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Knife steel selection in a working knife shop

Knife steel

80CrV2 knife steel

A simple, forgiving high-carbon steel with a small vanadium addition for grain refinement, popular with bladesmiths for tough, hard-use forged blades and choppers.

Also known as

  • 1.2235

At a glance

How 80CrV2 behaves

The four meters are relative to the rest of the database. Composition is the published nominal analysis, not a mill certificate for your bar.

Working properties

Toughness
4 / 5
Edge retention
2 / 5
Corrosion resistance
1 / 5
Ease of grinding
5 / 5
Composition
  • Carbon (C)0.80%
  • Chromium (Cr)0.50%
  • Manganese (Mn)0.40%
  • Vanadium (V)0.20%
Best uses

A go-to steel for forged choppers, camp knives, and other hard-use blades where toughness and forgiving heat treatment matter more than edge retention or corrosion resistance. Widely used in the bladesmithing and ABS community.

Sources
  • Larrin Thomas, How to Heat Treat 80CrV2, Knife Steel Nerds, June 2022.

At the bench

What each property means for this steel

Open the property you are worried about. Every note is written for the blade in your hand, not for a spec sheet.

Toughness
Excellent for a simple high-carbon steel. The vanadium addition refines grain size compared to plain steels like 1080 or 1084, giving it very good toughness that makes it a popular choice for choppers, camp knives, and swords.
Edge retention
Modest compared to alloy tool steels or stainless PM steels, in line with other simple high-carbon steels. It sharpens very easily and takes a keen edge, but will need more frequent touch-ups under hard use than higher-carbide steels.
Corrosion resistance
Not stainless and not intended to be. Like other simple carbon steels, it will rust without an applied finish or regular oiling and drying.
Grinding and machinability
Very easy to grind, similar to other simple high-carbon steels like 1084 and 5160. A good choice for makers who want fast, low-effort stock removal or forging.
Quench and temper decide whether 80CrV2 gives you the numbers above.

The full reference

More on 80CrV2

80CrV2 is a simple, low-alloy high-carbon steel closely related to 5160 and 1080, with a small vanadium addition that refines grain size and adds a bit of wear resistance. It has become a favorite among bladesmiths for forged knives because it is forgiving to heat treat, hard to overheat, and delivers an excellent toughness-to-hardness balance for choppers and hard-use fixed blades.

80CrV2 FAQ

Is 80CrV2 stainless?

No, it is a plain low-alloy tool steel and needs the same regular oiling and drying as any carbon steel.

Gloved hand wipes a thin film of oil along the flat of a fixed blade lying on a rubber mat, with an oil vial nearby.

Is 80CrV2 hard to sharpen or grind?

No, it is one of the easiest steels in this database to work with. See the full grinding and sharpening guide.

Two bare hands hold a small fixed knife flat on a wet gray bench stone in a black holder, with a water bowl beside it.

How does 80CrV2 compare to 1084?

The two are nearly interchangeable in practical use, with 80CrV2’s vanadium addition offering a small extra margin of forgiveness against forging mistakes. See the full breakdown: 80CrV2 vs 1084.

Two rough knife blanks with tangs lie on a worn steel bench in front of two short steel bar offcuts, near an anvil and hammer.

Is 80CrV2 a good beginner steel?

Yes, it is widely recommended alongside 1084 as one of the best starting steels for new bladesmiths, forgiving of both forging technique and heat treatment.

Gloved smith holds a glowing orange knife blank on an anvil with long tongs as a hammer comes down onto it.

Head to head

Compare steel data for 80CrV2

Every matchup 80CrV2 appears in, dimension by dimension.

Browse the steel database

Keep reading

Guides that use this steel

More in this topic

Same bench

Grind 80CrV2 on a machine that holds still

Whatever the steel, the grind is only as flat as the platen behind it. I machine the parts, hand-assemble and test Torus grinders in Sterling, Illinois.

See the whole shop
  • Classic aluminum 2x72 grinder, side view with flat-platen tool arm and yellow Safety Rules label, on black with a purple glow

    Torus 2×72 Classic Aluminum Belt Grinder

    Prior-design aluminum chassis, 90-degree tilt and 1.5-inch tooling arms.

    Starts at$1,095View

One-man shop

Thinking about 80CrV2?

Tell me what the blade is for and how you heat treat. I will tell you whether this is the steel I would use, and what I would use instead.

Ask Rich a questionRun the Steel Selector