Searching for steel knives on a budget and figuring which knife is a good choice can be very difficult. That is especially true if you are not adept with knives and do not know how to properly choose one.
7cr17MoV steel knives are excellent budget knives. If you’ve been looking for low budget knives, you must have heard of this particular category.
In this article you will find an overview of the steel composition and quality of these budget-friendly knives.
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What is 7cr17MoV Steel?
The first thing you should be aware of before making any purchase is the quality of the product you’re buying. Therefore, in the case of these knives, you must know the quality of the steel used to make them.
These knives are made of 7cr17MoV steel, which is a Chinese variant of stainless steel. It is made by adding vanadium elements to 440A steel.
This increases the material’s toughness, wear resistance, and strength. This material has an extra hardness and corrosion resistance due to high carbon and chromium levels.
This steel is great to use in knives for basic survival kits. It is a mid-range quality blade since it is more challenging than the basic blades but softer than high-end options.
Sharpening this blade is more comfortable due to the added elements. This is possible even though it does not have great edge retention.
The blades made with this steel are great for kitchen and outdoor knives. A very similar steel variant is 8cr13MoV.
Composition of the 7cr17MoV Steel
The steel is named so because of its high carbon and chromium composition. The addition of Molybdenum and Vanadium derives the initials MoV in the name.
According to the HRC of the steel, the composition of the element is as follows:
- Carbon – 0.7%
- Chromium – 17%
- Silicon – 1%
- Manganese – 1%
- Nickel – 0.6%
- Phosphorous – 0.04%
- Molybdenum – 0.75%
- Sulfur – 0.03%
- Vanadium – 0.2%
The mixture of mid carbon and high chromium makes the 7cr17MoV steel hard and corrosion-resistant.
Tempering of 7cr17MoV Blades
One of the defining features of a blade’s quality is its tempering. A badly tempered knife can never be as efficient as a well-tempered knife regardless of the material quality.
These knives are first heated, quenched, reheated, and then cooled. The first heating makes the knife tough, while the tempering (second heating) makes it flexible.
If a knife is appropriately tempered, the 7cr17MoV blade can be cut and made into perfection.
Properties of 7cr17MoV Steel Blades
The properties and quality of each blade vary according to the way it is manufactured. However, given below are a few general properties that 7cr17MoV knives have.
Edge Retention
These blades are not nearly as good as high-end ones, but they have decent edge retention. The Sulphur and Phosphorus elements in 7cr17MoV steel increase brittleness.
This compromises with the edge retention capabilities of the knife. However, the quantity of carbon and Vanadium betters the loss made by the brittle elements.
Sharpening
Since the hardness of this knife is relatively medium, it is easy to sharpen. However, in comparison to other common blade steels, this element loses sharpness quickly. This is due to the softness of the metal.
Toughness and Hardness
The Carbon composition, along with Chromium and Vanadium, helps increase the hardness of the steel. It reaches 60 HRC is, which is great.
The variation of hardness is not too much in these blades. This is splendid because most terrible knives vary in hardness, even within their structure.
With hardness does not always come toughness. The toughness of 7cr17MoV steel is not at par with other blade elements. It cannot hold up against abuse.
Corrosion Resistance
One reason why these blades are preferred for survival blades is that the high amount of Chromium makes the steel from staining. These blades are incredibly durable and reliable in terms of corrosion resistance.
Best 7cr17MoV Steel Knives
This kind of steel is commonly used in simple camping, hunting, and chef knives. If you do not want a decently strong and tough knife on a budget, this might be for you. It is a reasonably good choice for light everyday use.
7cr17MoV knives are the best entry-level knives that offer everything you can expect at their price range. Some good quality 7cr17MoV knives are as follows.
- Smith & Wesson SWMP11G – Top Choice
- Gerber Flatiron Cleaver Frame Lock – Premium Choice
- Old Timer 80TY Yellow Senior – Value Choice
These are some of the most reliable and trusted knives that are made of 7cr17MoV steel. They are all excellent choices that serve different purposes.
Summing Up
If you are looking for corrosion-resistant, reasonably durable, tough, and hard knives, 7cr17MoV steel knives are good. They are budget-friendly and can do any decent job. They made great average-cost camping, kitchen, hunting, or EDC knives.