CruWear and Bone White Linen Micarta EDC blade

[taz575]

First blade in CPM CruWear and first in the Bone White Linen Micarta! Did up a 3" EDC type blade to test these materials. CPM CruWear is a powdered metal with better edge holding than CPM 3V and slightly less tough. I had the first few blades heat treated at 60 HRC to get them a bit tougher similar to what Bark River does, but it can go to higher hardness at the cost of being harder to sharpen. It takes a wicked crazy edge though!!! The handle material is Bone White Linen Micarta, which has a nice aged ivory look to it. I used red G10 liners, mosaic pins and SS lanyard tubing in the handle as well. Sheath is brown "raptor" pattern Holstex.

[Kekoa]

Cru-Wear is a steel I've gotten pretty curious about. I've never heard of a kitchen knife made from it, but I wonder how it would do in that role.

[taz575]

I think it would do pretty well and I would probably take it to around 62-63 rockwell wise for a kitchen knife. It is supposed to have edge retention like M2 steel and much better than A2/Chromax or D2/SKD. I did the first 4 CruWear blades at 60 HRC like Bark River does for easier sharpening and more toughness as field knives. I have 2 more blades around 3-3.25" in CruWear to grind and a 7" Camp knife style blade to grind. CruWear was designed as an upgrade from D2 and able to go up higher rockwell hardness wise, with increased toughness and edge holding. I would probably do 62-63 HRC for a kitchen knife, but it can go to around 65 rockwell. It has 7.5% Chromium, so it may be a semi stainless since it is between A2/Chromax and D2/SKD, but it also has Vanadium Carbides.