Heat Treatment Specifications
Austenitizing
Temperature1038°C(1900°F)
Soak Time30 minutes
Tempering
Temperature260°C(500°F)
Time120 minutes
Cycles2x
Quench Medium
plate
Target Hardness
63 - 64 HRC
Performance Characteristics
Toughness3.5/10
Edge Retention9.5/10
Corrosion Resistance4/10
Ease of Sharpening2/10
Overall Score19/40
Interesting Facts
- 1Patented 1978 by Haswell and Kasak of Crucible
- 2First high-vanadium PM steel, created new tool steel category
- 3Better wear resistance than D2 while similar toughness
- 4K390 is European equivalent (about 1% less vanadium)
- 5Revolutionary discovery: vanadium carbides smaller than Mo/W carbides
Famous Uses
Industrial tooling
Custom high-wear knives
Best For
High-wear cutting tasks
Tool blades
Light-use hunting knives
Utility knives
Similar Steels
Not Recommended For
- Wet environments
- Field sharpening (nightmare)
- Impact loads (brittle)
Expert Tips
- 1Extremely high vanadium for wear resistance
- 2Requires careful heat treatment
- 3Balance hardness with application