

This steel takes a nice edge, and is fairly easy to sharpen even for a novice. A good balance of edge retention, easy resharpening and corrosion resistance.Ī high chromium stainless steel which exibits an excellent balance of hardness and corrosion resistance. The high carbon content makes this steel harder to resharpen, but the tradeoff is better edge holding properties.Ī high carbon stainless steel, used in many production knives. Decent edge holding capabilities and fairly easy to resharpen, this steel is a good balance of the most desirable traits for knife steel.Ī high carbon version of 420 steel, this steel combines the excellent wear resistance of high carbon alloys with the corrosion resistance of chromium stainless steels. This stainless steel is commonly used in knife blades, and offers good corrosion resistance at a low cost. Fairly easy to resharpen.Ī hard, strong blade steel.

In recent years, this steel has made a resurgence in the knife industry, offering good blade toughness, edge holding capability and corrosion resistance. Originally designed for jet engine fan blades, it is the precursor to the Japanese made ATS-34. Great corrosion resistance generally means a high chromium content, and this means knives made with this steel will be a little harder to sharpen than blades with a lower chromium content. This alloy is a chromium-nickel-aluminum precipitation hardening stainless steel with good edge retention. Good corrosion resistance, excellent for water sports applications. Knife Steel & Handle Material Selection Knife Steel Steel Type Knife Steel & Handle Material Selection.
