CPM 20CV steel is super-premium stainless steel produced by crucible industries following the Crucible Powder Metallurgy process.
This trademark process ensures even distribution of fine carbides, enhancing this steel’s toughness and wear resistance.
CPM 20CV powder steel is recorded to have the highest Chromium elements among all stainless steels on the market, which translates to excellent corrosion resistance features.
What’s more, it has high amounts of Vanadium elements in its composition and, therefore offers extreme levels of wear resistance.
It is used to make premium knives, mold cavities, barrel liners, and screw tips.
CPM 20CV steel composition
- Carbon C 1.90%: Increases the edge retention, hardness and tensile strength. It also improves steel resistance to wear, abrasion and corrosion.
- Chromium Cr 20.00%: Formation of Chromium carbide Increases hardness, tensile strength and corrosion resistance of the blade. Highest chromium content added in any stainless steel.
- Molybdenum Mo 1.00%: It improves machinability and hardness.
- Vanadium V 4.00%: Increase wear resistance and toughness, it also improves corrosion resistance. High vanadium content enables formation of Vanadium Carbide giving 20CV steel an edge over other steel in wear resistance.
- Tungsten W 0.60% Improves wear resistance and hardness, mostly added to tool steel.
- Manganese Mn 0.30%: Increases Hardness and brittleness.
- Silicon Si 0.30%: Increases strength and heat resistance.
- Professional Knife Sharpener Rod: Crafted from high-grade Carbon Steel with premium Nickel-Chrome Plating. This durable honing steel offers superior hardness and corrosion resistance, ensuring your sharpening stick won't rust or wear down easily like generic models.
- Magnetized for Cleaner Sharpening: Our sharpening rod is specially magnetized to attract metal filings produced during use. This unique feature keeps your kitchen knives clean and prevents metal dust from contaminating food—a hygienic advantage over standard rods.
- 13-Inch Total Length Design: Features a convenient 13-inch overall design (rod + handle) that is lightweight and easy to control. The optimized length allows for smooth, fatigue-free maintenance of chef knives, paring knives, and fruit knives.
- Instant Edge Restoration: The rod surface features dense, uniform sawteeth. Just a few strokes on this knife sharpening steel will realign the blade edge, restoring dull knives to razor-sharp performance instantly.
- Ergonomic & Safe Grip: Designed with a streamlined, non-slip PP handle that fits perfectly in your hand. The textured grip ensures the honing rod stays stable during use, providing a safe and efficient sharpening experience without the bulk of heavy guards.
- Premium Steel Construction - The steel rod is made of carbon steel and plated with nickel-chrome; the fine surface of the steel rod prevents the cutting edge from damage when sharpening.
- Versatile Compatibility - Our knife sharpening steel rod is for all types of knives, including kitchen, household, sporting and pocketknives; sharpens standard and serrated edge knives. Restores dull knives to razor-sharp perfection with ease.
- Ergonomic Non-Slip Grip - Easy to use, with an ergonomic handle that fits your hand, be it right or left. The slip-resistant rubber bottom makes the rod easy to handle and firmly stays in place during use.
- Hanging Loop for Storage - Convenient design for easy access and space-saving storage.
- Effortless Maintenance - Use a non-woven cloth soaked with cooking oil to wipe the body and dry it. If washed with water, be sure to wipe the rod dry completely and hang in a cool place to air-dry. Do not put the sharpener into the dishwasher.
- Realigns Knife Edges for Smoother Cutting-This carbon steel knives sharpener honing rod helps realign the edge of your kitchen knives so they cut more smoothly through vegetables, meat, and herbs. A few light strokes before cooking provide quick daily knives sharpening maintenance without removing excessive metal from the blade.
- Designed for Chef Knives and Everyday Kitchen Use-Sized for common chef knives and other everyday kitchen blades, this honing steel is ideal for regular edge care at home. It supports the typical edge angles used on Western‑style chef knives, helping you keep your main cooking knives ready for meal prep, weeknight dinners, and weekend cooking projects.
