CPM-S45VN knife steel
CPM-S45VN is a powder-metallurgy (PM) stainless knife steel, typically hardened to HRC 59-62.
| Type | Stainless · powder metallurgy |
|---|---|
| Hardness | HRC 59-62 |
| Edge retention | very-highhigher than 37 of 48, tied with 5 |
| Corrosion resistance | very-highhigher than 39 of 48, tied with 6 |
| Toughness | mediumhigher than 4 of 48, tied with 20 |
| Ease of sharpening | hard to sharpenamong the hardest to sharpen of 49 |
| Price tier | Premium |
| Best for | EDC / foldersKitchen |
CPM-S45VN chemical composition
| C | Cr | Mo | V | Nb | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.48 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.15 |
Nominal weight %. Source: Crucible datasheet (Niagara Specialty Metals). What the alloying adds: vanadium (3%) gives hard vanadium carbides, the main source of wear resistance; niobium (0.5%) gives very hard, fine niobium carbides; nitrogen (0.15%) gives hardness without tying up chromium, which helps rust resistance.
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Knives in CPM-S45VN
Benchmade Taggedout Hunting Knife, S45VN Steel Blade (15536)- ZT Zero Tolerance 0044BLK (S45VN, Drop Point, Black, Titanium) Pocket
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Similar stainless steels
| Steel | Type | HRC | Edge | Corrosion | Toughness | Tier | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 154CM | Stainless | 58-61 | high | high | medium | Mid | Shop → |
| ATS-34 | Stainless | 58-61 | high | high | medium | Mid | Shop → |
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| CPM-154 PM | Stainless | 58-61 | high | high | medium | Mid | Shop → |
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