S35VN Steel in Kitchen Knives: Is It Worth It?

Short answer: yes, S35VN is a genuinely good kitchen knife steel. It is a powder-metallurgy stainless that holds an edge far longer than ordinary stainless, resists rust in a wet kitchen, and stays tough enough at 60–62 HRC not to chip on a cutting board.

What is S35VN steel?

CPM S35VN is a premium powder-metallurgy stainless steel. Where a conventional steel is melted and cast, S35VN is made from metal powder, which produces a much more uniform microstructure with the carbides spread evenly through the blade rather than clumped.

That uniformity is the whole point. Evenly distributed carbides mean the edge sharpens consistently along its length, wears evenly instead of developing soft spots, and takes a finer apex without crumbling.

Is S35VN good for kitchen knives specifically?

It is, and for reasons that matter more in a kitchen than on a workbench. A kitchen knife faces three things a pocket knife largely does not: constant moisture, acidic food, and long sessions of repetitive cutting on a hard board.

S35VN answers all three. Its high chromium content handles the moisture and the acid without the anxious drying routine a carbon steel demands. Its edge retention means a long prep session does not end with a blade that has stopped biting. And its toughness means the thin edge you want for food does not chip when it meets a board or a bone.

The honest caveat: S35VN is harder to sharpen than a softer stainless. That is the trade. You sharpen it much less often, but when you do, it wants a diamond or ceramic stone rather than a cheap pull-through.

Edge retention, toughness and corrosion resistance

Every steel is a compromise between these three. Push hardness for edge retention and you usually lose toughness; push corrosion resistance and you often lose both. S35VN is notable for refusing to be terrible at any of them.

Edge retention. It holds a working edge substantially longer than standard stainless kitchen steels. In practice that means fewer trips to the stone and more consistent cuts between them.

Toughness. Where some high-hardness steels turn brittle, S35VN resists micro-chipping along the edge — the failure mode that actually ruins kitchen knives, far more often than a dramatic break.

Corrosion resistance. High chromium content means it shrugs off moisture, acids and daily kitchen exposure. It is a stainless in the way that matters: you can wash it, dry it and put it away without ceremony.

If you want the wider context, our guide to types of steel for knives places S35VN against the rest, and the AUS-10 guide covers the steel we use elsewhere in the range.

Why 60–62 HRC is the number that matters

Steel choice is only half of a blade's performance; heat treatment is the other half. The same S35VN can be made disappointing or excellent depending on how it is hardened.

Every blade in the Ford F-150 collection is heat treated to 60–62 HRC. That band is chosen deliberately: hard enough for long edge retention, tough enough to survive real cutting, and still practical to sharpen at home. Too soft and the edge rolls within a week. Too hard and it chips the first time it meets a squash. Our HRC guide explains the scale in full.

Why American-made steel mattered here

This collection carries the Ford name, and the F-150 is an American icon built on heritage and engineering trust. Using American-made steel was a values decision rather than a marketing one.

Sourcing S35VN in the United States gives consistent metallurgical standards, proven quality control and traceable material origins — which is simply what you need when you put someone else's fifty-year-old badge on your product.

The knives built from it

The Ford F-150 50th Anniversary collection is where our S35VN blades live:

• 8" Ford 50th Anniversary F-150 Chef Knife — the all-rounder, and the one to buy first if you buy one.
• 10" Ford 50th Anniversary F-150 Serrated Knife — for crusted roasts, bread and anything with a skin that resists a plain edge.
• 5" Ford 50th Anniversary F-150 Utility Knife — the small-jobs blade that saves you reaching for the chef knife.
• Ford F-150 50th Anniversary Chef's Knife Set — the collection together.
• Ford F-150 Collector's Knife Hauler — for carrying them.

How to look after an S35VN blade

Less fussily than carbon steel, but not carelessly. Hand wash and dry it — never the dishwasher, where heat and detergent will dull the edge and attack the handle. Store it where the edge is not knocking against other steel. Sharpen on a diamond or ceramic stone when it stops biting; S35VN will resist a soft stone.

Common questions

Is S35VN better than VG-10 or AUS-10 for a kitchen knife?
It generally holds an edge longer and resists corrosion at least as well, at the cost of being harder to sharpen. For a cook who sharpens rarely and cuts a lot, that trade is favourable.

Does S35VN rust?
It is a stainless steel with high chromium content, so it resists rust well in normal kitchen use. It is not rust-proof — no steel is — so dry it after washing.

Is S35VN hard to sharpen?
Harder than soft stainless, yes. Use a diamond or ceramic stone and take your time. You will be doing it far less often than with an ordinary blade.

What does the "CPM" in CPM S35VN mean?
It refers to the Crucible Particle Metallurgy process — the powder-metallurgy method that gives the steel its uniform carbide distribution.

Shop the range

Shop the range: Ford F-150 Series and Chef Knives — every blade hand sharpened and oiled before it ships, with a 99-day home trial and a free lifetime guarantee.

Read next: Types of Steel for Knives: The Complete 2026 Guide and San Mai Steel Explained: Layers, Benefits & Care.