You asked for it...
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When Crucible Industries introduced its CPM S30V steel, blade-smiths and knife-lovers alike fell in love with it; the quality wear resistance, toughness, and machinability offered by the steel was equal to none other. People were calling it, “the best knife steel available,” and indeed, it might have been. Until Crucible Industries announced that they were coming out with a newer, improved version of their premium grade knife steel- CPM S35VN, which would have an increased toughness and ease of sharpening over its predecessor. Soon it became clear that S35VN steel was a top-grade steel to rival the best in its class.
What is S35VN steel and how does it differ from S30V?
CPM S35VN is a quality stainless steel that is part of Crucible Industries’ “SxxV series”. “CPM” identifies the steel as having been made through Crucible Industries’ CPM process, offering an improved outcome over that of conventional melting practices. The letters “S,” “V,” and “N” refer to the terms “stainless,” vanadium,” and “niobium,” respectively. The number thirty-five has no significance other than to differentiate between S30V steel.
S35VN steel is composed of 1.4 percent carbon, 14 percent chromium, 3 percent vanadium, 2 percent molybdenum, and .5 percent niobium. Carbon is the most essential element in the hardness of steel; the higher the carbon content, the harder the knife is. When combined with other alloys including chromium and vanadium, carbides are formed which are harder than just the carbon alone. This carbon content is very similar to that of the S30V type, which contains 1.45 percent carbon.
With the newer steel, however, a small bit of a carbide called niobium was introduced in the place of some of the steel’s vanadium content, an innovative and critically altering change that sets S35VN steel apart from its predecessor and many other steels. The niobium, combined with the carbon, makes this steel 15 to 20 percent tougher than S30V.
Despite the high level of toughness in this steel, which usually diminishes a steel’s wear resistance, this steel does not lose out on a superior resistance to wear and chipping. Combined with carbon, the niobium carbides make the steel more effective in providing resistance to wear and edge chipping than if it were more dependent on chromium, which is the case with many other steels. The resulting edge holding ability of this steel is remarkable, ensuring S35VN steel to be a long lasting one.
Vanadium, as well, is essential to balance S35VN’s toughness with its wear resistance. Not only does it increase strength and toughness, but it also promotes fine grain structure and forms hard carbides that dramatically intensify edge holding. Molybdenum is yet another key component of this steel’s wear resistance, as the harder the steel is, the stiffer it becomes. Molybdenum combines with carbon to make hard carbides that take that problem out of the equation. For these reasons, S35VN steel offers a superior edge retention over conventional high chromium steels such as 440C and D2 steels.
Despite being less reliant on chromium, the carbide is still crucial for the high quality performance of the steel. Chromium is a critical ingredient to increase a steel’s stain resistance, and despite not being on par with niobium and vanadium in terms of wear resistance, chromium still helps add to a steel’s wear resistance, and is still every bit as important as S35VN’s other ingredients.
This composition allows for S35VN steel to be an incredibly hard, high quality steel offering superior dimensional stability, grindability, and toughness that together make this a top grade steel at the top of its class.
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Not to forget its titanium handle too.
"No, you're never too old to Rock'n'Roll if you're too young to die." I.A./J.T.