Half Face Blades makes knives and tools that are built to perform, unboastfully, under the most extreme conditions.
Half Face Blades are also made with some of the best steel alloys that the industry can currently furnish, even some that are rarely used.
Take, for instance, S45VN, which is used on so many of their knives. This alloy is sort of like a slightly upgraded version of S30V, a much better known super steel.
But what does it offer, and why? This short post will break that down.
More Carbon, Better Edge Retention
One of the main differences between S45VN and its precursors, S30VN and S35VN, is that it has more carbon.
At 1.48%, it carries more carbon than either S35VN (1.4%) and S30V (1.45%), respectively.
The first and greatest advantage this offers is that the higher the concentration of carbon, the harder the steel can be made. In turn, the steel will be more wear resistant and hold an edge for longer.
It’s not just carbon, though; carbon forms carbides with elements like tungsten and vanadium which can improve grain structure and also boost hardness. In this case, there is an appreciable content of vanadium (though there is no tungsten in S45VN).
So, what you get with S45VN is a steel that can accept a better heat treatment and therefore which can hold an edge a little longer than its forebears.
A Little Nitrogen
There’s one more trick up the sleeve of S45VN that is not present in S35VN (although it is present in S30V), and which is generally rare in steels overall.
This is the presence of nitrogen, at .15%. Nitrogen is typically considered an impurity in steel as too much of it can make the steel brittle, but in trace concentrations the nitrogen can also work alongside carbon to improve hardness, wear resistance, and edge retention.
S45VN actually has a little less nitrogen than S30V (.2%) which confers the benefit of slightly better edge retention with a lower risk of the resulting steel exhibiting brittleness.
There’s one other thing about nitrogen, though, and it’s that it can also help the steel resist corrosion, which is another bonus here.
More Chromium
Both S30V and S35VN have 14% chromium in their matrices. S45VN has more, at 16%. The main benefit to this is that chromium results in a highly corrosion resistant steel.
With slightly more chromium, S45VN is more corrosion resistant than either S30V or S35VN. In conjunction with its trace nitrogen content, it is superior to these other steels mentioned at resisting staining and corrosion.
Pretty Much the Same Otherwise
Aside from these considerations, S45VN also contains about 2% molybdenum, 3% vanadium, and a smidge of niobium, at .5%. Together, these constituent elements increase toughness and wear resistance, and niobium increases these attributes while also ever-so-slightly lightening the alloy, which are among the reasons that it is added to some high end steels. That said, this content S45VN more or less shares in common with the other two steels mentioned here.
Explore Half Face Blades at The Knife Connection
Ultimately, what you get with S45VN, often used in Half Face Blades, is a steel that offers excellent wear resistance, better edge retention, and superior corrosion resistance as compared to S30V or S35VN.
If you’re interested in exploring Half Face Blades that are made with this alloy, check out the collection over at The Knife Connection. They carry a wide range of models from this brand, including the Crow Scout and Crow Jr., Combat Dagger, Vulture, and Karambito.
Explore their collection and get in touch with them if you have any questions.
