Bill Tindall
Before the discovery of their abrasion friendly steel LV was busy evaluating "water stones" for sharpening abrasion resistant steels. If you have ever pursued the fools errand of sharpening your M2 jointer blades on typical "stones" you can appreciate the abrasion resistance of this steel. LV provided data to show that some of the water stones they offered did well on M2. If M2 does ok CPM 3V would be even easier, and M4 more difficult. Additionally, there are Japanese tools now made with similar abrasion resistant steels that they must be sharpening somehow, if not with diamond abrasives. So, it would appear that even those wedded to water stones can enjoy the benefits of higher performance steel in cases where there was some benefit to do so.

While on the subject of M2, it is curious that LV chose to divulge M4 in their evaluations. While this steel is common in lathe tools and highest performance knives it certainly is not common in plane blades and chisels and many would not have heard of it. M2 is lots more familiar to people and it would have seemed to be a better steel to use as a bench mark in the evaluations.