250mm CPM 20 CV gyuto with black ash Burl

I'm really liking this profile I've done several times. This one is a 250mm (or maybe 255mm) CPM 20 CV stainless super steel. It's quite a bit more difficult to work with than other premium steels due to the extremely high chromium, vanadium, and tungsten content. But the performance benefit is well worth it. This knife sports an octagonal handle with red dyed black ash Burl, blue and white and black G10 trim and carbon fiber bolsters. 50mm high at the heel. 7 stainless steel pins and a center stainless and copper mosaic pin. It will be available this weekend.

 

Amazing how many cuts you made to piece together this handle. Looks so clean. How does steel compare to some other high end stainless like Sg 2, CPM steels, Zdp etc in regards to edge holding and ease of sharpening?

 

impressive handle

 

Man that looks like a lot of woodwork! Impressive results indeed.

 

Thanks guys. It is a lot of work, but I'm beginning to really like the variation possibilities. I'm certainly going to do more in this vein.

 

As for the comparison of CPM steels with ZDP 189 and SG2/R2, it has both subjective and objective answers. SG2 has no tungsten. Just vanadium. I have never worked with it. I will have a knife soon made of it to play around. But comparing CPM 154 and 20cV. No comparison. 20CV gives noticibly 20-30% better edge holding than 154 bit is incredibly high in tungsten and vanadium. 154 has slight amounts. But that even still is enough to make the performance waaaay better than 440, 1095, vG10, etc. and grinding, XHp is better still than 154. But not as hard as 20CV. That is the opinion of lots of others comparing the two in tactical/hunting applications. I can confirm that in knife making. Sharpenability will be much more managable than 20cv/m390. Stones needed for those whereas a rod will freshen up 154 and XHP nicely. In my tactical knives, ZDP has noticibly better edge holding than Vg10 and 154, and about comparable to 20cv. However noticibly worse than M4 and S110v. Those are insane steels. And I will say I just don't like s35VN. Expensive, hyped, performance like 440c. Edge holding is ...meh. Better steels out there for same money.