KnifePickerwhich knife steel should you buy?

CPM-20CV knife steel

CPM-20CV is a powder-metallurgy (PM) stainless knife steel, typically hardened to HRC 59-62.

TypeStainless · powder metallurgy
HardnessHRC 59-62
Edge retentionvery-highhigher than 37 of 48, tied with 5
Corrosion resistancevery-highhigher than 39 of 48, tied with 6
Toughnessmediumhigher than 4 of 48, tied with 20
Ease of sharpeninghard to sharpenamong the hardest to sharpen of 49
Price tierSuper / high-end
Best forEDC / foldersKitchen

Shop CPM-20CV knives on Amazon →

Knives in CPM-20CV

Product images and titles via Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you — the link opens Amazon results for knives in this steel.

Last verified 2026-06-11 · properties are documented consensus tiers; real performance depends on heat treat & geometry (methodology)

Compared with

CPM-20CV vs Böhler M390

Similar stainless steels

SteelTypeHRCEdgeCorrosionToughnessTierBuy
154CMStainless58-61highhighmediumMidKnives →
ATS-34Stainless58-61highhighmediumMidKnives →
Böhler N690Stainless58-61highhighmediumMidKnives →
CPM-154 PMStainless58-61highhighmediumMidKnives →
VG-10Stainless59-61highhighmediumMidKnives →
LC200N (Z-FiNit)Stainless57-60highextremehighPremiumKnives →

All stainless steels · every steel · best for a purpose