What a Steel! Part 1 - Crucible Industries, LLC

Premium steels are revolutionizing the knife industry.  When premium steels are referred to, most often it is in reference to a high performance steel that maintains a cutting edge somewhere along the lines of forever.  Okay, forever is really stretching the truth quite a bit, but for those out there that don't often use a pocket knife, or a hunting knife, the possibility of literally going years between sharpening is possible.  Steel producers from all over the world are constantly challenging themselves to upgrade, not just out of competition, but because of demand.  Who creates this demand?  We (consumers) do.  For those out there that consider themselves steel junkies and are always looking at the latest and greatest, the mere thought of Spyderco releasing a knife with a blade in Crucible Industries CPM-S90V® stainless steel, gets the heart pumping and leads us to empty out the piggy banks and play the part of a laboratory experiment for little known drug companies for a few extra dollars so we can afford to add yet another knife to our collection.

Crucible Industries is headquartered in Syracuse, New York and produces some of the most popular and finest knife steels in the United States.  Crucible has been doing so since 1876 with roots going back to England a hundred years earlier.  With over 1000 patents, Crucible is a leader in the steel industry, not just for knives, but creating steel for just about any specialty and everyday use.  Crucible's premier line of steels are known as Crucible Particle Metallurgy®, or CPM® as it is most commonly referred to and are best known for their wear and corrosion resistance, toughness and their ease of grinding.

A list of CPM® stainless, high speed and tool steels most commonly used in knife manufacturing:

CPM-154®

• Offers easier grinding, polishing and better toughness over standard 154 CM and better edge retention (stays sharper longer) and resistance to chipping than 440C stainless steel. 
• Contains 1.05% Carbon, 14.00% Chromium and 4.00% Molybdenum
• Ideal hardness (HRc) range is between 55 and 62
• Does not offer the wear resistance of CPM-S30V stainless steel.
• Does offer the same toughness as CPM-S30V stainless steel.
• Does offer better grind ability than CPM-S30V stainless steel.

CPM-S30V®

• Offers better wear and corrosion resistance and toughness versus 440C and D2.
• Contains 1.45% Carbon, 14.00% Chromium, 4.00% Vanadium, and 2.00% Molybdenum
• Ideal hardness (HRc) range is between 58 and 61.

Zero Tolerance Bayonet, 7-1/2" CPM-S30V Stainless Steel Blade, Ranger Green G-10 Handle ZT-9

CPM-S35VN®

• Designed to be tougher than CPM-S30V stainless steel.
• Contains 1.40% Carbon, 14.00% Chromium, 3.00% Vanadium, 2.00% Molybdenum, and 0.50% Niobium
• Ideal hardness (HRc) range is between 58 and 61.
• Offers the ability to withstand 20% more impact energy than CPM-S30V stainless steel.
• Offers similar edge retention to CPM-S30V stainless steel.

Spyderco Native 5, 3" S35VN Stainless Steel Blade, Black G-10 Handle C41GP5

CPM-S90V®

• Designed to offer outstanding, long lasting edge retention.
• Contains 2.30% Carbon, 14.00% Chromium, 9.00% Vanadium, and 1.00% Molybdenum.
• Ideal hardness (HRc) range is between 56 and 59
• Offers better corrosion resistance than 440C and 154CM.
• Offers better toughness than 440C.

CPM-S110V®

• Designed to offer better corrosion resistance than 440C and CPM-S30V.
• Contains 2.80% Carbon, 15.25% Chromium, 9.00% Vanadium, 3.00% Niobium, 2.25% Molybdenum, and 2.50% Cobalt.
• Ideal hardness (HRc) range is between 58 and 61.

CPM-3V®

• Designed to offer outstanding resistance to chipping and breakage.
• Contains 0.80% Carbon, 7.50% Chromium, 2.75% Vanadium, and 1.30% Molybdenum.
• Ideal hardness (HRc) range is between 58 and 60.
• Offers better toughness than A2, D2 and CPM-M4 steels.

Zero Tolerance Military, 5-3/4" 3V Steel Blade, Matte Black G10 Handle 0100

CPM-M4®

• Designed to offer more wear resistance and toughness.
• Contains 1.42% Carbon, 4.00% Chromium, 4.00% Vanadium, 5.50% Tungsten, 5.25% Molybdenum, 0.30% (0.70%) Manganese, and 0.06% (0.22%) Sulfur.
• Ideal hardness (HRc) range is between 58 and 66.

Spyderco Gayle Bradley, 3-7/16" M4 Steel Blade, Black Carbon Fiber Handle C134CFP

A list of other steels produced by Crucible Industries, LLC:

154CM

• Designed as an upgraded 440C steel which offers better corrosion and wear resistance as well as better edge retention.
• Contains 1.05% Carbon, 14.00% Chromium, and 4.00% Molybdenum.
• Ideal hardness (HRc) range is between 55 and 62.

Benchmade Mini-Griptilian, 2.91" 154CM Steel Blade, Gray Handle, 555SGY-600 - Set

420

• General purpose stainless steel
• Contains >0.15% Carbon, 1.00% Manganese, 0.04% Phosphorous, 0.03% Sulfur, 1.00% Silicone, and 12.00% - 14.00% Chromium
• Ideal hardness (HRc) range is between 51 and 55.

440A

• Designed to be the toughest high Chromium cutlery steels
• Contains 0.60%/0.75% Carbon, 0.04% Phosphorous, 16.00%/18.00% Chromium, 1.00% Manganese, 1.00% Silicone, 0.03% Sulfur, and 0.75% Molybdenum.
• Ideal hardness (HRc) range is between 52 and 57.
• Ideal for cutlery requiring a "mirror" finish.

440C

• Designed to offer higher hardness, good corrosion resistance and good edge retention.
• Contains 0.95%/1.20% Carbon, 1.00% Manganese, 1.00% Silicone, 0.40% Phosphorous, 0.03% Sulfur, 16.00%/18.00% Chromium, and 0.75% Molybdenum.
• Ideal hardness (HRc) range is between 54 and 59.
• Ideal for cutlery requiring a "mirror" finish.

Spyderco Cat, 2-7/16" 440C Stainless Steel Blade, Black G-10 Handle C129GP

A2

• Designed to be tougher than D2 and CRUWEAR.
• Contains 1.00% Carbon, 0.85% Manganese, 5.25% Chromium, 1.10% Molybdenum, and 0.25% Vanadium.
• Ideal hardness (HRc) range is between 58 and 62.

CRUWEAR

• Designed as an upgrade to D2 tool steel with better wear resistance and toughness.
• Contains 1.10% Carbon, 7.50% Chromium, 2.40% Vanadium, 1.15% Tungsten, and 1.60% Molybdenum
• Ideal hardness (HRc) range is between 60 and 65.

D2

• Offers a balance of toughness and wear resistance.
• Contains 1.55% Carbon, 11.50% Chromium, 0.80% Vanadium, and 0.90% Molybdenum.
• Ideal hardness (HRc) range is between 60 and 62
• Known for it's ability to take a very sharp edge and hold it.

What do those ingredients mean to me?  Click here.

Rob

Crucible Industries, LLC. "What a Steel! Part 1 - Crucible Industries, LLC." ::Crucible Industries:: Home :: You & Us. Crucible Industries, LLC. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. <http://www.crucibleservice.com>.