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Knife Blades: Common Steels Explained

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We looked at common steels used by popular knife brands to help you select the right material for your blade.

Knifemakers use dozens of steel types to create knife blades. Which one is right for you?

Three main characteristics differentiate steels from one another: corrosion resistance, hardness, and toughness. I won’t go into detail about those here. But to learn more about these and other attributes, read our related outdoor knife buyer’s guide.

Here, read on for an in-depth look at common knife steels as well as the best knife steels around.

Folding buck knife
Buck’s Vantage is one of the brand’s many blades that use 420HC

Editor’s note: This article was first published in May 2015 and was most recently updated on May 25, 2020.

Commonly Available Knife Steels

420HC

This is basically a retrofit of a very old steel, adding more carbon to the recipe of 420 (hence the HC for “high carbon”). It’s soft, with very low carbon content. And given the recipe, it has a low number of carbides, the extra-hard microcrystals in steel that provide the hardness necessary for a stable and sharp edge.

420HC doesn’t hold an edge well, but it’s relatively stain-resistant and tough. It’s easy to sharpen. There is one exception: Buck’s 420HC (Buck and only Buck) is produced using a proprietary heat treatment. It’s actually quite good, low-cost steel that performs like midprice steel.

See more 420HC steel knives

1095

ESEE-3PM-DT

This is an old high-carbon (non-stainless) steel. It’s tough, but that’s about it. 1095 stains easily and thus is often coated, especially in fixed blades. It’s found on a large number of traditional-style folders.

And while it can be hard depending on the heat treat, I have found it easily chips, causing microscopic dings in the edge when hardened to a high level on a thin blade.

See more 1095 steel knives

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In thick forms, like a fixed blade, 1095 is a tough, low-cost steel. Used in knives since at least World War II, 1095 performance varies considerably with an abundance of tweaks in the recipe and heat treat.

Rowen’s heat treat on ESEE knives that use 1095 is exceptional; KA-BAR’s is less so. In particular, I have found the ESEE/Rowen 1095 to be less likely to chip and better at holding an edge than the KA-BAR version — even in knives with the same role, thickness, and blade length.

AUS-8

foresight
The CRKT Foresight uses AUS-8 steel

One of the more common stainless steels, and one readily available in lots of different places worldwide, AUS-8 is a decent all-around steel. It’s hard enough, tough enough, and stain-resistant enough.

It won’t hang long with high-end powder metal steels (a method of making steel using ultra-pure micrograins of steel that are heated and pressed together). But among the steels you’ll find at Cabela’s and the like, this is a pretty good choice.

See more AUS-8 steel knives

VG-1

VG-1 is a non-powder steel made by Japanese specialty steelmaker Takefu. Generally seen as a slight upgrade to the 440C/VG-10/ATS-34 caliber of steel, it’s a decent all-around steel with good corrosion resistance, decent toughness, and only modest hardness.

Cold Steel still uses VG-1 on some knives, and, for the money, it does well. In use, it’s very similar to 440C and VG-10.

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8Cr13MoV (Any of the CR Series)

8Cr13MoV

These are Chinese-produced steels that recently started showing up in Chinese-made knives. 9Cr is the top end of the series and is quite good — as good or better than AUS-8.

Type 8Cr, the more common formulation, is worse than AUS-8: a little more prone to corrosion and not quite as hard. But it’s very cheap, and, when ground appropriately, it can be a real winner from a value standpoint.

Note: Don’t bother with anything less than 8Cr in this series. Steels 7Cr and below aren’t worth your time or money. They lack the carbon necessary to hold an edge, even during mild use.

1.4116

swiss-army-knife

This is the steel used in Swiss Army knives and is excellent for beginner sharpeners. It’s very tough and exceptionally corrosion-resistant. (Some crazy folks clean their Swiss Army knives in a dishwasher. That’s a little too far, but you get the point.)

It doesn’t hold an edge well, but it’s so easy to sharpen that you can get it back to razor sharpness in a few minutes.

See more Swiss Army knives

154CM

benchmade axis drop point stryker
Benchmade’s Axis drop-point Stryker comes in 154CM

While not a powder steel, 154CM is widely used in nicer knives. It’s a good balance between all three attributes, being relatively hard, tough, and corrosion-resistant. It’s very similar chemically to RWL 34 and ATS-34. If the knife you’re looking at has a 154CM blade, you’re fine.

