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My whole reason for paying a premium for steel is to have it screaming sharp, so I bought a KME and look for a reason to sharpen them. On my daily use knives I have generally stopped
My native 5 maxamet developed a permanent thumb print around the spydie hole after 1 day of fidgeting lol. It's more of a stainer steel than rust steel
I had a seconds pm2 come in with an ok edge, didn’t shave but was usable. I told my self I’d use it as see how long it’d be useful before actually putting a nice edge on it. I gave up yesterday and finally out a nice edge on it. That thing never got dull with regular use.
Have both. My PM2 is my everything knife. I remodel. I cut drywall. I score caulk to take trim off walls. I cut wire. Boxes chicken steak. You name it I cut it. And the only complaint I had was it took 5-6 sharping to get to metal that wasn’t chippy. But that being said worth every dime. Thank for vids.
Makes sense it took so many sharpenings. Maxamet blade production falls short on planned quantity because blades were warping during shaping. Thats a lot of heat.
@@tidypog3272 He is saying it chipped until he re-sharpened it about a half dozen times and got down to the thicker steel. My guess is he ended up reprofiling it with a more obtuse angle apex preventing further chipping.
Get yourself a white scotchbrite pad- they're for finished material, so they won't scratch, but they've still got a useful level of grit for picking up stubborn crap easily. Once I learned about 'em I've always had a stock in the house. Works on everything with a decent surface hardness down to like brass and won't destroy gold plating.
Had the Para 3 maxamet, sold it just because I don't like the way it carries. Bought the sage 1 maxamet, favorite edc knife ever! I've yet to sharpen it either.
Yeah unfortunately Spyderco prioritized the lanyard hole that approximately 2% of Para 3 owners use over correct placement of the the pocket clip, so in its out-of-the-box configuration damn near half of the knife is hanging out of your pocket when you carry it. Thankfully Spyderco has a fuck ton of aftermarket support.. With any Para 3 I purchase I always factor the cost of an MXG deep carry clip in with the knife because that is an absolute necessity on those knives.
@@evanacey1414 So true you'd think the like the three aftermarket manufacturers of deep carry clips would tip ol SydieCo off the the fact most of their customers aren't happy with their clip options lol.
Maxamet is a beast. I've sharpened it to 12 dps at 800 grit stropped with 1um. The edge is super sharp and i am suprised how easy it was to get a steel at 68hrc to that level of sharpness. One little problem comes with the sharpening with diamond plates from worksharp. It takes small pieces out of the edge at lower grits. But worked fine with vitrified diamond stones and cleaned up the edge in no time with a 400 grit stone. I've tried finer and coarser edges, but i think Maxamet's sweetspot is a 800 grit edge. I want to try stropping it with 4um.
@@Jmon808 don’t even sweat it, maxamet is nice steel but if you have any experience with sharpening it’s no different. Just get a decent set of Diamond stones you don’t need a super low grit either. I have heard from so many people in the knife community saying things like “it’s chippy, “you don’t get a bur”, it’s super hard to sharpen”, I call B.S. 15-20 minutes Max you can have a mirrored edge and even less time for a good 1000 grit toothy working edge. Rant over, I hope you are enjoying your maxamet, stay sharp my friend!!!!
@@andrewjewell8209 I sharpen freehand so I do plan to purchase some venev diamond stones or naniwa stones. Those DMT plates with the holes are absolute trash
@@Jmon808 nice I would like to learn the art of free hand sharpening, it’s just something I havnt got into yet, honestly I just picked up a KO3 pro hunter so I don’t think I will be picking up the free hand just yet. I have heard excellent things about the venev stones they will most likely be replacing the basic tsprof Diamond stones when they wear out.
I have had my Maxamet Sage 1 for about a year now and reprofiled to 15.5 degrees per side. I found a small chip on the factory edge a couple days ago and decided to go ahead and resharpen on my Wicked Edge. Sharpest blade I own now! Cutting paper you can barely hear it pass through. I’ll be curious to see how far I go again now.
I'm seriously considering a Wicked Edge but man, those prices! I have no doubt they're worth every penny but it means I'd have to stop buying knives for a while and save up. There are just so many great knives coming out right now that it's sometimes hard to resist. Can't wait until my M4 Shaman gets here, I absolutely love my Benchmade 705 Forum Knife in M2 so I'm really anxious to see how M4 compares. I'm expecting a white, DLC Native 5 in Rex 45 in today's mail and an SBR in DLC S45VN at the end of the month.
Each to its own I do baby my kitchen knives but S30V, S35VN and S45VN are for me the best balanced EDC steels. Easy to sharpen, OK toughness and edge retention and stainless enough for living in a country without sea.
couldn't be happier with S30V for edc. Have used cheaper blades like 8cr13mov and ugh way too soft for an edc folder, don't feel like sharpening the thing after every little task... Then something like Buck's 420hc (ie model 119) is great because it's SO easy to get razor sharp, as needed, and suited to a non-EDC field/fixed blade. The S30V just holds an edge so well, so far no chips or dings, and relatively easy to sharpen (tho more tedious than buck 420hc), no rust/patina or anything of that sort. IMHO S30V seems easier to sharpen than 154cm. Need to save some dough and stock up on some spydercos and various fancy steel types, some day!
@@bfboobie good choice. I have cruwear 20cv and a few high end exclusive Spydercos and my daily will always be either my s45vn pm2 or my para 3 in s30v. Can't go wrong with either
I just sharpened my Maxamet PM2 the other day. It had a couple little chips in it too, so I was pretty nervous that it would be tough as hell to do. It wasn't bad at all.
Finally, someone that is not just regurgitating the same garbage, the majority of the knife community spews. Use the right tool for the job, and for maxamet the right tool is Diamond stones and a little technique. 15-20 minutes tops you can have a hair shaving mirrored edge and even less time for a nice toothy working edge. Glock&spyderco for life, Stay sharp my friend!!!!
Why anyone would put a mirror edge on maxamet I just don't understand. A polish totally kills the aggression of maxamet and severely reduces the life of the edge. It's not a steel that likes even a 2000 grit edge yet along a 5k mirror. You want to get the most out maxamet, 220-400g is where the steel shines.
