The possibility to increase the properties of high strength carbon steel wire (0.7% C) by vanadium microalloying (0.1%) was studied. Mechanical properties and density were measured on steels with and without vanadium. It was established that microalloying with V diminish the tendency to splitting fracture after moderate deformations. After ε>80% the tendency to splitting can remain. The positive effect of microalloying is caused by the delay of the process of cementite disintegration under drawing of heat - treated wires and decrease of the deformation aging process, that affects the intensity of crack propagations under deformation.