CPM 3V knife abuse test, 8" tactical fighter through concrete demonstration Media
Published: 10 years ago
This is an 8" tactical fighter I make that I have started making in 1/4" CPM 3V that gets hardened to HRC 60.
3V is a very durable material so I have been able to thin the geometry a little to improve cutting performance and reduce weight while retaining the heavy duty indestructible character this model is known for.
The heat treat is somewhat unusual because it has been tweaked a little for cutlery. In testing this has been shown to improve edge retention slightly and improve edge stability significantly. A beneficial side effect is that less chromium is tied up in carbides so there is a noticeable improvement in corrosion resistance. Though 3V is not a stainless steel, with this heat treat it is nearly stainless.
The purpose of this video is to illustrate that the modified heat treat and thinner geometry is still fantastically durable.
CPM 3V is a modern high performance 1st generation PM technology "super" steel developed by Crucible. It forms a durable lath martensite micro structure and achieves abrasion resistance through the use of very fine vanadium carbides. It is known to be one of the toughest steels available at high hardness. And, as you can see, even with the modified heat treat, it can still cleave a thick concrete block without breaking. And with the updated heat treat the cutting edge is significantly more durable. So not only did it not break, it is not as dull as you would expect despite significant contact with real concrete containing rock aggregate.
The heat treat includes full cryo as a part of the primary quench with a conventional long duration cryo between tempers.
3V is a very durable material so I have been able to thin the geometry a little to improve cutting performance and reduce weight while retaining the heavy duty indestructible character this model is known for.
The heat treat is somewhat unusual because it has been tweaked a little for cutlery. In testing this has been shown to improve edge retention slightly and improve edge stability significantly. A beneficial side effect is that less chromium is tied up in carbides so there is a noticeable improvement in corrosion resistance. Though 3V is not a stainless steel, with this heat treat it is nearly stainless.
The purpose of this video is to illustrate that the modified heat treat and thinner geometry is still fantastically durable.
CPM 3V is a modern high performance 1st generation PM technology "super" steel developed by Crucible. It forms a durable lath martensite micro structure and achieves abrasion resistance through the use of very fine vanadium carbides. It is known to be one of the toughest steels available at high hardness. And, as you can see, even with the modified heat treat, it can still cleave a thick concrete block without breaking. And with the updated heat treat the cutting edge is significantly more durable. So not only did it not break, it is not as dull as you would expect despite significant contact with real concrete containing rock aggregate.
The heat treat includes full cryo as a part of the primary quench with a conventional long duration cryo between tempers.