S30V from Benchmade and Buck don’t hold a candle to an S30V blade from Ingram or May. The Ingram/May will take and hold an edge significantly better and are no more difficult to sharpen when they’ve been used.
I've a Bos HT S30V Buck Kaala that has been cutting hides, meat and against bones for years. If there is a difference in performance of the steel between the Kaala and an S30V Ingram. I've not noticed.
That Buck Kaala is a limited production, essentially custom shop knife. My comparison was more along the lines of Ingram/May vs. a "production" knife in S30V from Buck or Benchmade. I'm no metallurgist, but, I can tell when a knife gets dull and when it stays sharp.
I see virtually 0 difference between Ingram or May's S30V. Howe's Elmax is another that stands out to me as very well done. Gets extremely sharp and stays that way. Few strokes on ceramic sticks and it's back to very sharp.
