CRUWEAR Is now my Favorite SE blade steel

[JD Spydo]

I know it's maybe not completely fair and rational to judge the performance of a blade steel by using only one serrated Spyderco model. But the C-60 full SE CRUWEAR blade is very similar to working with a real life "LASER" And it sharpens up very nicely as well. And Cruwear is also a great blade steel for plain edged blades.

Of all my past favorite blade steels for serrated blades this Cruwear truly wins out over some really great performing blade steels.

I've considered some of my other past favorite blade steels for serrated blades to be quite unusual in many respects compared to my favorite PE blade steels. And my list for blade steels that perform well in PE & SE both is a rather short list indeed. If any of you have a blade steel for serrated blades that you think is better than Cruwear then lets discuss it.

Also I would like to know what your personal favorite blade steel(s) is for full SE blades? And why?

[Matus]

My experience with SE blades is still limited, but SE Ayoob is definitely my favorite. I thinned the main (flat) bevel om the left side a bit, then went for a bit more acute angle on the serrations - love how the thing goes through cardboard now. I am so happy that this sprint run happend.

[The Mastiff]

I'm glad you like it Joe. I haven't tried a serrated version yet but Cruwear especially the way Spyderco heat treats it is definitely a favorite of mine. I like the all around pretty good at everything nature it provides and especially I like the sharpening response.

I can adapt to most steels having grown up with some pretty bad ones in the 60's and 70's but if I'm going to choose a favorite now all these years later Cruwear would absolutely be in the running. Spyderco has found a sweet spot with hardness and balance of attributes in doing it too so I had to bet on them getting it right serration wise.

Joe

[endura3]

The steels I most frequently carry in SE are:

1. K390
2. VG10
3. H1/H2
4. LC200N
5. 8cr13MOV

I love the combo of wear resistance and relatively good toughness K390 offers, but it would be cool to have a more "middle ground" premium PM steel that trades a bit of K390's wear resistance for more toughness. On the tool steel side I think Cruwear (or perhaps 4V) would be exactly what I'm looking for, and for stainless steels I think Magnacut would be a similarly good balance.

I've really enjoyed the other steels I carry in SE as well - VG10 is a general purpose favorite for sure, so that's definitely more of a "want" than a "need" in my case. But really glad to hear Cruwear in SE has been working well! I'd love to pick up either an SE ayoob or a different SE model in Cruwear someday.

[Spyderwebs]

Totally agree. The SE Cruwear Ayoob is the most efficient folding matter separator I have used. The SE ayoob is a really special under appreciated knife. (Not under appreciated by JD, of course)

The only knives more lasery than the se ayoob are my steep angle japanese knives. Those are true lasers that cut without resistance and push-cut-confetti weak paper with ease

SE + Cruwear is bigly winning combo. Now if I could just get micarta scales for the ayoob and CruCarta it... that would be sweet

[hambone56rx]

Would love to try it! Think we can get it in a full production model?

Hamilton

[benben]

Cru-wear is my favorite steel period, regardless of edge type.

[cjk]

I have a SE Cruwear Ayoob. I bought a factory second because I was interested in serrated Cruwear moreso than the design. It's a tremendous cutter, however the way the serrations are ground is different enough from other Spyderco models that I don't think it really teaches me all that much about the steel. It teaches me more about the different geometry.

I really like Cruwear in a plainedge because it's particularly easy to get very sharp and the edge retention is much more than sufficient. I can learn something about the steel using and sharpening a Native 5 in Cruwear and a Native 5 is S30v.

Ideally, a better teacher would be a factory serrated Cruwear Native 5 (or Para 3 or PM2). The Native 5 lightweight has been available in Spyderedge in four different steels already (S35vn, S30V, LC200N, and Magnacut). A series of SE Native 5 lightweight "AFI" sprints would be something I could really get behind.
Of particular interest to me are SE Cruwear, 4V, SPY27, and M4.

[Fastidiotus]

I've not gotten to try CruWear in a SE, but I've long wondered why we don't see it more often. Not just from Spyderco but the knife industry in general. Tough, easy to sharpen, and decent edge holding. CruWear's mix of properties seem to make it almost perfectly suited for serrated edges.

It would be cool to see Spyderco pick a model to run sprints of steels showcasing how they perform serrated, in the same vein of Chaparral showcasing handles materials or Sage showing off lock designs. I do understand this would largely be a very niche segment of the knife market. After the expansion is completed take a model like the Manix 2 LW; a knife that is popular, has been asked for in serrated and doesnt otherwise have a standard serrated model, and run sprints of 1000 pieces. Show off what k490, 3v, 4v, M4, Rex45, CruWear, XHP, 52100, Aeb-l, Spy27 etc are capable of with a Spyderco heat treat and a spyderedge.

[JD Spydo]

Would love to try it! Think we can get it in a full production model?

Hamilton

I have raised that issue on several occasions. I know that Spyderco typically doesn't like the re-release older models. But the C-60 Ayoob is an exception as far as overall design and ergonomics are concerned. It's most definitely one of my top 3 favorite blade designs of all time. And I'm certainly not alone either.

I've also wanted to see Mr. Massad Ayoob do another folder design at some point. The guy really put a great deal of practical thought into his design of the C-60 Ayoob.

I do believe that Spyderco would sell a truck load of them if they were to ever re-release this great model. And I hope in the near future that Spyderco does several more models ( Sprint runs included) with Cruwear blade steel.

[benben]

I really like my SE Ayoob, but I LOVE my Cru-wear Manix 2 sprint run, a serrated Cru-Wear Manix would be an instant buy for me, maybe two of them!

[JD Spydo]

I really like my SE Ayoob, but I LOVE my Cru-wear Manix 2 sprint run, a serrated Cru-Wear Manix would be an instant buy for me, maybe two of them!
IMG_3571.jpeg

A full SE Manix in Cruwear makes a ton of common sense. Another Eric Glesser design I would love to see in Cruwear SE would be the Dodo model.

I just broke down some boxes this evening and my Cruwear, full SE Ayoob made child's play out of the job. Also I've only had to do minor sharpening to my full SE Cruwear Ayoob since I started EDCing it a few weeks back. Cruwear and TEETH go together great.

[Kleon]

Are you running the properly serrated or the overground one JD?