3v is tougher than m4 or 4v. They are all excellent steels.
3v is still not going to be as tough as some of the carbon steels recommended by other members above though.
Of the carbon steels mentioned, I believe only the spring steels or shock steels are going to edge optimized CPM 3v out in the toughness arena. Tough is just a bit above CPM3, but not much.
5160 is just a smidge tougher at 59-60RC. (A difference in 40 ft/lbs breaking force to 5160 at 45ft/lbs.
AEBL is right up there at about 40ft/lbs and just sharpens like a dream. Plus it is stainless.
S7 (and other shock steels) is, I believe clear up at 90+ ft/lbs. (Scrapyard knives used this steel and called their tweaked, special heat treat version Sr77 if I remember).
L6 is right there with 5160. (But in my limited use of L6 it gives up a bit in edge retention to 5160.... but, my sample size of L6 is 1, vs about 6 or so different 5160 knives (I made by me, and heat treated in a charcoal hibachi, and I would still say that one edges the L6 out in edge retention). I've had 5160 by Bill Siegle, and have two our for professional hear treat now. I've got a HI khukri that so far has impressed me more than I expected.
8670 is even tougher, but I can't vouch for its edge retention. About 50ft/lbs
So many things go into edge retention, and it is different for choppers and slicers..... micro chipping, etc. A really tough steel might outperform (drastically) in edge retention tests where you are only chopping with high stress from the impacts vs a steel with much better steel for abrasion edge retention, when applied to the chopping chore.
I've seen pictures at the micro level of failure by micro chips/crack propagation. Where the edge to both finger and eye, would just look and feel "dull" and not necessarily full of chips unless you had the equipment necessary to see it.
Busse talks about this in their explanation of ths benefits of INFI steel being resistant to these micro chips, and that property contributing to edge retention in impact chopping.
But if if you take the same steels and test it without impact by sawing or pressing through abrasive test media (like hemp rope, or silica loaded paper), it will be edged out, by exponential number of cuts, by many steels that would be a disaster in heavy chopping.
To the OP, the design of knife you posted (size, length, thickness) you are dealing with a more general purpose design for cutting and slicing, more than chopping. From the photo I saw, it was not a design or style knife that will do many chopping tasks well, at all.
You might be better served with a higher abrasion resistant steel at higher hardness.
But CPM3V will do well with toughness and edge retention.
Chopping bones is not a chore I do with even my big choppers. I could, but I don't. I've seen Busse (and Swamp Rat and Scrapyard literally cut cars in half. Cur sun roofs in cars. Chop logging chains in half, concrete, cinderblocks, metal pipes.
Properly heat treated CPM3V will do these things as well, but hold an edge longer in cutting tasks.
Too bad you are a little late for the Noss knife test videos. I'm not sure anyone still has them all saved...... but I've seen things done to knives of all designs, makes and steel types on those videos that amazed me.