I put this same MXG clip on my Para 3 Max while watching this video. Loving this knife! Not too worried about patina-ing or not. I oil it. If it sees any change, that's okay. Utah is a desert. I'll avoid the Great Salt Lake. Loving using the mint green M4 Para Lightweight at work too. The color makes it more friendly looking for the public location where I use it.
Only the southern part is. I live in Colorado, next to Utah and their license plate is bit misleading it would have you believing the entire state looks like Moab and is covered in red sand but that’s not the case. Northern Utah, looks more like Idaho and Western Colorado then it does southern Utah and that’s where most it’s population lives.
toughness on this steel isn't good at all but thats covered up and compensated by two factors in my estimation. one the steel is extremely high strength. which means it's going to take full force to get it to include and when it does you will have a fracture. other factor is just the fact that steel is still steel, folks often forget this, and the fact is that steel for normal edc use does not actually need to be all that tough. unless the knives are being abused. the one scenario where you might get bit is dropping such a knife on a surface such as ceramic flooring tiles, etc. SO basically, this is a low toughness steel but it is in fact still steel and steel is generally a tough material, normal edc use is not that demanding, also unlike another low toughness steel like say super blue or 4116, this steel has got high strength which makes a big difference in the user experience and how it's perceived, it gives the impression that it's tougher than it is actually is. imo this steel makes very little sense to use for general use knives and like most SC products it's basically a gimmick. but, highly effective marketing. if you can get men to buy the same few butt ugly knives for absurd prices just by making them in various steels, I would argue the results speak for themself. good marketing.
I got a Para3 Maxamet because of you MC. I’m so glad I did because it is kind of my favorite steel now. It gets sharper than every other knife I have outside of the kitchen. Also, it is easy to sharpen on a little DMT diafold in about 5 to 10 minutes. I use my knives differently than you though. Seems like I dulled mine in about 3 months as opposed to 3 years. It cut paper a little less raggedly than yours. That was after cutting insulation off copper wire with no reduction in sharpness. I used it to carve plastic against a steel plate and the steel dulled it a little bit. Still it was a good result. I have done the same thing with; s110v, D2, XHP, and s30v. The steel plate dulled all of them more than Maxamet and the Maxamet took no more time to bring back to shaving sharp. I live in the desert so I only have to worry about my own sweat getting the blade wet. I’m a pretty sweaty guy though. I wipe the blade with mineral oil from time to time. I have had no problem with corrosion so far. Just a normal, even, light patina. . It is perfect!
I've had my pm2 max for over 2 years and I've carried it in a hot kitchen for that long. I would wipe it down with oily rag each evening, still looks great!
@PeterC585 Working in a kitchen you would know how to treat a carbon steel knife! Maxamet is awesome though. I just wipe mine with a little mineral oil on mine every so often.
I find that Bartender’s Friend cleans up and evens out the patina on Maxamet, without removing it. I think the worst corrosion usually happens when the knife is unused and stored in a less than optimal, i.e. damp place. A knife that is used but cared for and maintained a bit should not rust much, it seems to me.
A big cause of rust in MHO is storing steel items in unheated spaces in areas that get cold in the winter. Changes in temperature cause moisture to condense on the steel, causing rust. That can be prevented by sealing the steel off from the air, as with a coating, container or cover, and of course, by keeping steel at approximately the same warm temperature at all times.
Love my pm2 maxamet. I will totally take advantage of Spydero's sharpening program. I hate sharpening and kinda suck at it still after a few years in real knives
Factory edges are definitely sufficient but grab yourself a good guided sharpening system. You can't go wrong with a KME but Worksharps new fixed angle system is great. If you have a lot of money in knives then a little more in a good sharpening system isn't unreasonable. The real benefits is not potentially loosing your knife in the mail and not having burnt steel. The manufacturers use high speed belts which make for a fast even edge but with the cost of burning the apex resulting in reduced steel performance. The second or third home sharpening with stones with result in superior edge retention and the maximum performance of the steel your knife is made with.
My maxamet Pm2 has like 6 months of every day carry that gets some reasonably hard use. Still have not needed to sharpen it yet. but i did bend the very tip of it trying to clean out a sprayer nozzle on a b&g. Im considering sharpening it so i can reprofile the bend off
My use habits sound about the same, I have a para 2 in S110V and haven't needed to sharpen in the two or three years since I've had it. Cuts a little bit better than your para 3 in its current state but you are probably a little harder on it than I am with my S110V. I'm looking to get a para 3 in maxamet to compare the two steels because they seem pretty similar. The added petina looks great on the maxamet.
I went in for a para3 yesterday (black Friday) expecting to grab the standard s45vn one, but my local shop had a this very specific Para3 in Maxamet for cheaper than the regular price of the standard one. Couldn’t resist. Came here to see others experience with it. We live in the rockies, it is extremely dry both in summer and in winter, but we get several hundreds feets of snow per winter, I am really curious what will be the state of the blade by the spring.
I would love for someone to compare Maxamet and Rex45 in a long use test. So far Rex45 is my fav but i have used it daily and havent felt the need to get out the maxamet too
I have a shaman with rex45, it's a beast!! I've been camping, whittling a piece of wood for a better part of the weekend and the edge just wanted to keep going. Love it
I've had my Maxamet Para 3 since the factory seconds sale in December 2020, & have only lightly oiled guy blade every few weeks with Hoppe's No. 9. I haven't really used it much but I have fidgeted with it a LOT. The oil I've added has kept the blade in exactly the same condition as the day I received it. But again that's an experience only with someone who has pretty much only exclusively fidgeted with it for 8 months. I'm still impressed though! 😃
I want my Spydieman Native in max to be screain’ sharp. I had it about 4 years, sharpened three times and many striping sessions. But I also really like M-4 and s-90v and m390.
Lighter fluid is the best product to get adhesive off of your blade. I use Ronsonol. Super cheap. I work in a warehouse and need to clean my blades every day or two, so much tape glue lol. No Ill effects to the finish, satin or dlc the lighter fluid is fine.
