Abrasives
Grinding and Sharpening CPM S35VN: Belt Recommendations & Technique
CPM S35VN was deliberately engineered to grind and finish more easily than its predecessor, CPM S30V, while keeping nearly all of its edge retention. That…
Knife steel
CPM S35VN knife steel
A refined, well-balanced powder-metallurgy stainless steel from Crucible, offering dependable all-around performance across toughness, edge retention, and corrosion resistance.
Also known as
At a glance
How CPM S35VN 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
- Edge retention
- 4
- Corrosion resistance
- 4
- Ease of grinding
- 3
- Composition
- Best uses
A dependable, well-rounded choice for EDC folders, hunting knives, and kitchen knives
often recommended when someone cannot decide between a tougher steel and a harder-wearing one. Browse more entries in the Knife Steel Database, and see the Heat Treating Guide for the full stage-by-stage process.
- Sources
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
Noticeably tougher than its predecessor S30V, thanks to niobium carbides replacing some of the vanadium carbide load, one of the better toughness figures among premium powder-metallurgy stainless steels.
Edge retention
Strong, dependable edge retention, slightly below S30V's, but still well ahead of basic stainless steels like 420HC or AEB-L.
Corrosion resistance
Nearly identical to S30V and considered very good for a high-performance stainless, suitable for kitchen, marine, and everyday-carry use.
Grinding and machinability
Easier to grind than S30V, a deliberate improvement in the alloy design, but still a powder-metallurgy steel that wears belts faster than simple carbon or basic stainless steels.
The full reference
More on CPM S35VN
CPM S35VN is Crucible’s refined follow-up to S30V, developed by swapping some vanadium carbide for niobium carbide. That change makes it noticeably tougher and easier to grind than S30V with essentially no loss in wear resistance, which is why it became one of the most widely used mid-tier premium stainless steels in production and custom knives alike.
CPM S35VN FAQ
What hardness does CPM S35VN reach?
Most knives run at 60 Rc or slightly above. See the heat treat details further up this page for the full recipe.
Is CPM S35VN hard to sharpen?
No, it is noticeably easier to sharpen than its predecessor CPM S30V or steels like CPM 20CV, one of the main design goals when Crucible developed it. See the full grinding and sharpening guide.
Does CPM S35VN rust?
It offers good, dependable stainless corrosion resistance suitable for everyday-carry and outdoor use.
How does CPM S35VN compare to CPM S30V, MagnaCut, or Elmax?
S35VN is tougher and easier to grind than S30V at a small edge-retention cost, trades some toughness for slightly better edge retention against MagnaCut, and is nearly tied with Elmax aside from Elmax’s corrosion-resistance edge. See the full breakdowns: CPM S30V vs CPM S35VN, MagnaCut comparisons, and Elmax vs CPM S35VN.
Head to head
Compare steel data for CPM S35VN
Every matchup CPM S35VN appears in, dimension by dimension.
Keep reading
Guides that use this steel
MetallurgyWhat Alloying Elements Do: Carbon, Chromium, Vanadium & More
Every knife steel is iron plus a specific recipe of other elements, and each of those elements pulls the steel’s behavior in a particular direction…
MetallurgyCarbide Size and Sharpening: Why Some Steels Feel Different
Two steels with similar hardness numbers can feel completely different under a sharpening stone, one glides along smoothly, another feels like it’s…
Same bench
Grind CPM S35VN 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.
Nova 2×72 Aluminum Belt Grinder
Current dual-axis platform with a fiber-laser-cut 6061 chassis and single-knob tracking.
Starts at$1,295
Nebula 2×72 Steel Belt Grinder
Current dual-axis platform with a steel chassis, more mass and less vibration.
Starts at$1,295
Torus 2×72 Classic Aluminum Belt Grinder
Prior-design aluminum chassis, 90-degree tilt and 1.5-inch tooling arms.
Starts at$995
One-man shop
Thinking about CPM S35VN?
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.