#fascinatingfactfriday

Have you ever heard of a “sheepfoot” or “sheepsfoot” blade? It has a blunt tip and a straight cutting edge and derives its name from the fact that it was originally designed to trim the hooves of sheep. Sheepfoot blades are also closely associated with sailors, and legend has it that captains often broke off the points of their sailors’ knives to keep them from stabbing each other during long months at sea. Regardless of how sheepfoot blades came to be, their lack of a traditional point reduces the chance of accidental punctures when used in the rigging of a ship, around inflatable watercraft, and during emergency cutting. You should also know that Spyderco was the first company to combine a sheepfoot blade with a fully serrated edge to pioneer the concept of the modern “rescue knife.” #fascinatingfactfriday!"

CPM S30V is an American made particle metallurgy steel developed primarily for knife blade applications. A select team of people at Crucible Materials Corporation worked together for 18 months to develop this grade with the assistance of Chris Reeve. The goal was to develop a tougher 400 series knife blade steel that also maintained very good corrosion resistance and edge holding properties. While most other knife blade steels were originally developed for other industrial applications, CPM S30V was specifically developed and targeted for use in cutlery applications. Spyderco was one of the first production knife companies to use particle metallurgy steels for their knife blades and has been using CPM S30V since it was first introduced.