Care and Feeding of CPM S30v and CPM 3V

I use primarily S30v in my knives and small tools. S30v has been proven to be a solid performer and has great edge holding capability. This is why many of the top knifemakers and knife companies use it. It is a high carbon SEMI stainless steel. This means simply that it is susceptible to surface rust if left in damp or salt environments.

CPM 3V is a cousin to S30v. It has less stain resistance than S30v but it possesses 5 times greater lateral strength which is ideal for tools such as pry bars. It also is slightly harder than the S30v and holds an extremely good edge.

I use lots of different damascus steels but they are almost always stainless varieties. Treat them the same way as the CPM steels.

I apply a light coating of WD-40 to all my tools and then wipe it off before they go out. I recommend that users apply a little WD-40, olive oil or other rust inhibitive oil periodically if they are concerned about the development of rust.