CPM-S60V – The Forgotten Super Steel

Larrin

Larrin

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Jan 17, 2004
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New article about a steel not often discussed – CPM-S60V. The steel never seemed to take off and now is more or less forgotten. I covered the steel’s development and use in knives including why it didn’t succeed. Then tests of its toughness and edge retention and whether I think it should make a comeback. https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/08/17/cpm-s60v-the-forgotten-super-steel/
 
Very cool! BTW - my copy from Amazon arrived last week and I'm loving it. It has already helped me solve two of my long standing shop mysteries! Anyone who hasn't picked up a copy yet should definitely do so.
 
Interesting article Larrin Larrin , thanks! I haven't broken into the stainless realm yet, but I'm sure I will someday...
Cpm-s60v might be a good place to start!
 
Another great article. I look back at all the time knife users argued about dramatic differences in performance between different similar steels, like elmax vs. M390, and wonder what all the fuss is about. They are more similar than different. The biggest difference is marketing.

This group of steels doesn’t appeal greatly to me, but buyers have interest, so I do make them on occasion. I find this group starts getting chippy when going thinner than 0.010” before sharpening. That is relatively fine, but I’m now used to less than 0.005”, and it’s hard for me to go back.
 
Very interesting article (as always). I was going through some old bags and boxes my dad had kept for me since I first came back from an overseas duty assignment in 1999, I found a bar of CPM440V that I now have in my steel bin, waiting for when I can set my shop up again.

I owned two knives in the 90's/early 2000's made in 440V. A Spyderco Keating Chinook and a custom fixed blade tanto from Mike Franklin that I gifted to a friend.
 
DevinT said:
Yeah, I’m going to give this steel a try. The micrograph looks good. I have 4 feet that I’ll make into sanmai.

Hoss
Click to expand...

When you do stainless San mai, do you make a billet, and draw it out, or press a longer piece in one shot?
 
DevinT said:
Yeah, I’m going to give this steel a try. The micrograph looks good. I have 4 feet that I’ll make into sanmai.

Hoss
Click to expand...

I may be interested in a 6-7" bar....:)
 
Very interesting article. Thanks!
When Blade magazine had articles on 440V steel I bought 20 feet of it and made several knives. I gave one to a big game hunter to use. He said he couldn't tell any difference between the 440V knife and the ATS-34 knife that I had given him.
I know that is not a scientific test.
I had Paul Bos heat treat the 440V steel. I still have a blade blank and just tested the RC hardness. It was 61.
 
Tom Lewis said:
Very interesting article. Thanks!
When Blade magazine had articles on 440V steel I bought 20 feet of it and made several knives. I gave one to a big game hunter to use. He said he couldn't tell any difference between the 440V knife and the ATS-34 knife that I had given him.
I know that is not a scientific test.
I had Paul Bos heat treat the 440V steel. I still have a blade blank and just tested the RC hardness. It was 61.
Click to expand...
That is interesting that he couldn’t tell the difference since some have complained about the increased difficulty in sharpening relative to steels like ATS-34.

Sounds like Bos knew what he was doing with heat treating it.
 
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