confused about Cruforge v

E

elementfe

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May 3, 2008
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Looking for a new forging steel for some projects, and the info I can find on Bladeforums says that V is much more abrasion resistant than 52100.
In what way is it NOT a better steel? Two of the major suppliers speak very highly of it, but other highly respected makers refer to it as being just a little better than 1084 (which is actually a very good steel).

It doesn't seem to be very popular....I'm not making hamon blades, but perhaps W2 is an all around better alloy?
52100 seems pretty stubborn to forge compared to W2 and Cru V, but the V is inexpensive, so......
 
I'm not a forger, so I can't speak to it's qualities there, although I know it was designed from the get go as a great forger's steel. I have heard some people say that Cru Forge V is 52100 lite. I don't see that. The vanadium content is .75%, and with the extra carbon available to make those carbides......boy howdy those carbides are MADE!!!! Working with both CFV and 52100, I can tell you it is WAY more difficult to hand sand the scratches out of a hardened CFV blade than 52100. The vanadium carbides being harder than chromium carbides. I love the stuff. I just wish that more was available in stock removal dimensions. I don't much care for 1/4" thick steel at the moment, for the style of knives I am making anyway. W2 usually doesn't have the vanadium content to created a lot of vanadium carbides. I think it is more for grain refinement than actual carbide formation (W2). And the Cr in CFV is only .50% I think, and that just aids in hardenability (some Cr carbides will be formed I believe). I see CFV as a deep hardening W2 on steroids. Seriously, the first time I went to hand sand a hardened CFV blade.....I was using words that hadn't been invented I was so frustrated. But that translates to excellent wear resistance.

As far as drawbacks......availability in the future, as I understand Crucible is not producing it any longer unless demand is there. Cost is higher. No hamons (hardening line yes hamon no). Bugger bear to hand sand! Oh, yeah.....it seemed I had more decarb than usual. May have been the fact that I follow the recommended 1200F pre-soak, and then ramp up to 1475F (after normalizing, grain refining, carbide placement) and hold for 10 minutes.

As far as heat treat goes....I treat it the same as 52100. High normalizing heat of 1650F, step down to 1550, step down to 1450, quench in oil (fast oil not needed). Then spher anneal. Then harden as mentioned. I know you are on top of all that, tho!!!! I love discussing this stuff....especially CFV, W2, 52100 and Hitachi steels!!!!

Did I mention that I LOVE the stuff?!?
 
CFV is harder to grind and finish then 52100. In my abrasive rope cutting test CFV cuts longer then 52100 IMHO. CFV has .75% vanadium content that forms carbides for wear resistance and refines the grain. The steel takes a nasty sharp edge and has the highest abrasive wear for an oil quench steel that I have tested. If someone knows of an oil quench steel that is above this I would like to know.
 
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Thanks for the replies- it sure seems like it's head and shoulders above the other forgeable steels in the strictly performance category.
Can't wait to try some.
 
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