Note: There is a powder-metal version called CPM154 that’s purer than the non-powder version, making it easier for knifemakers to grind. CPM154 is a truly superior steel.

S30V

Sebenza 21
The Sebenza 21

This is an American-made powder steel produced by Crucible and developed specifically for knives with the aid of the knife guru Chris Reeve (maker of the vaunted Sebenza, among other gems). Like 154CM, it’s a good compromise between all three steel attributes.

Five years ago, S30V had a premium price. But as the market has grown and newer steels have come out, it has fallen in price and prestige. I’ve found that most makers harden S30V too much, making it prone to chipping at the edge.

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Chris Reeve’s version, which is about two points less hard than others, is quite good. Like 154CM, there is a newer version, S35VN, which shares many of the same attributes as S30V but is easier to craft into a knife thanks to niobium. I’ve found S35VN less chippy even at the same hardness.

See more S30V steel knives

S90V

This is a powder-metal steel also produced by Crucible. It’s a very hard steel and is exceptionally difficult to sharpen. The benefit of this, of course, is that the steel holds an edge for a very, very long time.

Because of its difficulty in sharpening and machining, it’s very rarely used and comes with a high price premium. Even though it has very high hardness, it’s also still decently resistant to corrosion and quite tough. This is one of the better steels on the market.

See more S90V steel knives

S110V

This is also a powder-metal steel produced by American steel company Crucible. Like S90V, it’s a high-hardness steel, but it’s more balanced than S90V.

Spyderco offers this as the high-end steel for many of its evergreen blades, like the Paramilitary 2, Paramilitary 3, Manix 2, and Native 5. A lot of custom makers also like S110V, including the great RJ Martin.

See more S110V steel knives

VG-10

The Spyderco Dragonfly 2 is among many of the company’s VG-10 offerings

This is a non-powder Japanese steel used primarily in Spyderco knives. It’s very corrosion-resistant and quite tough. But I’ve found it lacking in hardness, even when compared to cheaper steels like AUS-8.

This is a midprice steel with matching performance. It’s not bad, but you can find better in the market at the same price.

See more VG-10 steel knives

D2

bob dozier general purpose
Bob Dozier’s general-purpose D2 blade

D2 is a tool steel used in industrial settings. Its high hardness and relatively high toughness also make it an excellent choice in cutlery. Though technically not a stainless steel — at least 14% chromium, and D2 usually has 12% — it’s relatively corrosion-resistant.

D2 has been around for more than 20 years, an eternity in metallurgy terms. Different heat treats have emerged over the years, but one has risen to the top as the best: Bob Dozier’s D2. Despite its age, it’s a truly superior steel. There is a powder form, CPM-D2, and PSF27 is also very chemically similar.

See more D2 steel knives

A2

A2 is a tool steel renowned for toughness. But it doesn’t have great wear resistance and thus doesn’t hold an edge particularly well. It’s used for combat knives, bushcrafting knives, and other applications where having a supertough blade trumps the need for edge retention and corrosion resistance.

A2 knives need care taken to avoid rust and are often coated to inhibit corrosion. The brand Bark River uses A2 in many models.

See more A2 steel knives

Elmax

Bark River Elmax
Bark River Knives uses Elmax  in some blades

A European powder-metal steel used in higher-end knives, Elmax has an advanced formula, and the result is a very good all-around steel, a generation ahead of formulations like 154CM.

There has been some internet controversy over the grinding and heat treat of this steel. But in my experience, it has been nothing but great. Only a few years ago Elmax was pricey, but competition has driven it down to reasonable levels, making it a decent value.

See more Elmax steel knives

CTS-BD1

This is a non-powder steel produced by American steel company Carpenter. BD1 is excellent budget steel, very similar in composition and performance to GIN-1, a Japanese steel used a decade ago by Spyderco. BD1 isn’t terribly hard but sharpens easily. CRKT and Spyderco use BD1.

See more CTS-BD1 steel knives

AEB-L

AEB-L is a non-powder steel produced by Swedish steelmaker Uddeholm. The greatest living knifemaker and one of the greatest knifemakers of all time, Michael Walker, calls AEB-L one of his favorite steels. It gets exceptionally sharp, a nod to its origins as a razorblade steel.

