Böhler K390 knife steel
Böhler K390 is a powder-metallurgy (PM) tool & high-speed knife steel, typically hardened to HRC 62-65.
| Type | Tool & high-speed · powder metallurgy |
|---|---|
| Hardness | HRC 62-65 |
| Edge retention | extremehigher than 43 of 48, tied with 5 |
| Corrosion resistance | lowamong the lowest of 49 |
| Toughness | mediumhigher than 4 of 48, tied with 20 |
| Ease of sharpening | hard to sharpenamong the hardest to sharpen of 49 |
| Price tier | Super / high-end |
| Best for | EDC / foldersHard-use / survival |
Böhler K390 chemical composition
| C | Cr | Mo | V | W | Co | Mn | Si |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.47 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0.4 | 0.55 |
Nominal weight %. Source: Bohler datasheet page. What the alloying adds: vanadium (9%) gives hard vanadium carbides, the main source of wear resistance; tungsten (1%) gives hard tungsten carbides that keep their hardness when hot; cobalt (2%) gives a stronger matrix, as in high-speed steels.
Knives in Böhler K390
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Similar tool & high-speed steels
| Steel | Type | HRC | Edge | Corrosion | Toughness | Tier | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPM Maxamet PM | Tool & high-speed | 64-68 | extreme | low | low | Super / high-end | Shop → |
| CPM REX 45 PM | Tool & high-speed | 62-66 | extreme | low | medium | Super / high-end | Shop → |
| CPM-10V PM | Tool & high-speed | 60-64 | extreme | low | medium | Super / high-end | Shop → |
All tool & high-speed steels · every steel · best for a purpose