Steel Browser
Explore our comprehensive database of knife steels. Filter by category, properties, and price to find the perfect steel for your project.
📊 Properties Scale Explanation (0-10):
🔪 Edge Retention
0 = Very poor | 10 = Stays sharp for very long
0 = Very poor | 10 = Stays sharp for very long
💧 Corrosion Resistance
0 = Rusts very easily | 10 = Stainless/Rust-proof
0 = Rusts very easily | 10 = Stainless/Rust-proof
💪 Toughness
0 = Very brittle | 10 = Very tough and impact resistant
0 = Very brittle | 10 = Very tough and impact resistant
âš¡ Ease of Sharpening
0 = Very hard to sharpen | 10 = Very easy to sharpen
0 = Very hard to sharpen | 10 = Very easy to sharpen
Filters
53
steels found
1050 Carbon Steel
AISI 1050
Carbon
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Entry-level carbon steel with moderate carbon content. Excellent for beginners learning heat treatment.
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1060 Carbon Steel
AISI 1060
Carbon
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Middle-carbon steel popular for swords and large blades. Good balance of properties.
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1070 Carbon Steel
AISI 1070
Carbon
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Higher carbon content provides better edge retention while maintaining good toughness.
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1075 Carbon Steel
AISI 1075
Carbon
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Sweet spot for many makers. Good edge retention with excellent toughness.
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1080 Carbon Steel
AISI 1080
Carbon
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Popular choice offering good edge retention and workability.
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1084 Carbon Steel
AISI 1084
Carbon
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Very forgiving high-carbon steel excellent for beginners. Popular in knife making community.
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1095 Carbon Steel
AISI 1095
Carbon
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Classic high-carbon steel. Excellent edge retention for simple carbon steel. Industry standard.
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W1 Carbon Steel
W1
Carbon
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Water-hardening tool steel. Traditional choice for Japanese kitchen knives and razors.
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W2 Carbon Steel
W2
Carbon
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Enhanced version of W1 with vanadium addition. Better wear resistance and edge stability.
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O1 Tool Steel
O1
Tool
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Popular oil-hardening tool steel with good all-around properties. Industry standard.
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O2 Tool Steel
O2
Tool
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Similar to O1 but with higher manganese for better hardenability and wear resistance.
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A2 Tool Steel
A2
Tool
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Air-hardening tool steel with excellent wear resistance. No quench warping issues.
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D2 Tool Steel
D2
Tool
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Semi-stainless tool steel with excellent wear resistance. Very popular for knives.
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CPM-3V
3V
Tool
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
One of the toughest knife steels available. Designed for extreme abuse.
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CPM-4V
4V
Tool
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Ultra-tough steel with better edge retention than 3V. Extreme performance.
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CPM-10V
10V
Tool
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Maximum edge retention steel. Extreme wear resistance. Difficult to work.
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K390
K390
Tool
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Ultra-high wear resistant steel. Competes with 10V for maximum edge retention.
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5160 Spring Steel
5160
Carbon
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Excellent spring steel for swords and large blades. Great toughness.
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9260 Spring Steel
9260
Carbon
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Superior spring steel with silicon addition. Extremely tough and flexible.
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80CrV2
80CrV2
Carbon
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
European spring steel. Excellent toughness with good edge retention.
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51CrV4
51CrV4
Carbon
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
European spring steel. Good balance of properties. Similar to 5160.
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420HC Stainless
420HC
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Budget stainless steel. Decent corrosion resistance with easy sharpening.
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440A Stainless
440A
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Entry level stainless. Good corrosion resistance. Soft.
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440C Stainless
440C
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Popular budget stainless. Balances corrosion resistance with decent edge holding.
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AUS-8 Stainless
AUS-8
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Japanese budget-mid range steel. Good balance of properties. Easy to sharpen.
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14C28N
14C28N (Sandvik)
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Modern Sandvik steel optimized for knife making. Nitrogen addition improves edge retention and corrosion resistance without sacrificing toughness.
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AEB-L
AEB-L (Uddeholm)
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Originally developed for razor blades. Exceptional toughness combined with high hardness. Takes an incredibly sharp edge.
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Nitro-V
Nitro-V
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Modern nitrogen-enhanced stainless steel. Improved version of AEB-L with better edge retention and corrosion resistance through nitrogen and vanadium ...