What is even better is Eucalyptus oil on cotton balls. I think you can get the Australian stuff in the US. We have it in just about every store here. Try it, it wipes sticky gunk straight off no effort.
can you show us the basics of how to touch up blades like S30v, aus8 or any other very common knives 🙏 im a newb to the knife game and i’m loving it. usually go to videos to find my info. You make great vids and the way you explain what you’re trying to get through this great ! you’re awesome dude
Get yourself some 50% concentration diamond compound and save yourself the 20-50 strops per side. Make sure you get a proper abrasive size though. Something like 3 um leaves a finer finish than
Just got a para 3 maxamet. Went from a most recent teal Endura to this. Holy fuck it’s sharp. I’m a chef & this blade makes me nervous how insane it is. Just sold my H1 salt 1 & still have my g10 dragon fly. Damn this knife is sick
I’m gonna get a maxamet PM2 and put some micarta scales on that bad boy and let the patina run wild lol. I love how it looks. I’ve seen one on Taylor’s discord and it looks awesome.
I use my sharpmaker and strop to touch up my maxamet blade on my pm2. Seems to work great. I haven't had to put a new edge on it with my lansky system yet. Had it about a year now.
You are supposed to use exactly 5.123858729374923098749 squirt of EDCi exactly. Also I just got a Para 3 its pretty sweet but for some reason it doesn't wanna center
Notice the close-ups of the Maxamet blade. See the milling lines? It seems Spyderco MILLS the grinds on Maxamet blades! Most blades are GROUND, correct? Am I missing something (I want to know more about the manufacturing process)?
I've always been concerned about using CLP on my knives with PB washers out of fear that it could corrode them. One of the functions of most gun cleaners is to dissolve and remove copper fouling in the barrel, and with so many other great products out there I figure, "why risk it?".
Got my 2nds pm2 in max at blade show 21 and have used the crap out of it. I edc it. For $86 it’s getting used hard lol. I freaking love mine and the only thing I’ve done is strop it and use a jade stone periodically.
I live close to ocean in Ireland, despite obviously salty particles, if keeping maxamet well maintained and lubricated with Balinstol oil all time, should I still expect problems or these are mitigated with well maintenance? I love my Sage in Maxamet and I'm sincerely hoping maintenance would suffice in keeping this blade spot on. Don't mind patina developing over time
@@scottnovak4303 I go through them all. Just want to spend most of your time on the 600 grit. Ceramic is really only good for taking off the burr, so only a few passes with that, then move to the strop.
Thanks for the video MC. I live very close to the ocean, so I don't think this steel is for me. I am very intrested in getting a Shaman, or Manix 2 in Magnacut though.
No scraches on the surface of the blade? I broke down ALLOT of cardboard with my cruwear PM2 the other day, and it mostly cleaned up well but there are certainly scraches on the blade, and that was just after one day of use. I had to sharpen it after a single day of heavy use.
Hey I used my M4 para 3 to skin citrus and it stained the blade just a barely perceivable bit even though I washed and oiled it immediately. It bugs me just a bit. Is there a solvent to make that go away? It isn’t a big deal. Just in my head.
What do you strop with? What kind of compound? I hear you should be using a diamond spray or emulsion with Maxamet. That is unless you want to abrade the softer matrix and expose the carbides for a toothier edge. Thoughts?
I use .5 micron diamond spray on leather for MAXAMET, K/M390, S30/90/110V, S45VN, ZDP-189 & XHP. Can’t say it’s the absolute best choice for all these steels, but it works for me.
You seriously need to switch to 99% IPA for cleaning. With a cheap Menda pump dispenser you'll never go back to other cleaners I promise you 😀 Also, I have the same experience with Maxamet. It stays sharp with only stropping almost like magic. I work under a microscope at work so I will look at edges and notice it gets a lot of micro chipping that you can't really see with the naked eye, yet it still blows through paper and I haven't managed to dull it yet.
Been trying to decide between a Maxamet PM2 and a Cruwear PM2 and this basically decided that. I need to sharpen my S30V / M390 etc. knives every month or two depending on how much I use them, but I use the shit out of my knives and only rotate 4-5. I need an alpha of the pack.
Is there a way to do a "controlled patina". So the whole blade is dark color and not just the section in contact with your fingers?.I'm not a fan of that look.
The longer you let that maxima blade go the rounder the cutting edge gets and it’s gonna be one hell of a bitch to sharpen. You should just put it on the diamond stones and the KME get the edge back so you’re not killing your stones either. that’s how I would do it whether it needs it or not I would just sharpen it every six months just a quick few passes on the KME. It’s still not a lot of sharpening, but at least you won’t be killing your stones trying to get it from butter knife, sharp to razor sharp
I’ve got a PM2 & Manix in MAXAMET. I found that the factory edge chipped easily cutting natural rope and nylon tie wraps. Problem disappeared after sharpening the nicks out.
i bought a maxemnt para 3 without really doing much research and I feel like an idiot, when I bought it I lived in south flordia and sense then I have moved to Houston texas, bot extremely humid places. after finding out how suseptable it is to rust I have been too scared to even use it lol. a wonderful wonderful knive! i am just an idiot and cant use mine lol
I always heard that they were so hard to remove and replace but I recently disassembly 3 PM2 with no issues using my hands. I also used a small needle nose set of plyers to loose and remove the tube from one side scale. It seems easy to separate but the tube stays in one side. That's when I would just gently work the tube back and forth with needle nose pliers inside the tube. If you don't have those plyers handy grab a disposable set of chopsticks should work just as well and no chat of marring the tube. Definitely don't grab the outside of the barrel with plyers one of my PM2s was some to me deformed because some caveman went ham of the outside of the tube. Just seperate gently and stuck something inside the tube and work side to side until free. Reinstall clean any burrs off the tube hole and just press with fingers. Or if you find you can't press with finger use a small c clamp with painters tape on the jaws.
Spyderco should start selling "only the blades" for the more popular knives. They know people mod their folders. I'm sure "knife heads" will snapthem up e.g. S90V, Maxamet....they'll just make more money...and make their fans happy.
I’ve sharpened mine once but I’ve kinda used tf out of it, I’ve live next to the ocean for 2-3 months now and no problem yet. I have a lot of knives but the PM2 and cold steel voyagers always end up in my pocket.
@@joeyr3186 My backyard is a dock, my steel off-road bumpers on my 99 LX470 are rusting from the ocean breeze. My situation is like those houses on the canals in Florida.
