What is Molybdenum Vanadium Steel?

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Knifelvr97

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Hi guys, I ordered an amazing Bowie Knife from Cudeman, a spanish knife making company. They make fairly well made knives for a very reasonable price, and the steel they often use is "Molybdenum Vanadium". I know that it is not a high-end steel by any means but I wonder how it compares to the 440 steels? You guys have any experience with it? I don't know much about steels so I'd be glad to learn more!
Thanks
 
The vast majority of blade steels have molybdenum and/or vanadium in them. That's what the "MoV" stands for in those Chinese alphabet soup steels people like to criticize, like 8cr13mov, 4cr14mov, or European equivalents like X50CrMoV15. Molybdenum and Vanadium are also present, usually in much greater quantities, in more respectable steels like S30V and M390

Them saying it's "Molybdenum Vanadium" steel is functionally equivalent to manufacturers saying they use "stainless steel" or "premium surgical steel". It tells you very little, and is often a way to sound cool without actually telling you what they're using.

That phrase is used to describe Japanese blades a lot. In that context, though, it doesn't tell you very much because it just makes you guess to whether it's something like AUS6, AUS8, VG10, or some other random composition.

Steel snobbery aside, if you like the blade, use it and enjoy it. Honestly, the steel composition is not the end all be all in performance. But the steel here is a mystery, in my opinion.

(edited for nomenclature typo)
 
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Any steel containing Molybdenum(Mo) and Vanadium(V) qualifies for that name. I am unaware of any trademarked steel with that name though.
The search on knife steel database returns 956 alloys with Mo and V in them, can be any one of those.
You can tweak amount of Mo and V in that search by clicking Advanced button and entering specific amount if you know it to narrow down the results.
 
Sounds a lot like the "vamolcrium" steel they advertise on some infomercials where I live, complete with the obligatory chopping in to a piece of wood then slicing a tomato with ease.... LOL.
 
Eversion said:
That phrase is used to describe Japanese blades a lot. In that context, though, it doesn't tell you very much because it just makes you guess to whether it's something like AUS6, AUS8, VG10, or some other random composition.
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Absolutely correct from a composition point of view. For marketing purposes however VG10 and others are almost always specified by makers. Any "decent" MolyVan Japanese kitchen knife today is Aus8 for the last couple decades. However low end knives, the kind sold in blister packs in Home Centers can be Aus6.
 
chalby said:
Sounds a lot like the "vamolcrium" steel they advertise on some infomercials where I live, complete with the obligatory chopping in to a piece of wood then slicing a tomato with ease.... LOL.
Click to expand...

I can slice concrete blocks, chop wood and slice beer cans with my Ginsu knives, then shave transparent slices off an over-ripe tomato. As seen on TV.
 
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