Table of Contents
What is 10Cr15CoMoV steel?
10Cr15CoMoV steel is a Chinese stainless steel equivalent to Japanese VG10 steel. It contains high amounts of Carbon and Chromium which give it high hardness and excellent corrosion resistance.
10Cr15CoMoV stainless steel is used in the knife industry to make highly polished thin blades with excellent edge retention perfect for slicing.
10Cr15CoMoV Steel Composition
| Element | Percentage composition |
|---|---|
| Carbon C | 0.95%-1.05% |
| Chromium Cr | 14.50%-15.50% |
| Vanadium | 0.25%-0.35% |
| Molybdenum | 0.80%-1.20% |
| Cobalt Co | 1.30%-1.80% |
| Manganese Mn | 0.30%-0.50% |
| Nickel Ni | 0.00%-0.25% |
| Silicon Si | 0.00%-0.45% |
| Sulfur S | 0.03% |
| Phosphorus P | 0.03% |
- Carbon: Increases the edge retention, hardness and tensile strength. It also improves steel resistance to wear, abrasion and corrosion.
- Chromium: Chromium Increases hardness, tensile strength and toughness of the blade by forming chromium carbide. The higher than 13% Cr is what makes 10Cr15CoMoV “stainless”
- Molybdenum Mo It improves machinability and hardening property.
- Vanadium V: Increase wear resistance and toughness, it also improves corrosion resistance.
- Cobalt Co Improves hardness of the blade as it increases the martensitic transformation temperature of the alloy, It also increases corrosion resistance of steel.
- Manganese Mn: Increases Hardness and brittleness.
- Phosphorus P: Improves machinability and hardness.
Properties of 10Cr15CoMoV as kitchen knife material
10Cr15CoMoV Steel Hardness
10Cr15CoMoV steel has a hardness of 59-62 HRC as per the Rockwell hardness scale. It has a wide hardness variance because the hardness of the end product is determined by the heat treatment used by the manufacturer.
The high hardness of this steel is associated with the high amounts of Carbon in its composition. The hardness of steel determines how long it keeps a sharp edge and its ability to resist abrasion and wear.
10Cr15CoMoV Steel Wear resistance
Because of the high hardness, 10Cr15CoMoV stainless steel offers great wear resistance. The steel can withstand everyday wear and the effects of abrasion for a long time.
10Cr15CoMoV Steel Edge retention
Good edge retention is a very attractive property in steel, and 10Cr15CoMoV has good edge retention. The ability of 10Cr15CoMoV to maintain a sharp edge for long results from the fine mix of Carbon, Vanadium, Cobalt, and Chromium.
10Cr15CoMoV stainless steel edge retention can be compared to that of CPM S45VN, Elmax, and HAP40 steel. It is also slightly less than that of M2, CPM 10V, and Vanax.
If you are tired of working with knives that require sharpening after every use, look into the varieties of 10Cr15CoMoV knives, and you will get a break from sharpening.
10Cr15CoMoV Steel Toughness
Toughness and hardness are confused as the same property, but they represent different aspects of steel. Hardness measures the ability of steel to resist wear and abrasion, while toughness measures the ability of steel to withstand impact, pressure, and forces that should break it.
In the steel world, the toughness of steel reduces with the increased hardness. If we apply that rule, you would expect that 10Cr15CoMoV steel to have very low toughness. However, it goes against the rule by offering good toughness.
Therefore, you can trust 10Cr15CoMoV knives for challenging applications because they do not break or chip easily.
10Cr15CoMoV Steel Corrosion resistance
Corrosion resistance is another feature of interest for many people when buying knives. So, does 10Cr15CoMoV steel rust? No, it does not rust because it contains enough chromium to make it stainless steel.
10Cr15CoMoV steel has a good ability to resist corrosion and rusting, it can be effectively used in humid, wet, and salty environments. However, the steel requires proper care and maintenance to keep the rust away. Proper care for this steel is as simple as cleaning and drying the blades after use.
Sharpening 10Cr15CoMoV Steel
The ease of sharpening steel is determined by its hardness. Considering the high hardness of 10Cr15CoMoV, we expect that it is very hard to sharpen. However, this is not the case. The chemical composition of this steel makes it hard, but it balances so that it does not make it difficult to sharpen.
