rex 45 reminded you of M4, because at room temperature it pretty much is. Main difference is that Rex 45 has a bunch of cobalt added for improved hot hardness so it holds up better at high temperature, and this allows for faster cutting & less tool changes in a production setting.

[@TheScottyp1]

also alows for less burnt edges from the factory? been wondering about that but seems it may likely help

[@chadhoward5714]

BALLS!!

[@littlewoody5539]

Good video ..

[@Outpost_76]

Thank you

[@mickkeim4142]

Those are some amazing steels. Thanks for your testing ...very informative. How are those steels to sharpen? I have never owned one.

[@Outpost_76]

Your level of sharpening skills have a lot to do with it. I find them to all be easy to sharpen. Nothing to be worried about when it comes to a new edge.

[@johnscarborough4746]

I'm about to pick up my first M4 Spydie, I have no doubt it will be a great performer.

[@johnruff7417]

John Scarborough what model did you buy?

[@johnscarborough4746]

@@johnruff7417 As soon as I close out my raffle on the XOC I'm going to buy the Advocate

[@EDCandLace]

Heyyy it's my good friend John!!! Hiya doll!!! From 3 years in the future lol, hows that 15v lol

[@johnscarborough4746]

@@EDCandLace Ha! Well hello. Not surprised to see you stumbling in here 😁

[@dark_gravity_edc]

I'd like to see that test again with CPM 4V thrown in the mix. It Rockwell's around 64 so it should be interesting. Still a great test. Love some M4. Thanks for what you're doing sir.

[@Outpost_76]

I need to revisit 4V so its something that will happen along with Cruwear

[@frederickj.7136]

Yes, yes, Outpost 76. Please. And make that *"CPM"* Cru-Wear, BTW: People simply do need to stop saying "Cru-Wear" as most do, if what is *meant* is "CPM Cru-Ware" (à la Spyderco) -- the two are very different, as the photo-micrographs and 'toughness' measure data at Larrin Thomas's website plainly show! I have the Manix 2 and Native 5 in CPM Cru-Wear now, and I'm very happy that I do. Along with LC200N, it's currently the "grail" blade steel for me now in the Spyderco universe (provisionally). Thanks!

[@0zmosis2001]

When freehand sharpening on your DMP Stone what do you use in angle tool to check your angle as you sharpen so you get your angle that you're after?

[@Outpost_76]

I don't use any with freehand. If the factory edge is still there and it looks even I use that. Once I've used the KME I know what the angle is and I just sharpen to that angle. I do have an angle gauge somewhere but I haven't used it. I should get it out and check some I've only done freehand on to see how accurate I've been.

[@ocomegashadowstacking5886]

Wow really nice looking Spyderco knife review!!! :D And I just hit 532 Subscribers!!! ^w^

[@andrehawk100]

I would like to see the test in these steels with same model of knives.

[@Outpost_76]

You can look at newer tests and compare the Rex 45 Manix to the M4 Manix here. All are listed in the Google doc spreadsheet of testing results.

[@John-xk7uo]

When you say fine edge and working edge . What grits are you using for the two? Thanks

[@EDCandLace]

Same grits, fine edge means how long it cuts until it will no longer shave and working edge is how long it will cut until it snags/no longer cleanly slices paper.

[@jonr1421]

I've watched a lot of your vids and can't find the answer to this. What progression do you use in stones and strops for fine edge vs working edge? I've heard you say the diamonds up to 1500 then 3 levels of strops. Is that fine or working? I have the KME sharpener and without going through my own testing I'd like to just use your progression for working edge. Thanks for all the testing. 👍

[@bele28]

Its the same edge. Fine is gone when it no longer shaves hair.. then the cut test on carboard continues untill it no longer slices paper. That is a working edge. Hope this helps

[@Outpost_76]

I do 300, 600 and 1500 diamond for all tests so far except these 3. I strop 6, 3 and 1 micron for testing again except for these 3 that just got 10 passes per side in 1 micron. For my own knives in personal use I usually don't go past 600-1000 grit depending on the steel. Alao for my personal use I vary how I strop depending on steel and use. You can email me at [e-mail] and let me know what steels you are sharpening as well as use and I'll give you some reference to sharpening and stropping.