@@joeyr3186 nope no oil here, maybe if I was thinking about putting it away for a while I would. Mine has just worked up a really nice patina and that’s about it, but any knife I have that has a bead blasted finish has gotten super light rust recently. My S35VN ti lite has some super minor surface rust on the liners.
@@metal_complex thanks you have a awesome channel and I really appreciate your down to earth approach to the knife world and you are mad funny. Keep up the great work.
Yours sounds like a case of “yes, you should be worried!” But if you maintain the blade, keep it clean and oiled, and maybe go over it with 0000 steel wool when necessary, you should be able to develop a nice, even patina. I also use Barkeeper’s Friend on my Maxamet, which also helps to keep the patina even-looking.
@@felurianmasters4369 it's a great knife. It doesn't get much use though since I primarily use an XM-18 or Spyderco SpyOpera. Still a great knife though.
Big Brown Bear did quite a lot of hard use testing on Maxamet, and truthfully, it was very surprising how much toughness testing it could handle. I just touch my para 3 and pm2 in maxamet up on some spyderco fine and ultrafine ceramic stones. The get shaving sharp in 5 passed per side on each stone. Chips do require diamond stones, cbn or stones like ultrasharp, atoma, or DMT.
After the amazing tales of Rolling around in the jungle and Scaling the Apex, 'No i just use them to open cardboard boxes and letters at home, i was lmao :D
🤣🤣🤣 Metal I love your videos man! I thought for sure you were firing rocket launchers at the apex of the edge 🤣 Maxamet is hands down my favorite steel. I use it pretty hard and over the last couple years my edge has been sharpened a couple times. It is not as much of a nightmare as people talk about, I tell people there's just less room for error. If you don't know what you're doing it will be difficult and take you much longer to get the edge your looking for. Thanks again for another great video
Thanks for the video, I chip the tip of my Para 3 Maxamets opening a door because I was lock without my key... ok I was not supposed to do that, but I did it 4 times after for fun with my $40 Cold Steel Little Tuff no issue ... still like it, but... Cheers
Higher hardness means higher tension so it will cut trough soft materials without blunting or deforming for a very long time but it will break very easily when hitting stuff that’s harder than copper. It’s possible to get more resistance to breaking by using a thin layer of hard steel between two other pieces of softer steel(san mai), giving it a differential heat treat or microscopically checking for inconsistencies and giving it a super shiny uniform polish (like rockstead knives does)
maxamet maxed out on hardness and wear resistance and gave 0 Fs to toughness or rust resistance Much less tough than M4, much less rust resistant and even a bit less tough than M390 (which is already considered not a tough steel)
I had my maxamet pm2 in my pocket digging fence holes. I didn't think about it but when I got home the blade was rusted from all the sweating. I was able to clean it up, but I was surprised to be honest. I have not had the same issue with my rex45 shaman
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My whole reason for paying a premium for steel is to have it screaming sharp, so I bought a KME and look for a reason to sharpen them. On my daily use knives I have generally stopped
(Sorry), I have generally stopped at 600 with a touch of 1500. I like it slightly toothie! Just me.
One reason we got production Maxamet knives is because of Cliff Stamp, who passed away recently. Rest in peace.
Yup Mr stamp is pretty much the only reason spyderco started working with it.
My native 5 maxamet developed a permanent thumb print around the spydie hole after 1 day of fidgeting lol. It's more of a stainer steel than rust steel
Same shit, but mine didn't start showing up till a few weeks after I got it
Got my first maxamet on the way. I’ve been loving the staining and patina on k390. Excited to see how maxamet compares
Maybe do a acid etch with a stone wash? It's may help a tad bit.
How is maxamet for food prep?
@silverforever15 It marks up amd patinas a lot if you're cutting acidic food. Just make sure you clean it thoroughly dry it before you out it away.
I absolutely love my Para 3 maxamet. I purchased it because of you and don't regret it. I have used mine heavily and only needed to strop it too.
I had a seconds pm2 come in with an ok edge, didn’t shave but was usable. I told my self I’d use it as see how long it’d be useful before actually putting a nice edge on it. I gave up yesterday and finally out a nice edge on it. That thing never got dull with regular use.
Tuning in for a Para 3 max that just came in yesterday. What a coincidence!
I beat on and neglect my maxamet manix 2. Thinned the edge and use it daily. Amazing steel.
Have both. My PM2 is my everything knife. I remodel. I cut drywall. I score caulk to take trim off walls. I cut wire. Boxes chicken steak. You name it I cut it. And the only complaint I had was it took 5-6 sharping to get to metal that wasn’t chippy. But that being said worth every dime. Thank for vids.
Makes sense it took so many sharpenings. Maxamet blade production falls short on planned quantity because blades were warping during shaping. Thats a lot of heat.
What
@@tidypog3272 He is saying it chipped until he re-sharpened it about a half dozen times and got down to the thicker steel. My guess is he ended up reprofiling it with a more obtuse angle apex preventing further chipping.
Get yourself a white scotchbrite pad- they're for finished material, so they won't scratch, but they've still got a useful level of grit for picking up stubborn crap easily. Once I learned about 'em I've always had a stock in the house. Works on everything with a decent surface hardness down to like brass and won't destroy gold plating.
Had the Para 3 maxamet, sold it just because I don't like the way it carries. Bought the sage 1 maxamet, favorite edc knife ever! I've yet to sharpen it either.
Yeah unfortunately Spyderco prioritized the lanyard hole that approximately 2% of Para 3 owners use over correct placement of the the pocket clip, so in its out-of-the-box configuration damn near half of the knife is hanging out of your pocket when you carry it. Thankfully Spyderco has a fuck ton of aftermarket support.. With any Para 3 I purchase I always factor the cost of an MXG deep carry clip in with the knife because that is an absolute necessity on those knives.
@@evanacey1414 So true you'd think the like the three aftermarket manufacturers of deep carry clips would tip ol SydieCo off the the fact most of their customers aren't happy with their clip options lol.
Maxamet is a beast.
I've sharpened it to 12 dps at 800 grit stropped with 1um.
The edge is super sharp and i am suprised how easy it was to get a steel at 68hrc to that level of sharpness. One little problem comes with the sharpening with diamond plates from worksharp. It takes small pieces out of the edge at lower grits. But worked fine with vitrified diamond stones and cleaned up the edge in no time with a 400 grit stone. I've tried finer and coarser edges, but i think Maxamet's sweetspot is a 800 grit edge. I want to try stropping it with 4um.
