Is 8Cr13MoV good steel? This is an inevitable question if you’re not familiar with metal materials. Hence, this 8Cr13MoV steel review gives you an insight into a commonly used blade steel originating from China.
This material is frequently used in household appliances such as knives and scissors. 8Cr13MoV steel has been popular in kitchen knife production because of its low cost and comparable hardness.
What Kind Of Metal Is 8Cr13MoV?
8Cr13MoV is an austenitic stainless steel with a carbon content of 0.8% and a chromium content of 13%. The designation 8cr13MoV is based on the Chinese national steel classification standard GB/T 1220.
According to Wikipedia, the minimum proportion of chromium in stainless steel is 11%. Chromium aids in preventing rusting in steel, and a larger amount typically results in better stainless ability.
The knife blade steel is one of the most common applications for 8cr13MoV. Despite having the same chemical composition as 3cr13 steel, it contains a significantly greater carbon concentration, allowing for higher hardness.
8Cr13MoV Chemical Composition
Even though 8cr13MoV comes at a surprisingly cheap price, its chemical composition includes outstanding components that make it hard, durable, and corrosion-resistant.
- Carbon (0.8%): It enhances corrosion resistance and hardness, but a high carbon concentration can reduce strength.
- Chromium (14.5%): It improves edge retention, tensile strength, and wear and corrosion resistance.
- Molybdenum (0.3%): It increases strength and machinability.
- Nickel (0.2%): It enhances the toughness.
- Manganese (1%): It enhances brittleness and hardness.
- Silicon (1%): It enhances strength.
- Phosphorus (0.04%): It enhances strength.
- Sulfur (0.04%): It increases machinability.
- Vanadium (0.25%): It improves hardenability and wear resistance.
As mentioned above, 8cr13MoV has above 12% chromium and a blend of silicon, manganese, and carbon, giving the stainless steel more strength and hardness.
Related: What is CPM S30V Steel?
8Cr13MoV Steel Properties
8cr13MoV has several characteristics that make it a suitable budget knife steel. It’s difficult to find steel that performs as well as this one at such a low price.
Edge Retention
One of the advantages of 8cr13MoV is that it retains its edge well. Although the heat treatment used by some manufacturers may make a significant impact on the steel’s overall performance, it shows no changes in terms of edge retention.
Steel edge retention results from a combination of factors, including toughness, blade grind, hardness, edge geometry, etc. Hence, this feature is a very subjective assessment attributed to a sum of a steel’s different characteristics.
Hardness
The Cr13 series has a wide range of steels, all of which show a distinct hardness depending primarily on the amount of carbon they contain. While some other substances, e.g. Vanadium, also contribute to the overall hardness, Carbon is usually believed to have the most important contribution.
Many well-known manufacturers, like Kershaw, Benchmade, and Spyderco, have employed 8cr13MoV. The majority of them use heat treatments to achieve an HRC hardness of 56 to 60, allowing this steel to maintain its edge sustainably.
Toughness
This steel is strong enough to withstand a lot of damage before breaking or chipping. Although it is not as strong as steel with reduced carbon content or additional components, this material is a sustainable and ideal option for most cutting jobs.
Corrosion Resistance
8cr13MoV is stainless steel, just like the other steels in the cr13 family. Nevertheless, because chromium ranks lower on the stainless measurement scale, it is still vulnerable to staining or corrosion if not properly maintained.
When it comes to knives, it’s vital to keep them as dry as possible and avoid letting them sit in water for a long time. Although 8cr13MoV is likely to corrode over time if exposed to such water environments, it can resist corrosion and withstand most other conditions.
Sharpening
For a knife with a moderate level of hardness, 8cr13MoV can be sharpened quite easily. Even though you may find it difficult to sharpen modern steels with conventional sharpening stones, 8cr13MoV can be sharpened to a very thin edge with traditional sharpening equipment.
The addition of a tiny Vanadium amount might create Vanadium carbides, making steels harder to sharpen. However, the quantity of Vanadium in 8cr13MoV is not too high, so getting a decent edge on your blade is possible.
Further reading: Do Sharpening Steels Wear Out?
FAQs
Here are the most common questions about the 8cr13MoV steel blade.
1. Is 8Cr13MoV Easy To Sharpen?
Yes, it is. these knives are easy to sharpen thanks to their moderate hardness of around 60 HRC.
2. Does 8Cr13MoV Steel Rust?
Not easily. Stainless steels have a greater chromium concentration, which protects the steel from rusting or oxidizing. The inclusion of a high ratio of Mo and Cr in the 8Cr13MoV steel composition makes it corrosion resistant.
3. Is D2 Steel Better Than 8Cr13MoV?
Absolutely. While 8Cr13MoV is stainless steel, D2 is a tool steel. 8Cr13MoV has superior cutting characteristics than D2, not to mention that it is easier to sharpen.
4. Is 440c Better Than 8Cr13MoV?
It depends. 440c has somewhat higher corrosion resistance and edge retention than 8Cr13MoV because of its high chromium and carbon content.
So, Is 8Cr13MoV Good Knife Steel?
After analyzing different aspects of the 8Cr13MoV steel, it all comes down to whether this material can make good knife steel or not. The answer is yes. It is an excellent choice for most household appliances thanks to its affordable price.
Throughout this 8cr13MoV steel review, we can see that this option is perfect for knife steel that performs a decent job. There are certainly harder and more sustainable steels on the market. Other higher-end steels will undoubtedly perform better than 8cr13MoV in some applications, but this stell is the most reasonably priced choice for most users.
