Core damascus - chevron (12Cr16V)

Stainless core damascus with powder steel “12Cr16V” as the core layer in the “Chevron” pattern.
The 12Cr16V steel was specially developed for use in knife blades and is a high-performance blade steel with up to 64 HRC.

Properties

• High edge retention & wear resistance
• Very good machinability and sharpenability
• Very high hardness possible
• Easy to polish

About 1mm of material must be removed from the outer sides due to the forging edge.
This damascus should be at least 1mm thick at the edge before hardening.

Chemical analysis (core layer 12Cr16V)

• C: 1,2% | Cr: 16% | Mo: 2,5% | V: 1,75% | W: 0,1%
• P: 0,03% | S: 0,003%

Our "12Cr16V steel" heat treatment recommendation:
Hardening:

• Oxidation protection required
• Hardening temperature: 1080°C - 1120°C
• Quenching medium: air / compressed air or gas
• Cryogenic treatment: optional, but necessary for best performance
• Tempering: 160°C - 200°C
• Achievable hardness: 60 - 64 HRC

Annealing: Hold for 2 hours at 900°C, then cool slowly
Caution! Stainless core steel: Do not perform “plate quenching”! This can cause the core layer to tear away from the outer layers (no delamination). There is also an increased risk of cracking in the core layer during deep freezing, especially with liquid media such as LN2 or dry ice pellets (uneven cooling).

Recommendation for etching

High-gloss polish, then in 33% hydrochloric acid.

Finish
rolled & annealed