Thanks for this info! I have a native 5 maxamet coming
@@Jmon808 don’t even sweat it, maxamet is nice steel but if you have any experience with sharpening it’s no different. Just get a decent set of Diamond stones you don’t need a super low grit either. I have heard from so many people in the knife community saying things like “it’s chippy, “you don’t get a bur”, it’s super hard to sharpen”, I call B.S. 15-20 minutes Max you can have a mirrored edge and even less time for a good 1000 grit toothy working edge. Rant over, I hope you are enjoying your maxamet, stay sharp my friend!!!!
@@andrewjewell8209 I sharpen freehand so I do plan to purchase some venev diamond stones or naniwa stones. Those DMT plates with the holes are absolute trash
@@Jmon808 nice I would like to learn the art of free hand sharpening, it’s just something I havnt got into yet, honestly I just picked up a KO3 pro hunter so I don’t think I will be picking up the free hand just yet. I have heard excellent things about the venev stones they will most likely be replacing the basic tsprof Diamond stones when they wear out.
Can you explain all that for those of us that don't know about sharpening?
I have had my Maxamet Sage 1 for about a year now and reprofiled to 15.5 degrees per side. I found a small chip on the factory edge a couple days ago and decided to go ahead and resharpen on my Wicked Edge. Sharpest blade I own now! Cutting paper you can barely hear it pass through. I’ll be curious to see how far I go again now.
I'm seriously considering a Wicked Edge but man, those prices! I have no doubt they're worth every penny but it means I'd have to stop buying knives for a while and save up. There are just so many great knives coming out right now that it's sometimes hard to resist. Can't wait until my M4 Shaman gets here, I absolutely love my Benchmade 705 Forum Knife in M2 so I'm really anxious to see how M4 compares. I'm expecting a white, DLC Native 5 in Rex 45 in today's mail and an SBR in DLC S45VN at the end of the month.
@@Crusty_Otter I'm considering the cold steel benchtop sharpener. It seems like an affordable alternative to a wicked edge.
Each to its own I do baby my kitchen knives but S30V, S35VN and S45VN are for me the best balanced EDC steels. Easy to sharpen, OK toughness and edge retention and stainless enough for living in a country without sea.
couldn't be happier with S30V for edc. Have used cheaper blades like 8cr13mov and ugh way too soft for an edc folder, don't feel like sharpening the thing after every little task... Then something like Buck's 420hc (ie model 119) is great because it's SO easy to get razor sharp, as needed, and suited to a non-EDC field/fixed blade. The S30V just holds an edge so well, so far no chips or dings, and relatively easy to sharpen (tho more tedious than buck 420hc), no rust/patina or anything of that sort. IMHO S30V seems easier to sharpen than 154cm. Need to save some dough and stock up on some spydercos and various fancy steel types, some day!
@@bfboobie good choice. I have cruwear 20cv and a few high end exclusive Spydercos and my daily will always be either my s45vn pm2 or my para 3 in s30v. Can't go wrong with either
I just sharpened my Maxamet PM2 the other day. It had a couple little chips in it too, so I was pretty nervous that it would be tough as hell to do. It wasn't bad at all.
Finally, someone that is not just regurgitating the same garbage, the majority of the knife community spews. Use the right tool for the job, and for maxamet the right tool is Diamond stones and a little technique. 15-20 minutes tops you can have a hair shaving mirrored edge and even less time for a nice toothy working edge. Glock&spyderco for life, Stay sharp my friend!!!!
Why anyone would put a mirror edge on maxamet I just don't understand. A polish totally kills the aggression of maxamet and severely reduces the life of the edge. It's not a steel that likes even a 2000 grit edge yet along a 5k mirror. You want to get the most out maxamet, 220-400g is where the steel shines.
I put this same MXG clip on my Para 3 Max while watching this video. Loving this knife! Not too worried about patina-ing or not. I oil it. If it sees any change, that's okay. Utah is a desert. I'll avoid the Great Salt Lake.
Loving using the mint green M4 Para Lightweight at work too. The color makes it more friendly looking for the public location where I use it.
Best clip maker for any upgrade. I’ve got half a dozen on my BMs and Spydies
Only the southern part is. I live in Colorado, next to Utah and their license plate is bit misleading it would have you believing the entire state looks like Moab and is covered in red sand but that’s not the case. Northern Utah, looks more like Idaho and Western Colorado then it does southern Utah and that’s where most it’s population lives.
I actually like that patina on the blade, it gives the knife character 😊
I just chopped branches for like an hour with D2 for yard work. Was still sharp as fuck.
Hornady One Shot gun cleaner and lube is amazing at keeping Maxamet looking good. Carry my Sage 1 every day, and the blade still looks new.
I have both and they are probably my go to edc knives that I use. I find they sharpen well with diamonds and get a mirror polish very well
Maxamet with a mirror?? Yuck!
@@EDCandLace I use a russian knife sharpener if that makes you feel better lacey :p I will always be team mirror sharp tho 😝
toughness on this steel isn't good at all but thats covered up and compensated by two factors in my estimation. one the steel is extremely high strength. which means it's going to take full force to get it to include and when it does you will have a fracture. other factor is just the fact that steel is still steel, folks often forget this, and the fact is that steel for normal edc use does not actually need to be all that tough. unless the knives are being abused. the one scenario where you might get bit is dropping such a knife on a surface such as ceramic flooring tiles, etc. SO basically, this is a low toughness steel but it is in fact still steel and steel is generally a tough material, normal edc use is not that demanding, also unlike another low toughness steel like say super blue or 4116, this steel has got high strength which makes a big difference in the user experience and how it's perceived, it gives the impression that it's tougher than it is actually is. imo this steel makes very little sense to use for general use knives and like most SC products it's basically a gimmick. but, highly effective marketing. if you can get men to buy the same few butt ugly knives for absurd prices just by making them in various steels, I would argue the results speak for themself. good marketing.
I just bought a pm3 in maxamet. I love it and plan to major it last.
Thanks for this video.
