PM tough tool steel. Plate quench to stay flat, cryo, then high-temp TRIPLE temper (~1000°F). Very different from carbon steel — do not low-temper.
Temper → hardness chart
Approximate HRC after a double-temper at each temperature (from the sources below). Set your target and pick the matching temper.
Temper °F
Temper °C
Hardness
950°F
510°C
61 HRC
1000°F
538°C
59 HRC
1025°F
552°C
57 HRC
Composition (typical, wt%)
Element
%
C
0.8%
Cr
7.5%
V
2.75%
Mo
1.3%
Crucible CPM 3V datasheet
HeatTreatBench — the recipes in your shop, offline
Get the full CPM-3V recipe plus 25 more steels offline — set your target HRC and the app gives you the exact temper, with a forge timer and a per-blade log. Works in the shop with no signal.