Heat Treatment Specifications
Austenitizing
Temperature980°C(1796°F)
Soak Time30 minutes
Tempering
Temperature200°C(392°F)
Time120 minutes
Cycles2x
Quench Medium
air
Target Hardness
62 - 64 HRC
Performance Characteristics
Toughness8/10
Edge Retention6/10
Corrosion Resistance2/10
Ease of Sharpening6.5/10
Overall Score22.5/40
Interesting Facts
- 1Uddeholm cold work tool steel
- 2Higher toughness than Caldie at expense of wear
- 3Good for applications with shock loading
- 45% chromium content
- 5Popular in European industrial tooling
- 6Similar niche to CPM-3V
Famous Uses
Industrial blanking dies
Specialty cutting tools
Best For
Cold-work tooling
General purpose knives
Balanced performance blades
Similar Steels
Caldie
Similar class, different balance
Vanadis 4E
PM version with similar properties
Not Recommended For
- Marine environment
- Budget projects
- Beginners
Expert Tips
- 1Assab Calmax differs - higher Mo and W content
- 2Good balance of toughness and wear resistance
- 3Versatile for various knife applications