Description

Japanese mid-range stainless. Very popular in production knives. Good balance of properties at moderate cost. Similar to 8Cr13MoV but usually better quality control.

Properties

Edge Retention
5.0/10
Corrosion Resistance
6.0/10
Toughness
6.0/10
Ease of Sharpening
8.0/10

Chemical Composition

C
0.75%
Carbon
Cr
14.00%
Chromium
Mo
0.20%
Molybdenum
V
0.20%
Vanadium

✓ Pros

Well-balanced workhorse steel. Easy to sharpen. Adequate edge retention for general use. Good corrosion resistance. Widely available. Forgiving heat treatment.

✗ Cons

Edge retention is only moderate. Not particularly tough. Being superseded by VG-10 and better steels in many knives.

Grinding Notes

Grinds easily. Forgiving to work with. Standard abrasives work well. Good steel for learning grinding techniques.

Polishing Notes

Takes good polish. Medium chromium content makes finishing straightforward. Popular for production knife finishes.