5160 vs 80CrV2
The two steels that dominate any conversation about tough carbon blades, and the matchup where the honest answer is genuinely close. 80CrV2 is roughly 1080 with vanadium added for grain refinement; 5160 is a lower-carbon spring steel with chromium. Both are excellent. The tiebreaker is how hard you want to run the blade.
Quick Verdict
80CrV2 is the better all-rounder — nearly as tough as 5160 but capable of a harder, longer-lasting edge. Choose 5160 when the blade is very long or very heavy and pure impact survival outranks everything, or when cost and availability decide it.
Toughness
5160 has a small edge at equivalent hardness, thanks to lower carbon and less excess carbide. But 80CrV2's vanadium refines grain, which recovers much of the gap — and because 80CrV2 is usually run 1 to 2 points harder, the two often end up performing very similarly in a real blade. Both are top-tier tough.
Edge Retention
80CrV2 wins. Around 0.80% carbon against 5160's 0.60% means a harder achievable edge — typically 59 to 61 HRC versus 57 to 59 — and the small vanadium addition contributes some genuinely wear-resistant carbide. In slicing, that gap is noticeable.
Corrosion Resistance
A tie. 80CrV2 carries about 0.5% chromium and 5160 about 0.8%, neither of which is enough to slow rust meaningfully. Both are carbon steels that patina quickly and rust when neglected.
Heat Treat
Both are forgiving and forge-friendly. 80CrV2 austenitizes around 1500°F with a short soak in fast oil, tempered 375 to 425°F for 59 to 61 HRC. 5160 wants about 1525°F, a 10 minute soak, medium-fast oil, and 400 to 450°F to land 57 to 59. Vanadium makes 80CrV2 more resistant to grain growth if your temperature control is imperfect — a real advantage in a forge.
Grinding
Very close, both cooperative. 80CrV2 at 60 HRC is slightly harder on belts than 5160 at 58, but the difference is minor and neither punishes a sharp belt. 5160 is more often reclaimed leaf spring with scale to grind through.
Best-Use Scenarios
80CrV2: camp knives, bushcraft blades, hard-use fixed blades and choppers that still need to slice well. 5160: swords, machetes, kukris, tomahawks and the largest camp choppers, where flex and impact survival are everything.