I got a Para3 Maxamet because of you MC. I’m so glad I did because it is kind of my favorite steel now. It gets sharper than every other knife I have outside of the kitchen. Also, it is easy to sharpen on a little DMT diafold in about 5 to 10 minutes. I use my knives differently than you though. Seems like I dulled mine in about 3 months as opposed to 3 years. It cut paper a little less raggedly than yours. That was after cutting insulation off copper wire with no reduction in sharpness. I used it to carve plastic against a steel plate and the steel dulled it a little bit. Still it was a good result. I have done the same thing with; s110v, D2, XHP, and s30v. The steel plate dulled all of them more than Maxamet and the Maxamet took no more time to bring back to shaving sharp. I live in the desert so I only have to worry about my own sweat getting the blade wet. I’m a pretty sweaty guy though. I wipe the blade with mineral oil from time to time. I have had no problem with corrosion so far. Just a normal, even, light patina. . It is perfect!
I've had my pm2 max for over 2 years and I've carried it in a hot kitchen for that long. I would wipe it down with oily rag each evening, still looks great!
Same here. Between that and the Ga humidity I don’t even carry d2 at work. I have been looking more and more into lc200n as a steel.
@PeterC585 Working in a kitchen you would know how to treat a carbon steel knife! Maxamet is awesome though. I just wipe mine with a little mineral oil on mine every so often.
@0123456789876543210 I like the Spydiechef pretty well in lc200n. I haven’t used it enough to know the edge very well yet.
I find that Bartender’s Friend cleans up and evens out the patina on Maxamet, without removing it. I think the worst corrosion usually happens when the knife is unused and stored in a less than optimal, i.e. damp place. A knife that is used but cared for and maintained a bit should not rust much, it seems to me.
A big cause of rust in MHO is storing steel items in unheated spaces in areas that get cold in the winter. Changes in temperature cause moisture to condense on the steel, causing rust. That can be prevented by sealing the steel off from the air, as with a coating, container or cover, and of course, by keeping steel at approximately the same warm temperature at all times.
Love my pm2 maxamet. I will totally take advantage of Spydero's sharpening program. I hate sharpening and kinda suck at it still after a few years in real knives
Factory edges are definitely sufficient but grab yourself a good guided sharpening system. You can't go wrong with a KME but Worksharps new fixed angle system is great. If you have a lot of money in knives then a little more in a good sharpening system isn't unreasonable.
The real benefits is not potentially loosing your knife in the mail and not having burnt steel. The manufacturers use high speed belts which make for a fast even edge but with the cost of burning the apex resulting in reduced steel performance. The second or third home sharpening with stones with result in superior edge retention and the maximum performance of the steel your knife is made with.
Thanks for doing this video and all of your hard work! I was really interested in these two blades with Maxamet. You’re the best!
My maxamet Pm2 has like 6 months of every day carry that gets some reasonably hard use. Still have not needed to sharpen it yet. but i did bend the very tip of it trying to clean out a sprayer nozzle on a b&g. Im considering sharpening it so i can reprofile the bend off
The bend isnt even really visable unless you know your looking for it. Also i live on the coast and have no patina yet from a weekly coating of edci
My use habits sound about the same, I have a para 2 in S110V and haven't needed to sharpen in the two or three years since I've had it. Cuts a little bit better than your para 3 in its current state but you are probably a little harder on it than I am with my S110V. I'm looking to get a para 3 in maxamet to compare the two steels because they seem pretty similar. The added petina looks great on the maxamet.
I went in for a para3 yesterday (black Friday) expecting to grab the standard s45vn one, but my local shop had a this very specific Para3 in Maxamet for cheaper than the regular price of the standard one. Couldn’t resist. Came here to see others experience with it. We live in the rockies, it is extremely dry both in summer and in winter, but we get several hundreds feets of snow per winter, I am really curious what will be the state of the blade by the spring.
I would love for someone to compare Maxamet and Rex45 in a long use test. So far Rex45 is my fav but i have used it daily and havent felt the need to get out the maxamet too
I have a shaman with rex45, it's a beast!! I've been camping, whittling a piece of wood for a better part of the weekend and the edge just wanted to keep going. Love it
I've had my Maxamet Para 3 since the factory seconds sale in December 2020, & have only lightly oiled guy blade every few weeks with Hoppe's No. 9. I haven't really used it much but I have fidgeted with it a LOT. The oil I've added has kept the blade in exactly the same condition as the day I received it.
But again that's an experience only with someone who has pretty much only exclusively fidgeted with it for 8 months. I'm still impressed though! 😃
I want my Spydieman Native in max to be screain’ sharp. I had it about 4 years, sharpened three times and many striping sessions. But I also really like M-4 and s-90v and m390.
Lighter fluid is the best product to get adhesive off of your blade. I use Ronsonol. Super cheap. I work in a warehouse and need to clean my blades every day or two, so much tape glue lol. No Ill effects to the finish, satin or dlc the lighter fluid is fine.
What is even better is Eucalyptus oil on cotton balls. I think you can get the Australian stuff in the US. We have it in just about every store here. Try it, it wipes sticky gunk straight off no effort.
can you show us the basics of how to touch up blades like S30v, aus8 or any other very common knives 🙏 im a newb to the knife game and i’m loving it. usually go to videos to find my info. You make great vids and the way you explain what you’re trying to get through this great ! you’re awesome dude
I'm no expert, but I suppose a short video about stropping a blade might be a good idea 👍
Get yourself some 50% concentration diamond compound and save yourself the 20-50 strops per side. Make sure you get a proper abrasive size though. Something like 3 um leaves a finer finish than
Get yourself ballistol nerofor and force a rainbow Patina on it. Works with K390 as well.
Just got a para 3 maxamet. Went from a most recent teal Endura to this. Holy fuck it’s sharp. I’m a chef & this blade makes me nervous how insane it is.
Just sold my H1 salt 1 & still have my g10 dragon fly. Damn this knife is sick
I just purchased the manix2 lightweight in maxamet.I can't wait.
I’m gonna get a maxamet PM2 and put some micarta scales on that bad boy and let the patina run wild lol. I love how it looks. I’ve seen one on Taylor’s discord and it looks awesome.
I use my sharpmaker and strop to touch up my maxamet blade on my pm2. Seems to work great. I haven't had to put a new edge on it with my lansky system yet. Had it about a year now.
