CPM-S30V

The long-time American benchmark. Holds an edge far longer than 420HC and still sharpens on ordinary stones. Chippy if you pry with it.

Typical hardness

58-61 HRC

Edge retention

3/5

Toughness

3/5

Corrosion resistance

4/5

Ease of sharpening

3/5

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.