What is Case Chrom Vanadium steel?

nozh2002

nozh2002

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Case has some chrom vanadium high carbon steel for som of their folders. What is it?

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Its a pretty nice steel, it takes and holds an edge easily and stays sharp for a long tine. I use mine for whittling seasoned Beech and its still razor sharp (17 deg angle). I have found that it pits easily so make sure you put it away clean and dry or better still, lightly oiled.
 
nozh2002 said:
Case has some chrom vanadium high carbon steel for som of their folders. What is it?

Thanks, Vassili.
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I have heard it is L-6 or very close, and the way some have described how it functions, it sounds a lot like L-6. But haven't confirmed this.
I wish more makers would use L-6 as it is a great steel.

WYK
 
I am not sure if this is right but my understanding is that cv is basicially 1095 with extra chromium. :confused: Don't count on that being true but I have heard that. Whatever it is it holds a good edge and is easy to resharpen. :thumbup:
 
Case doesn't publish what CV is, which allows them the freedom to use what they please. The best guess is that it's (currently) Camillus Cutlery's 0170-6, which, as I understand it, is 50100B.
 
Case CV or good old 1095 are the only two blade steels to even consider in the selection of a knife. All else is worthless.
 
As I understand 1095 and 52100 do not have any Vanadium. L6 does may be it is L6? Other suspects - W1, W2, O1, A2 (all have Vanadium and Chromium).

Thanks, Vassili.
 
I do not believe Case CV steel is 50100 or O1. Both of these steels will rust from looking at them and while Case CV will rust and pit it seems to be a little better at holding up than either 50100 or 01.

I have always been told the CV steel is 1095 with Chromium and Vanadium added. I've never been told how it is added but I would imagine that the elements are added when the steel is in liquid or molten form to get a proper mix.

Whatever it is there are some that contend that what was used in the 'old days' at Case as their CV steel is not the same as what is used today. For one the patina that developed on the older knives is not the same look as what develops on the newer ones but there are widely read reports of the older knives cutting better than the newer ones in supposedly the same steel so one has to wonder.
 
cattleking said:
Case CV or good old 1095 are the only two blade steels to even consider in the selection of a knife. All else is worthless.
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Brings a whole new meaning to "steel snobbery."
 
I thought "Chrom Vanadium steel" was just a term for a type of steel like "tool steel". I don't have any idea what steel case is useing O1 seems like a pretty good guess. :)
 
savagesicslayer said:
Ka-bar claims that they use 1095 cro-van high carbon steel in their knives.
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Confusing, since 1095 contains neither Chrome nor Vanadium. ???
 
1095 is a very simple steel. If you add chromium and vanadium to it then it isn't 1095, and won't be remotely like it.
 
If you add chromium and vanadium to it then it isn't 1095,
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This is exactly why it is hard to say what the steel is. Many companies take simple steels and add elements to create such things as better wear resistance, toughness, more corrosion resistance etc. etc. and to also make it unique to their knives giving them a niche in the market no one else can duplicate. It has been going on in the high carbon steels since my earilest memories. I remember the guys that made knives on both sides of me when I was a kid. They were always experimenting with different mixtures trying to find the ultimate steel for each task they made a knife for.

For example: 5160 is just a 1060 steel with 1% Chromium added to make it deeper hardening. Add some alloys and you have 52100 and so on. It is feesible that some mixes have been created that have not been catalogued or named because they are in between some of the ones we know of. Perhaps the Case CV steel is such an animal.

In a way the twist damascus blades of 1095 and something else are no longer 1095 either but that was used in the original blue print to make whatever it currently is. (so to speak)

Russell Green River knives are said to be a 'secret' mix made just for them and no one knows what the steel is or how it is made. That is just one example. Case's CV steel is another, and I have heard the same stories from some old companies no longer around as well as Camillus, and of course the ones from Carbon V from Cold Steel made for them by Camillus.

1095 by itself is a very simple steel but it has been used in cutting jobs for over 150 years and still performs as well as any of the so called super steels in my opinion. It is one of my favorite steels.
 
I recieved this from someone in the know earlier, Mike Stewart. I hope he doesn't mind my sharing it here. It makes sense to me and is probably true. It is the first I have heard that this is no mystery though as I can recall as a youth that people wanted to know what this steel was and how it was debated.

Steve,

I noticed that you and a number of folks have been guessing what this is.

I have posted this before but it appears that a lot of folks have not seeen it.

CV--Chorme Vanadium Steel and Carbon V are all the very same steel.

This is not a mistery steel. It is not a new steel. It had been made by the hundreds of tons For many many ywears and used by ALL the major Knife Companies for Decades.

It is 0170-6 cutlery Steel...It was developed in the 1950's by sharon Steel specifically for Knives.

It is an enhanced 1095. They added Nickel--Chromium and a trace of Vanadium. it was a patented steel of Sharon.

Everybody used it. it was called by cute names by some companies --Chrome-Vanadium by others.

This was the original Steel chosen by both Lynn Thomson for his Trailmaster and me for the Old Mamba. We all used it until 1988.

sharon Steel went Bankrupt in 1988. None of us could get it and no other mill would duplicate it because the papent was still in effect.

We all switched to other steels.

A couple of years ago Case and Camillus Found a mill that would duplicate the Chemistry and they ordered a heat lot--+/_ 100,000 lbs.

Case had thier portion of the heat lot rolled to pocket knife sizes and Camillius had thier portion rolled to use for Lynn on his U.S. made knives and the Becker line.

This was a common steel and will out perform 1095. I have used it in a lot of the early Blackjacks. I still have some and made our goloks and Northwind Swords from it.

I have no idea why this question keeps comming up. All of this is common knowledge in the industry.

I suspect that nobody will be using it except for Case, Cammilius, Becker, Westerm and Cold Steel.

As I'm sure you know that Case makes thier knives and Camillius makes all of the other brands that I just mentioned.

I doubt that you will have any better luck relaying this info either. It dosen't seem that folks want the truth.

It's more fun for folks to speculate.....................
 
6150 most likely. The 61xx series has just chrome and vanadium as alloying elements.It will perform something like 5160.
 
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