You are supposed to use exactly 5.123858729374923098749 squirt of EDCi exactly. Also I just got a Para 3 its pretty sweet but for some reason it doesn't wanna center
😆
Notice the close-ups of the Maxamet blade. See the milling lines? It seems Spyderco MILLS the grinds on Maxamet blades! Most blades are GROUND, correct? Am I missing something (I want to know more about the manufacturing process)?
"Firing rocket launchers at the apex of the edge"
Is it possible to remove the rust and patina from maxamet, like with d2 blades using a rust eraser?
I've always been concerned about using CLP on my knives with PB washers out of fear that it could corrode them. One of the functions of most gun cleaners is to dissolve and remove copper fouling in the barrel, and with so many other great products out there I figure, "why risk it?".
That never would've occurred to me, I wonder how it affects it now too.
In my experience break free CLP isn't very good at removing copper from barrels.
Got my 2nds pm2 in max at blade show 21 and have used the crap out of it. I edc it. For $86 it’s getting used hard lol. I freaking love mine and the only thing I’ve done is strop it and use a jade stone periodically.
I live close to ocean in Ireland, despite obviously salty particles, if keeping maxamet well maintained and lubricated with Balinstol oil all time, should I still expect problems or these are mitigated with well maintenance?
I love my Sage in Maxamet and I'm sincerely hoping maintenance would suffice in keeping this blade spot on. Don't mind patina developing over time
I sharpen my maxamet para 3 on the work sharp precision adjust. No problems at all. I would imagine you'd have no issues with the KME
What grit stones do you use on the Precision Adjust? All of them? Just curious because that’s what I have. Thanks!
@@scottnovak4303 I go through them all. Just want to spend most of your time on the 600 grit. Ceramic is really only good for taking off the burr, so only a few passes with that, then move to the strop.
@@scottnovak4303 also clamp it on the opening hole, you won't get a solid grip anywhere else on the blade👍🏻👍🏻
@@shaggy_e210 Thanks!!!!
Thanks for the video MC. I live very close to the ocean, so I don't think this steel is for me. I am very intrested in getting a Shaman, or Manix 2 in Magnacut though.
No scraches on the surface of the blade? I broke down ALLOT of cardboard with my cruwear PM2 the other day, and it mostly cleaned up well but there are certainly scraches on the blade, and that was just after one day of use. I had to sharpen it after a single day of heavy use.
Is maxamet better than s45vn?
Torn between a black ultratech tanto and a Para3 MAX. Somehow both are in stock rn.
Hey I used my M4 para 3 to skin citrus and it stained the blade just a barely perceivable bit even though I washed and oiled it immediately. It bugs me just a bit. Is there a solvent to make that go away? It isn’t a big deal. Just in my head.
It adds character! But i heard barkeepers friend might help
600 grit
Throw it away and use ceramic BUUUURRrrp
sent my para3 to a friend of mine who's sharpening knives professionally and now I'm set for life lol
If you point the tip of the knife at the moon, the gravitational resistance of the ocean will improve the efficiency of the cleaning oil.
That's what I was told as well. Lol
If only they made the sage 5 in maxa. I’m a fool for the compression lock 😭
I think it’s only a matter of time. Lots of people clamoring for that configuration.
Me too friend, me too.
What do you strop with? What kind of compound? I hear you should be using a diamond spray or emulsion with Maxamet. That is unless you want to abrade the softer matrix and expose the carbides for a toothier edge. Thoughts?
I use .5 micron diamond spray on leather for MAXAMET, K/M390, S30/90/110V, S45VN, ZDP-189 & XHP. Can’t say it’s the absolute best choice for all these steels, but it works for me.
Dbk 1micron compound on soft leather
What’s the best option to use to clean the maxamet blade ?
You seriously need to switch to 99% IPA for cleaning. With a cheap Menda pump dispenser you'll never go back to other cleaners I promise you 😀
Also, I have the same experience with Maxamet. It stays sharp with only stropping almost like magic. I work under a microscope at work so I will look at edges and notice it gets a lot of micro chipping that you can't really see with the naked eye, yet it still blows through paper and I haven't managed to dull it yet.
Been trying to decide between a Maxamet PM2 and a Cruwear PM2 and this basically decided that. I need to sharpen my S30V / M390 etc. knives every month or two depending on how much I use them, but I use the shit out of my knives and only rotate 4-5. I need an alpha of the pack.
Do you have a stropping video? Thats deff something I'd like to see!
I really want Spyderco to do a maxamet Shaman.
Is there a way to do a "controlled patina". So the whole blade is dark color and not just the section in contact with your fingers?.I'm not a fan of that look.
The longer you let that maxima blade go the rounder the cutting edge gets and it’s gonna be one hell of a bitch to sharpen. You should just put it on the diamond stones and the KME get the edge back so you’re not killing your stones either. that’s how I would do it whether it needs it or not I would just sharpen it every six months just a quick few passes on the KME. It’s still not a lot of sharpening, but at least you won’t be killing your stones trying to get it from butter knife, sharp to razor sharp
As always great content 👍🏻 I’d be curious to find out where the PM2 owner lives
I’ve got a PM2 & Manix in MAXAMET. I found that the factory edge chipped easily cutting natural rope and nylon tie wraps. Problem disappeared after sharpening the nicks out.
same mine chipped slicing paper
@@kushkushogbomb1589 I now remove the factory edge on every new hard steel knife, problem solved.
I love your channel.
i bought a maxemnt para 3 without really doing much research and I feel like an idiot, when I bought it I lived in south flordia and sense then I have moved to Houston texas, bot extremely humid places. after finding out how suseptable it is to rust I have been too scared to even use it lol. a wonderful wonderful knive! i am just an idiot and cant use mine lol
Does that blackening of the blade get worse? I feel like my maxamet Para 3 just begs me to let it rust. Black fingerprints are difficult to look at.
Have you seen the removal tool for the lanyard barrel from sharp dressed knives
No I haven't. Sounds interesting!
I always heard that they were so hard to remove and replace but I recently disassembly 3 PM2 with no issues using my hands.
I also used a small needle nose set of plyers to loose and remove the tube from one side scale. It seems easy to separate but the tube stays in one side. That's when I would just gently work the tube back and forth with needle nose pliers inside the tube.