- Durable Carbon Steel Honing Rod for Long‑Term Use-Made from hardened carbon steel, this knives sharpening rod is built for frequent honing sessions and long‑term durability. It straightens and maintains the blade edge instead of aggressively grinding it, helping extend the life of your knife set over time.
- Non-Slip Handle and Anti‑Slip Metal Tip- The textured, non-slip handle provides a secure grip even when your hands are slightly wet. A hanging loop at the end makes it easy to store on a kitchen rail or hook. With a metal anti‑slip tip at the end, allowing you to brace it securely against a cutting board so it stays in place instead of sliding.
- Practical Kitchen Gift for Many Occasions-This knives sharpener honing rod makes a practical kitchen gift for home cooks, cooking students, and anyone building a better knife set at home. It’s suitable as a thoughtful present for birthdays, Christmas, housewarming parties, or as a small gift for friends and family who enjoy cooking.
Properties of CPM 20CV steel
20CV Hardness
CPM 20CV hardness is 58-61HRC as per the Rockwell hardness scale, but the high hardness rating differs with the heat treatment used by the manufacturer.
The hardness range of this steel is the same as many other types of premium stainless steel on the market, making it a good choice for knife makers.
20CV Wear resistance
CPM 20CV steel is recognized for its excellent wear resistance. This feature is associated with the high vanadium carbides and chromium carbides in its composition.
With its hardness level, knives made from this steel offer outstanding resistance to applications that may cause it to wear or tear.
CPM 20CV knives will serve you across generations without losing their original shape, even when used regularly for tough applications.
20CV Edge retention
Another recommendable property of this 20CV steel is its edge holding capabilities. It remains sharp for long, taking away the burden of frequent sharpening.
The ability to hold an edge longer is associated with high amounts of fine grains of vanadium which closely hold together for a fine edge, in addition to molybdenum and tungsten in its composition.
20CV Corrosion resistance
The corrosion resistance of 20CV is unmatched because it contains the most high chromium content among stainless steels. When the chromium and molybdenum in its composition combine, it offers outstanding resistance against rusting.
If you are in the market for a knife to be used in a highly corrosive environment, you will never go wrong with CPM 20CV stainless steel knife varieties.
20CV Toughness
Hard steels with excellent corrosion resistance tend to offer poor toughness in the steel world, but our steel of the day is different.
CPM 20CV steel features high toughness-producing knives that will not chip or break easily.
There are tougher steels out there, but this steel gives its knives enough toughness to withstand everyday usage.
Is CPM 20CV hard to sharpen ?
The high amounts of vanadium carbide in this CPM 20CV steel make it very hard to sharpen. It will retain its edge for long, but achieving that edge takes a lot of time and energy.
Without the right sharpening skills, getting a razor-sharp edge with steel is challenging; luckily, you do not have to sharpen daily.
CPM 20CV steel comparison
20CV steel vs m390
Both 20CV steel and Bohler m390 steel are super steels produced following the powder metallurgy, and most of their properties are similar.
They offer the same level of edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and ease of sharpening.
CPM 20CV vs S90V
S90V steel is another super steel produced by crucible industries. Both CPM steel types offer excellent edge retention properties.
However, CPM 20CV blade steel offers better toughness, corrosion resistance, and it is easier to sharpen. S90V, on the other hand, shines in wear resistance.
See Also: CPM MagnaCut Steel, new steel that outperforms 20CV in toughness and Corrosion Resistance.
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Is CPM 20CV steel good for knives?
CPM 20CV has all the features of super steel and making it a perfect knife steel. It strikes an excellent balance in toughness, edge retention, high wear resistance and high corrosion resistance.
The only downside is that it is hard to sharpen. However, use of proper sharpening tools will not be a problem for this blade steel.
Related Reading: 20CV Vs S30V: Which Is Better?
