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S35VN is not a straight upgrade over S30V in every property. It trades some abrasive edge retention for higher toughness, while their corrosion ratings are equal. That makes this a choice between resisting gradual wear and resisting edge damage, not simply choosing the newer name.
Performance Ratings
For the science, we turn to Dr. Larrin Thomas of Knife Steel Nerds, who has kindly allowed us to share his ratings here.
| Property | CPM S30V | CPM S35VN |
|---|---|---|
| Abrasive edge retention | ||
| Toughness | ||
| Corrosion resistance |
Heat treatment, hardness and geometry affect actual knives.
S30V Keeps the Wear-Resistance Advantage
S30V rates 6 for abrasive edge retention and S35VN 5. If your knife mostly dulls through repeated abrasive slicing, S30V has a reason to stay on your shortlist. A higher number does not predict a fixed amount of extra cutting in your knife.
In his study of S35VN, Dr. Thomas explains that reducing vanadium and adding niobium changes the carbide balance. The result is a tradeoff: S35VN’s improved toughness does not come with higher abrasive wear resistance.
Read the S30V steel profile for its broader strengths and limitations.
What S35VN Brings Instead
S35VN rates 5 for toughness, compared with S30V at 4. We would lean toward it when resistance to small chips matters more than maximizing wear between sharpenings, provided the two knives are otherwise suitable.
It is still important to separate a material advantage from a guarantee about a knife. A very thin edge can chip in either steel, and twisting a blade through a cut is not made safe by the higher score.
Our S35VN steel profile covers the alloy’s design and everyday care.
Care Is Similar; Sharpening Is Not a Stopwatch Test
Both receive a 7.5 corrosion-resistance rating. There is no numerical rust-care advantage here to use as the deciding factor. Clean and dry either after food preparation or wet use.
S35VN’s lower wear resistance may be welcome when removing metal, but it does not establish a specific sharpening-time saving. Abrasive choice, the amount of repair needed and burr removal all matter. Diamond or cubic boron nitride (CBN) abrasives are useful for the hard carbides in both steels.
Do You Need to Replace Your S30V Knife?
If your S30V edge is wearing gradually and not chipping, moving to S35VN is unlikely to address your main concern. If edge damage is the nuisance, S35VN is the more relevant option, along with checking your sharpening angle.
For a new purchase, we would choose S30V for wear-focused slicing and S35VN for a little more toughness. We would not pay a large premium for either without a useful difference in the complete knife.
Composition
Our steel composition guide explains what the elements do and how to read these values.
CPM S30V: Reported composition from Larrin Thomas’s July 2026 table, mass %; not a producer specification or batch analysis. This source lists 0.2% nitrogen for S30V; Niagara’s datasheet does not list nitrogen. Knife Steel Nerds: stainless steel composition table (July 2026).
CPM S35VN: Selected nominal/typical values, mass %; not a batch certificate or complete analysis. Niagara Specialty Metals: CPM S35VN.
| Element | CPM S30V | CPM S35VN |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon (C) | 1.45% | 1.4% |
| Chromium (Cr) | 14% | 14% |
| Molybdenum (Mo) | 2% | 2% |
| Vanadium (V) | 4% | 3% |
| Nitrogen (N) | 0.2% | Not listed |
| Niobium (Nb) | Not listed | 0.5% |
Compare Two Knife Steels
Sources and Update Notes
- Dr. Larrin Thomas: knife steel ratings · Property ratings; the scores describe steels rather than individual finished knives.
- Knife Steel Nerds: stainless steel composition table (July 2026)
- Niagara Specialty Metals: CPM S35VN
- Knife Steel Nerds: S35VN properties · Carbide changes and the wear-resistance/toughness tradeoff.