Many custom makers enjoy AEB-L, as it’s easy to machine but still has a high hardness, around 62 HRc. The steel is similar to Sandvik’s 13C26. AEB-L is rarely found on production knives but can be found on custom knives easily. Jesse Jarosz, a custom maker from Montana, regularly uses AEB-L.

See more AEB-L steel knives

Nitro V

Nitro V steel
The Massdrop Perpetua uses Nitro V steel

In nitrogen steels, nitrogen is used as the iron-hardener instead of carbon, thus limiting the possibility of rusting. Developed by New Jersey Steel Baron, Nitro V is a non-powder steel marketed as an enhanced version of AEB-L.

Nitro V, as its name indicates, adds nitrogen to AEB-L’s formula to make the steel even more corrosion-resistant. It has enough water-fighting properties that it can be used in marine environments.

Nitro V is also significantly cheaper than many other steels with this level of performance. Custom maker Brian Trudeau uses Nitro V, and Massdrop’s Perpetua design is the first production knife to sport it.

See more Nitro V steel knives

14C28N

European steel company Sandvik produces 14C28N, a non-powder metallurgy steel. It’s an update of its 12C27 and 13C26 steels, which were developed for use in shaving razors.

Most steels use carbon to increase hardness, but 14C28N uses nitrogen, boosting hardness without the normal penalty of increased corrosion. 14C28N is offered on midprice knives and is one of the better steels on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

See more 14C28N steel knives

CTS-XHP

This is a powder steel produced by American steel company Carpenter. When it debuted, Sal Glesser described XHP as a combination of D2’s hardness and 440C’s corrosion resistance.

Time and use have proven this to be quite accurate. XHP is an exceptionally well-balanced steel with excellent all-around attributes. Spyderco and Cold Steel have used it, though Cold Steel recently switched to S35VN due to availability concerns. Despite its wonderful performance, XHP is actually not terribly expensive compared to other high-end, all-around performers.

See more CTS-XHP steel knives

SPY27

A new steel from Crucible, SPY27 launched in 2020 in the Spyderco Native 5 and Para 3. Crucible intends SPY27 to be good all-around knife steel. But unlike most high-end steels, SPY27 is an easily user-serviceable powder steel. This means consumers should be able to maintain these quality knives at home. As of November 2020, this is Spyderco-exclusive steel.

Best Knife Steel

The following are less common steels, but they’re definitely worth tracking down. They represent the absolute best performers on the market in terms of their specific attributes.

All-Around: M390, CTS-204P, and CPM-20CV

If you’re looking for an all-around best knife steel, you’d be hard-pressed to find one better than Bohler Uddeholm M390. With a high level of edge retention, corrosion resistance, and toughness, it does most everything quite well.

And while you’ll find it mostly in expensive knives, quite a few approachable M390 blades exist. Check out the GiantMouse Vox/Anso ACE Iona Liner Lock Knife at $99, for example.

See more M390 steel knives

CTS-204P and CPM-20CV are nearly identical steels made by other manufacturers. All three of these steels have chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, and tungsten components and will perform well in myriad tasks.

However, M390, CTS-204P, and CPM-20CV are all pretty difficult to resharpen, so maintain that edge!

Corrosion Resistance: H1

spyderco pacific salt
Spyderco makes several H-1 blades, including the Pacific Salt

This is a nitrogen steel that is extremely corrosion-resistant — so much so that it’s used in knives designed to go in salt water, among the most difficult conditions knives are used in. It’s not a particularly great cutter, being poor at retaining an edge. But it’s lightyears ahead of the alternatives, specifically titanium-bladed knives.

See more H1 steel knives

Corrosion Resistance: LC 200N

Also known as Z-Finit, Zapp produces this steel in America. It was originally developed for use as ball-bearing steel by NASA. The unique process used to make LC 200N results in a fine-grain structure.

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LC 200N is an elite performer, with high hardness, high toughness, and off-the-charts corrosion resistance. This is a virtually stain-proof steel suitable for all sorts of aquatic environments.

Spyderco is the only production company using this steel, though Michael Gavik of Gavko knives produced a number of customs in LC 200N.