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LC200N
LC200N (Z-Finit)
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Nitrogen-based super corrosion resistant steel. Virtually rust-proof while maintaining good edge-holding. Developed for extreme marine environments.
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VG-10
VG-10
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Japanese premium stainless steel. High carbon content for a stainless steel provides good edge retention. Very popular for kitchen and EDC knives.
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VG-1
VG-1 (V-Gold 1)
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Earlier version of VG steel series. Lower alloy content than VG-10 makes it easier to sharpen and tougher. Popular for production kitchen knives.
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8Cr13MoV
8Cr13MoV
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Chinese budget stainless steel. Similar to AUS-8. Very popular in production knives due to low cost and acceptable performance.
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9Cr18MoV
9Cr18MoV
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Improved Chinese stainless with higher chromium content. Better edge retention and corrosion resistance than 8Cr13MoV.
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H1
H1 (Myodo)
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Rust-proof precipitation-hardened steel. Uses nitrogen instead of carbon for hardness. Will not rust even in saltwater - literally rust-proof, not jus...
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N690
N690 (Böhler)
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Austrian high-chromium stainless steel. Excellent balance of edge retention and corrosion resistance. Popular in European production and custom knives...
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154CM
154CM
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Classic American premium stainless. Higher molybdenum content provides good wear resistance. Was the premium choice before CPM steels.
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RWL-34
RWL-34 (Damasteel)
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Swedish powder metallurgy stainless. Essentially the PM version of 154CM with improved performance due to PM processing. Often used in damascus patter...
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Elmax
Elmax (Böhler)
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Premium powder metallurgy stainless steel. High vanadium content provides excellent wear resistance. Very popular in custom and high-end production kn...
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19C27
19C27 (Sandvik)
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Swedish cutlery stainless. Older Sandvik steel predating 13C26. Good balance of properties for production knives. Widely used in Scandinavian knives.
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12C27
12C27 (Sandvik)
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Budget Scandinavian cutlery steel. Lower carbon than 13C26 makes it easier to sharpen but with less edge retention. Common in economy Scandinavian kni...
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420HC
420HC
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
High-carbon version of 420. Budget stainless steel that performs much better than basic 420 when heat treated properly. Popular in production folders.
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GIN-1
GIN-1 (Hitachi)
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Japanese stainless steel similar to AUS-8 but from Hitachi. Popular in Spyderco and Japanese kitchen knives. Well-balanced properties.
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AUS-8
AUS-8
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Japanese mid-range stainless. Very popular in production knives. Good balance of properties at moderate cost. Similar to 8Cr13MoV but usually better q...
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CPM-S30V
CPM-S30V
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
The steel that started the CPM revolution in production knives. Excellent balance of edge retention, toughness, and corrosion resistance. Industry sta...
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CPM-S35VN
CPM-S35VN
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Improved version of S30V with niobium addition for better toughness and machinability. Co-developed by Crucible and Chris Reeve. Currently the premium...
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CPM-S45VN
CPM-S45VN
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Latest evolution of the S30V/S35VN family with increased carbon for better edge retention while maintaining toughness. Premium modern stainless.
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CPM-MagnaCut
CPM-MagnaCut
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Revolutionary new PM stainless designed by Dr. Larrin Thomas. Combines high toughness, excellent corrosion resistance, and good edge retention - addre...
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CPM-S90V
CPM-S90V
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Extreme wear resistance steel with 9% vanadium. Among the best edge retention of any production knife steel. For those who never want to sharpen.
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CPM-S110V
CPM-S110V
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
The ultimate wear-resistant stainless steel. Highest edge retention available in production knives. For extreme applications or collectors who appreci...
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M390
M390
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Austrian super-premium PM stainless. High chromium content provides exceptional corrosion resistance. Popular in European high-end production and cust...
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CPM-20CV
CPM-20CV
Stainless
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
American version of M390, virtually identical composition. Crucible's answer to European super-steels. Excellent all-around premium performance.
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CPM-M4
CPM-M4
Tool
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
High-speed tool steel adapted for knives. Excellent combination of edge retention and toughness. PM processing makes it much tougher than conventional...
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CPM-CruWear
CPM-CruWear
Tool
Edge Retention
Corrosion
Toughness
Sharpening
Originally designed for industrial cutting and stamping dies. Exceptional toughness combined with good edge retention. The tough guy of PM steels.
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