is Chrome Vanadium Steel good for sword?

[the5mith]

My brother and I were talking about this the other day. we keep seeing tools, like chisels and punches for concrete, made out of something called Chrome Vanadium steel
sooo, what is it? and is this stuff actually any good for making knives and swords, or is it just for tools that hit concrete?

 

[Sparksmith]

Sounds about right! I've mostly seen Chrome Vanadium steel in hand tools too. From what I gather, it's pretty strong and lasts a while, but not really what you want for blades. I had a pocket knife made of it once, and it was alright, but I had to watch out for rust

 

[crucibleking]

It's funny you bring that up – I was checking out some wrenches last month and saw they were Chrome Vanadium. That stuff is tough, so it's good for tools that take a beating, but when it comes to knives or swords, most people would rather use steels that stay sharp longer. I tried sharpening one once, and it didn't keep its edge as long as carbon steel.

 

[hammertime]

I actually asked a bladesmith friend about this a while ago. He said Chrome Vanadium is great for chisels, punches, and tough tools because it doesn't wear down easily and can take a lot of abuse. But for knives and swords, it's not the best since it doesn't have the right mix of hardness and edge retention compared to steels made just for blades, like 1095 or 5160. All the same, it's pretty cool to see how many uses it has in different fields.

 

[Dociron]

I actually asked a bladesmith friend about this a while ago. He said Chrome Vanadium is great for chisels, punches, and tough tools because it doesn't wear down easily and can take a lot of abuse. But for knives and swords, it's not the best since it doesn't have the right mix of hardness and edge retention compared to steels made just for blades, like 1095 or 5160. All the same, it's pretty cool to see how many uses it has in different fields.

Your knife making friend is correct. Another reason vanadium is used in alloys is because it flows better under pressure in closed die work like drop forging. It sometimes becomes a compromise for certain tools when forging, as to use it to make forging easier and jeopardies some tool quality or leave it out and make a better more expensive tool.

 

[Alan]

Great point. Never considered how vanadium could simplify the forging process, but it does come with a downside for tool quality. That trade-off really sheds light on a lot of things.