See more LC 200N steel knives

Toughness: CPM3V

Koster Knives MUCK
The MUCK knife by Koster Knives uses CPM3V

This is an American-made powder steel. It’s exceedingly tough and relatively hard, but it’s not stainless. In my experience, it will tarnish and discolor quickly. But in use, I’ve found nothing that withstands the abuse that 3V can take.

Hammering through hickory, digging at roots in sandy soil, and cutting around bone did nothing to chip, dent, or roll the edge of my 3V knives. If you need something that soaks up abuse, try 3V.

See more CPM3V steel knives

Toughness: INFI

A proprietary steel and heat treat developed by Busse Knives, INFI is an excellent performer and one of the best steels for big choppers on the market. Though technically not a stainless steel due to its composition, in use it performs exactly like one.

INFI is also quite hard and sharpens easily. But the true calling card of INFI is its insane toughness. Short of purposeful abuse, it’s all but impossible to chip an edge on an INFI blade.

See more INFI steel knives

Hardness: ZDP-189

rockstead kei-zdp
Rockstead makes the $1,589 KEI-ZDP from ZDP-189

A Japanese powder steel, ZDP-189 is essentially the polar opposite of 3V — it’s uber-hard instead of uber-tough. Thanks to its very high hardness (64-66 HRc compared to the average of 58-62 HRc), ZDP-189 can be ground thinner and sharpened less often.

This makes for a great slicing knife and a perfect steel, in my opinion, for a regular-use, everyday-carry folder. ZDP-189 can tarnish, though not as easily as 3V.

See more ZDP-189 steel knives

Hardness: Maxamet

Carpenter produces this powder steel. Maxamet is one of two current high-hardness kings, with HRc marks in the high 60s approaching 70, a hardness usually only seen in carbide steels. Maxamet’s hardness results in incredible edge retention and a nightmarish sharpening and machining experience.

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Furthermore, because of its ultrahigh hardness, Maxamet is very prone to corrosion, probably worse than 1095. It’s so high in hardness that Maxamet knives usually ship with desiccating packages. Spyderco has produced several production knives with Maxamet, and the steel debuted on the ZT0888.

See more Maxamet steel knives

Hardness: REX 121

REX 121 is a powder steel produced by Crucible. The brand designed it as a carbide replacement. It has an HRc over 70, usually even harder than Maxamet.

The high hardness makes it all but impossible to sharpen and machine. As a result, there are no production knives with REX 121 steel, though Ferrum Forge used the steel early on in its custom knives and a Kickstarter knife from the Creely Brothers. Because of its abrasion-eating hardness, knives with REX 121 come at an exceptionally high price.

See more REX 121 steel knives

One of a Kind: Sintered Titanium-Ceramic Alloy

The Vargo Sobata 398 is unlike any other knife on this list. It boasts an incredible ability to continue cutting long after it seems “dull.” And it’s not made of steel. Instead, Vargo titanium uses a unique material called sintered titanium-ceramic alloy.

While quite soft, the metal cuts even when it seems dull because, at the microscopic level, it has a roughness that performs much like a serration. It’s an anomaly in the knife world and quite puzzling to use.

But we’ve tested this metal in the form of the Sobata 398 for nearly a year and have been continually impressed. Read our full Sobata 398 review here.

Learn more about the Sobata 398

All Around: SM100

sm-100 knife
The Kobold Expedition Tools Little Bastard is made of SM-100 and costs $695

The old rule in steels used to be “corrosion resistance, toughness, or hardness — choose two.” But SM100 (the trade name for Nitinol 60) threw that out the window when introduced to the cutlery world. It’s very hard, tough, and corrosion-resistant. It’s called memory metal because heat can get it to revert back to a previous shape.

In fact, it’s not technically a steel at all, as it uses titanium and nickel. Steel is a combination of iron and carbon with other elements. But SM100 is not widely available, is hard to heat treat and grind, and is exceptionally expensive.

No mainstream companies use SM100, and the niche makers that do usually charge more than $1,000 for knives with SM100 blades. But if you want to know what the coolest blade material is, for my money, SM100 is it.

See more SM100 steel knives

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Anthony Sculimbrene authors the blog EverydayCommentary.com.

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