4cr14mov

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cujobob

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Jun 19, 2013
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I've been looking into some cheap chinese knives to mess with (want to DIY stonewash, maybe acid etch, etc.)... I noticed that the newer Sanrenmu 7010 (2013 version of 710) has 4Cr14MoV steel instead of 8Cr13MoV. Is this a downgrade? Google search has come up with nothing and I can only imagine the edge holding would suffer from less carbon content. Anyone have any information on this steel and how it might compare?
 
Yes it is a downgrade. The first number in 8Cr13 is the general amount of carbon present (0.8%) and 4Cr14 with about 0.4% carbon, which will decrease edge retension.

It might be a little more corrosion resistant, but won't hold an edge for long at all.
 
Turns out they may not be using it in the knife I was looking at. An ad may have incorrectly stated that information, but was surprised when a google search didn't mention much of anything. Thanks for replying!
 
Sort of close to 420J2, commonly used in frames of some knives that need strength and corrosion resistance. It only hardens to the lower 50's rc so it's not the best blade steel around, though it is used by some companies.
 
Good to know, I was considering a Kershaw Airlock on sale for $15 and wasn't familiar with this steel. I'm sticking with the Kershaw's that have at least 8cr13mov. How does the 4cr14 compare with 3cr14mov?
 
I've got experience with the _Cr_Mov series of steels. General advice: any time that first number is below 7, walk away.

Some people say the same thing about 7Cr17Mov, 8Cr13Mov, or 8Cr14Mov. Those aren't great steels. Heck, it's tough to call them "good" by today's standards. However, they can offer reasonable performance at very low prices. Under $25, the difference in performance between those steels and "junk" like 3Cr13, 4Cr14, or 5Cr15 can feel a lot bigger than any price difference. I think 7Cr17Mov and the 8Cr steels are okay at $25 or less. The 8Cr steels can have a little better edge retention while 7Cr17Mov has significantly better corrosion resistance.

Here is a graph of these steels compared by composition

Note that the graph generously shows maximum values for any stated ranges. I omitted 8Cr14Mov because it's basically 8Cr13Mov with tighter ranges. I included 9Cr18Mov because it's effectively "best in class" for this series. It seems more dependent on a good heat treatment but from companies like Civivi and Real Steel, I rather like 9Cr18Mov as an EDC steel.
 
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