It also does not get dull faster. Therefore, if you are out for a budget knife that is easy to sharpen and retains sharpness for long, the varieties of 10Cr15CoMoV will not disappoint you.
10Cr15CoMoV steel comparison
10Cr15CoMoV vs S30V
Both 10Cr15CoMoV steel and CPM S30V have almost an identical level of hardness, their alloys are however very different. S30V has more carbon and Vanadium in its alloy. This allows the formation of a high percentage of Vanadium Carbides. The high amount of Vanadium carbides gives S30V Steel marginally better edge retention compared to 10Cr15CoMoV steel.
Both 10Cr15CoMoV and S30V are stainless steel as they contain a high amount of Chromium elements in their alloys. They will both offer the same corrosion resistance.
In terms of toughness, they both offer good toughness but are moderately low compared to the likes of Nitro-V steel and 420HC steel.
It will be much easier to sharpen 10Cr15CoMoV steel than it would be to sharpen S30V. This can be attributed to the good wear resistance of S30V brought about by the powder metallurgy process.
10Cr15CoMoV vs S35VN
S35VN steel is a premium powder metallurgy steel, it is better than 10Cr15CoMoV steel in edge retention, hardness, and toughness. S35VN steel is mostly used on pocket knives while 10Cr15CoMoV steel is mostly used on kitchen knives. 10Cr15CoMoV is easier to sharpen than S35VN steel but it won’t keep an edge as long as S35VN.
10Cr15CoMoV vs D2
10Cr15CoMoV is stainless steel, whereas D2 does not contain enough chromium to make it stainless steel, therefore, 10Cr15CoMoV offers better corrosion resistance. 10Cr15CoMoV steel will also offer better toughness than D2 steel due to its alloy composition that features an increased amount of carbon and chromium.
D2 steel will however have better edge retention than 10Cr15CoMoV and is easier to sharpen. It lacks the high amount of chromium carbides found in 10Cr15CoMoV that makes it hard to sharpen.
10Cr15CoMoV vs VG10
10Cr15CoMoV stainless steel is considered the Chinese equivalent of japan made Takefu VG10 stainless steel as they both have the same chemical composition in their alloys. Most knife manufacturers on Amazon listings do alternate VG10 stainless steel and 10Cr15CoMoV steel in their same product listing.
VG10 steel as 10cr15comov equivalent. Note that there is no official confirmation of this information but it is purely built on assumption and deduction from product listings and some knife manufacturers listing like Civivi who have confirmed this.
10Cr15CoMoV vs 14C28N
Sandvik 14C28N is popular steel in knife making. It is a Martensitic Stainless Chromium steel known to offer excellent corrosion resistance and toughness.
Its toughness level is twice that of 10Cr15CoMoV steel, its toughness is among the best in knife steels, it beats almost all steels apart from 8670 steel, 5160 steel, AEB-l, and Z-Tuff.
Sandvik 14C28N also beats 10Cr15CoMoV steel in terms of corrosion resistance, it however loses to 10Cr15CoMoV steel in terms of edge retention and ease of sharpening.
10Cr15CoMoV vs 7Cr17MoV
7Cr17MoV steel is the Chinese equivalent of AISI 440A so its performance is like that of 440A. Due to the upgraded alloy of 10Cr15CoMoV steel with added carbon and vanadium, it beats 7Cr17MoV in toughness and edge retention; this can be attributed to the existence of vanadium carbides.
Both 7Cr17MoV and 10Cr15CoMoV steel offer the same level of corrosion resistance. It will be much easier to get a sharp edge on 7Cr17MoV when sharpening due to lower wear resistance.
Is 10Cr15CoMoV Steel good knife steel?
10Cr15CoMoV offers great corrosion resistance, does not become dull faster, is easy to sharpen, and contains hard vanadium carbides that boost the wear resistance. What’s more, being made in china the prices are affordable.
Products made in China are presumed to be of bad quality, but 10Cr15CoMoV comes with all the features that make good knife steels. It is an exact copy of proven Takefu VG10 steel.
Check Out This Beautiful Civivi knife with 10Cr15CoMoV blade steel
