I've read a bit about 20cv, and it's labeled as a "stainless tool steel." i've heard the terms tool steel and stainless steel thrown around, but i don't really know much about "stainless tool steels" how does 20cv compare to a "almost stainless" tool steel like D2 in terms of corrosion resistance. also i've heard 20cv is powdered. are latrobe's powdering methods comparable to crucible's? could 20cv ever be a replacement for s30v? i've heard of some problems with crucible financially (but i thought i also heard they were bought out?), so that's why i'm asking the last question.
Most people are not very precise when describing steel, this is something you will probably continue to experience. And manufacturers blur lines, and describe their products to sell their products.
Really, the terms are pretty simple.
'Carbon' Steels are those that are not highly alloyed. When 'High' is added to the name, it means that there is .6% carbon or higher.
'Tool' Steels are those steels that are alloyed. In other words, for certain 'tool' applications, they would alloy, or add other elements to steel to produce a desired quality. A common example is Molybdenum, which is added to improve strength at higher temperatures (important when something will see a great deal of friction - which is why it as a strategic resource during WWII and why the Axis started using Nitrogen), Molybdenum also improves corrosion resistance, and it can have a gettering effect to keep chromium carbides from forming.
'Stainless' Steels are those that have 13% Chromium or higher. So, by definition, since Chromium is an alloy, that has been added for a certain quality, Stainless is Tool steel, too.
But, in the case of calling something a "Stainless Tool Steel" I imagine that they are trying to accentuate the fact that it is highly alloyed for certain performance reasons.
And, I am hoping that Spyderco will be able to buy some from Latrobe, because I would love to see that steel included in the Mule Team program.
Marion
