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CPM-S45VN knife steel

CPM-S45VN 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 tierPremium
Best forEDC / foldersKitchen

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Knives in CPM-S45VN

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

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