CPM-20CV

Crucible's answer to M390 and chemically near-identical to it. Superb edge retention and corrosion resistance, slow to sharpen.

Typical hardness

59-61 HRC

Edge retention

5/5

Toughness

2/5

Corrosion resistance

5/5

Ease of sharpening

2/5

1-5 is a relative ranking drawn from published composition and hardness, not a lab measurement. Higher is better on every axis, and no steel is a 5 across the board — edge retention and toughness pull against each other.