If you don't have those plyers handy grab a disposable set of chopsticks should work just as well and no chat of marring the tube.
Definitely don't grab the outside of the barrel with plyers one of my PM2s was some to me deformed because some caveman went ham of the outside of the tube.
Just seperate gently and stuck something inside the tube and work side to side until free. Reinstall clean any burrs off the tube hole and just press with fingers. Or if you find you can't press with finger use a small c clamp with painters tape on the jaws.
love the patinas!
Spyderco should start selling "only the blades" for the more popular knives. They know people mod their folders. I'm sure "knife heads" will snapthem up e.g. S90V, Maxamet....they'll just make more money...and make their fans happy.
I’ve sharpened mine once but I’ve kinda used tf out of it, I’ve live next to the ocean for 2-3 months now and no problem yet. I have a lot of knives but the PM2 and cold steel voyagers always end up in my pocket.
How close to the ocean? I live in the tampa area but I’m scared it will rust.
@@joeyr3186 My backyard is a dock, my steel off-road bumpers on my 99 LX470 are rusting from the ocean breeze. My situation is like those houses on the canals in Florida.
@@heydiahrea Seems like maxamet is more corrosion resistant than you’d think. I assume you oil the blade?
@@joeyr3186 nope no oil here, maybe if I was thinking about putting it away for a while I would. Mine has just worked up a really nice patina and that’s about it, but any knife I have that has a bead blasted finish has gotten super light rust recently. My S35VN ti lite has some super minor surface rust on the liners.
@@heydiahrea your making me want to give it a try. Thanks for all your input! Really appreciate it.
I was interested in getting a Spyderco in maxamet but after seeing how bad is stains, I will not be getting this steel. I’m to OCD.
I think that I started following you after that video, awesome do you have any video of your PM2 micarta contour scales?
I think there's an installation video in my unboxing playlist 👍
@@metal_complex thanks you have a awesome channel and I really appreciate your down to earth approach to the knife world and you are mad funny. Keep up the great work.
Holy shit dude. You really know how to jam 30 seconds of content into a 20 minute video.
Thanks for watching 👍
“Rocket launchers at the apex of the edge” - Legend
MIght as well force a patina instead of being concerned about it happening. It adds character.
Honestly I'm not really concerned either way. I'm already doing pretty minimal maintenance. However it ends up looking is fine with me.
My wife got me the sage 5 lw in maxamet we live in hawaii should i be worried? How often should i clean the blade
Yours sounds like a case of “yes, you should be worried!” But if you maintain the blade, keep it clean and oiled, and maybe go over it with 0000 steel wool when necessary, you should be able to develop a nice, even patina. I also use Barkeeper’s Friend on my Maxamet, which also helps to keep the patina even-looking.
Mine does not look like that. But I noticed in your videos that you don’t keep your blades very clean. Lol
Awesome video buddy.
How does Maxamet compare to LC200N as far as edge retention? Anybody? Links to vids? Thanks
I remember i tried to cut some zipties from a water hose for my house and got a big nick in the blade
I just got a Para 3 Maxamet, but I had it cerakoted.
Tbh i considered that, update? Thanks
@@felurianmasters4369 it's a great knife. It doesn't get much use though since I primarily use an XM-18 or Spyderco SpyOpera. Still a great knife though.
I SOO want a shaman in Maxamet.
I don't feel like I have to baby Maxamet like I do it S110V.
I like the patina
I find Maxamet more easy to sharpen than steels like S90V and S110V...it's actually very easy to sharpen IMO.
Big Brown Bear did quite a lot of hard use testing on Maxamet, and truthfully, it was very surprising how much toughness testing it could handle. I just touch my para 3 and pm2 in maxamet up on some spyderco fine and ultrafine ceramic stones. The get shaving sharp in 5 passed per side on each stone. Chips do require diamond stones, cbn or stones like ultrasharp, atoma, or DMT.
After the amazing tales of Rolling around in the jungle and Scaling the Apex, 'No i just use them to open cardboard boxes and letters at home, i was lmao :D
Hey MC, in your expert opinion… better edge retention Maxamet or S110V?
Maxamet has a higher carbide content.
Max wins
Think I will get a para 2 maxamet steel
Use mineral oil. Protects and it’s safe.
🤣🤣🤣 Metal I love your videos man! I thought for sure you were firing rocket launchers at the apex of the edge 🤣 Maxamet is hands down my favorite steel. I use it pretty hard and over the last couple years my edge has been sharpened a couple times. It is not as much of a nightmare as people talk about, I tell people there's just less room for error. If you don't know what you're doing it will be difficult and take you much longer to get the edge your looking for. Thanks again for another great video
I think that if you cleaned the glue off, it would cut a lot better!
Thanks for the video, I chip the tip of my Para 3 Maxamets opening a door because I was lock without my key... ok I was not supposed to do that, but I did it 4 times after for fun with my $40 Cold Steel Little Tuff no issue ... still like it, but... Cheers
Higher hardness means higher tension so it will cut trough soft materials without blunting or deforming for a very long time but it will break very easily when hitting stuff that’s harder than copper.
It’s possible to get more resistance to breaking by using a thin layer of hard steel between two other pieces of softer steel(san mai), giving it a differential heat treat or microscopically checking for inconsistencies and giving it a super shiny uniform polish (like rockstead knives does)
why didnt you do any cutting with the pm2? You should have cleaned it also to see if the darkness cleared up a bit also.
If you have adhesive on your blade run your fingers over your nose/forehead and then rub them against the blade and the adhesive is going to vanish
How does it compare to M4 and M390?
maxamet maxed out on hardness and wear resistance and gave 0 Fs to toughness or rust resistance
Much less tough than M4, much less rust resistant and even a bit less tough than M390 (which is already considered not a tough steel)
I sweat like a madman at work, so this may not be for me.
That would definitely be your own personal patina.
I had my maxamet pm2 in my pocket digging fence holes. I didn't think about it but when I got home the blade was rusted from all the sweating. I was able to clean it up, but I was surprised to be honest. I have not had the same issue with my rex45 shaman
@@timnichol6566 Do you have any experience with k390 in such a setting. I have an Endela that I love but I don't want to scrub rust of it lol
@@GreyRock100 I have not tried anything in k390. I'd like to but I have not, yet lol