[@SteveKluver]

Hey G. Have I somehow missed an update on this test yet? Or, have you not been able to get Kurt up off of the couch recently, and gotten these tested yet? 😁 This is a great testing combo. Not that I'm much interested in seeing where HAP 40 lands. I am interested, in seeing how hard the other two blades are, and how much difference the 1% of added V is helping the M4, at a lower harness. I'm guessing that M4 is at about 63.5, and the Rex 45 is about 66. If it turns out to be 64 vs 65, then we may have a different takeaway.

[@Outpost_76]

I've missed so many comments over all my videos. As far as hardness I've run enough of each and through others that can get hardness testing done that the M4 here is about 63 and the Rex Para 3 is mid 65 to 66. Yes I'd say that's why the M4 cuts just as much at a lower hardness co.pared to the Rex. I do have some things in the works to be able to do more hardness testing to go along with steels I run. I'm not sure exactly when but it will be happening.

[@timothybecker8605]

Tom Hosang came up with the same results rex45 and m4. I think BBB is right about the angle. Come winter, gonna try out his theory on a couple of my knifes. Good video, but you did have me worried when you only had 8 or 10 sheets of cardboard showing at the beginning of the test.😉

[@Outpost_76]

Lol, I keep a large stack close by.

[@johnruff7417]

What podcast are you and Steve on?

[@Outpost_76]

Sharp Talk

[@stevenlachance8576]

Hey how do you get HRC on a clad steel?

[@jcoolG192]

You would have to mill the out layer off. No volunteers yet! 😁

[@Outpost_76]

No way to without doing as Kurt said.

[@StoneHands25]

Hap40 was Japan's version of m4 then people wanted lole a hap40 pm2 so then they made rex45 so you're dead on

[@ryanc5681]

Sell me the para 3

[@SFBay69]

M4 > Rex 45

[@guynamedjohn69]

I appreciate you showing your work but man I would just rather hear you talk than cut a million pieces of cardboard I'm sorry I cannot complete this video

[@marincapital2586]

Geez you guys. We use knives to cut plastic, bone, meat, wood and rubber. I’ve got a three dollar box cutter to open boxes. How about cutting some zip ties, Eiffel sone wood, cut a garden hose and take some meat off the bone My $200 Spyderco is not a box cutter

[@jcoolG192]

Might be kind of hard to measure all that. Don't ya think? I mean the purpose of the video is measurement of results. I think it's a great idea for a new channel though. You could run tests on chicken bones & zip ties and then whittle some logs into chopsticks! Let me know when it's posted, I'll watch it!

[@marincapital2586]

jcoolG19 2 The point is, at least the Aussie cuts rope. I see Steve and now you cutting cardboard and that’s not what the vast majority of people who own these blades use them for. We do use a cheap box cutter. I wish Steve - a COOK or you will incorporate material that we use these knives for. Leather, wood, rope, rubber and plastic and even for hunting so bone. Cardboard is a terrible indicator of edge retention. As long as you did the work, how about cutting across shoe soles on a cutting board???

[@jcoolG192]

@@marincapital2586 I don't do cutting tests. I would bet that people cut cardboard way more than rope with their knives. I usually try to save rope. I cut plastics, nylon banding and a fair amount of cardboard at work. Rarely do I use my pocket knives on food or bones. I have kitchen knives for that. For me, and most people I know, cardboard is a relatable medium. It's also inexpensive, easily obtained and, most importantly for cut testing, measurable.

[@Outpost_76]

I use cardboard because I cut lots of it outside of testing at work. I buy my knives to use for whatever I need to cut no matter what it costs. I find no fun in using a utility blade to cut boxes. I do also cut lots of zipties and pallet straps. I don't use my folders on food, I use fixed blades mostly for any wood prep I need to do and it's a rare occasion I cut rope or garden hose. I understand some don't want to use a 200$ knife to cut cardboard but that's not me. My Shirogorov and ADV get the same use and cost much more than any of these in the test. There are all different aspects when it comes to knife use. As far as cardboard as Kurt said it's a measurable material just to show differences in steels and hardness. Most knife users I know cut lots of cardboard the same as I do and it's more relatable to edc use while giving an idea of what a given steel at a certain hardness is capable of.