Article
Blade Steels 101
by Dexter Ewing - Field Editor for Blade Magazine
Welcome to the first installment of a three part series in which we will examine in depth the different materials that are used in making knives. For those who are new to the hobby, this series will be quite informative so that you can make a more educated [edge-ucated?] purchase and serve as a reference tool. And for those of us who have been around knife collecting a while, this will serve as a short refresher course. Regardless if you are after a folder or a fixed blade, the materials are all basically the same. There are various materials available for blades and handles. The more expensive a knife, chances are the more premium materials will be used in manufacturing the knife. So, let’s get this party started by discussing blade steels!
If you peruse one of the many online cutlery catalogs, such as the Blades By Brown website, or any of the production knife manufacturer's websites or print catalogs you will notice that there are just a wide variety of steels available for knife blades. They run from low grade stainless that is relatively easy to work with in a manufacturing setting and offers a low price point, all the way to premium grade steels that offer the highest performance for a tactical or hunting knife. For your convenience [or confusion, however you take it!] I have drafted up a table showing all of the common blade steels in a downloadable .pdf format.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD BLADE STEEL TABLE
Please bare in mind this isn’t ALL of the steels used for knives but the most commonly used for production and custom knives. The elemental composition a blade steel has is key in determining performance of a knife. Here is a brief summary of steel elements and their purpose within the mix:
- CARBON – a mineral that is responsible for transforming iron into steel. Carbon adds hardness to a steel. The higher the carbon content, the better the steel is able to hold an edge.
- MANGANESE – enhances toughness and hardenability.
- CHROMIUM – boosts steel’s resistance to corrosion and staining.
- VANADIUM – yields a fine grain in the steel during the heat treatment process.
- MOLYBDENUM – used to increase toughness in tool steels such as D2 and A2.
- TUNGSTEN – aids in producing a fine yet dense steel grain structure.
As mentioned before, there are many different grades of steel that are used in commercially manufactured [production] knives. Knife companies typically use a certain steel for a knife in their line to 1) meet a price point and 2) within that price point, offer the best possible performance. Obviously, using a premium steel such as CPM-S30V in a $50.00 SRP factory knife isn’t always cost effective on the company’s part. It just isn’t going to work. On the contrary, using a lower grade steel such as AUS-8 on a $300 SRP factory knife isn’t going to cut it either from a consumer standpoint. Enthusiasts who plunk down $300 for a knife demand the performance of a high grade steel like the aforementioned S30V or even 154CM.
From a manufacturing standpoint, steels such as 420J2, 420HC, 440A, AUS-6, and AUS-8 can be fine blanked [stamped], thus saving money. As opposed to CNC laser cutting which is a more expensive operation. The aforementioned steels are softer and are more conducive to fine blanking than the higher grades of stainless, which your only choices of profiling blade blanks include laser cutting, wire EDM, or abrasive waterjet. Companies like Columbia River Knife & Tool [CRKT], Timberline Knives, and Kershaw Knives produce some of their knives with some of these steels. Since these and other companies fine blank these steels, the cost savings can be passed directly to the consumer. Although, there is a trade off - these lower grade steels will not hold an edge as long as the higher grades so the frequency of resharpening will be more. However, these steels are easier to resharpen in the sense that you won’t have to work at getting a very keen edge on them thanks to their lower carbon content. These lower grade steels also exhibit good corrosion resistance, which is a reason why steels such as 440A and 440C are used for whitewater/dive knives and kitchen knives – knives that are subject to marine environments or high moisture. For a long time, 440C was used extensively in custom knives. While its popularity has waned in favor of the other newer high performance steels, 440C remains a true workhorse steel that still has a large following of users.
Middle grade steels bridge the gap between the easier to maintain lower grade steels yet, offering enhanced corrosion resistance and edge holding qualities. Examples of this specific type of steel would be AUS-8 and VG-10. Both are Japanese made steel and are excellent choices for low to mid priced working knives. Properly ground blades of this steel should result in steel that will hold a good edge for demanding tasks like field dressing or heavy utility cutting chores. Spyderco is one particular company that outfits some of their knives with VG-10. This fine-grained steel will resharpen up fairly easy to a wicked edge! Some of my favorite Spyderco lockbacks have VG-10 steel, such as the now discontinued C54 Calypso Jr and C52 Calypso models. AUS-8 is used widely by CRKT for their upper end models like the Carson M21 and Elishewitz E-Lock Starlight folders. Swedish knife company Fallkniven – whose fixed blades are world renown for their excellent craftsmanship, design, and materials also uses VG-10 in some of their models. Most of the great value [bang-for-the-buck] knives you’ll find in the $50-$100 SRP price range are equipped with one of these middle grade steels. I have had a lot of experience with AUS-8 and can vouch for its durability. Based on my extensive experience with all these blade steels, I can discern a difference in edge holding over lower grades of stainless steel yet these middle grades remain easy to work with come resharpening time.
High end steels are what you find on the upper echelon price levels of factory knives and most user-grade custom knives. This is where the high performance factor comes into play, on the cutting edge – so to speak – of the steel technology available in the knife industry today. With steels like ATS-34, 154CM, S30V, S60V, and S90V, you are getting a knife with a blade steel that is precisely engineered to withstand hard use in various conditions. These steels can definitely “go the distance” with edge retention, as they have the highest of carbon content of all knife blade steels. ATS-34 and 154CM you will see a lot of. It is worthy to note that these two steels are the same with the exception of the country of origin. ATS-34 is a product of Hitachi Steel in Japan and 154CM is produced right here in the USA by Crucible Materials. Both of these steels were introduced to the production knife sector some 10-15 years ago through the early factory/custom collaboration knives. It was the influences of the knifemakers to push production companies to work with these steels, as at the time, were the best anyone could get on a knife. Since then, we’ve made considerable advancements in knife steels in terms of edge holding and corrosion resistance. Crucible Materials produces the CPM [Crucible Particle Metallurgy] steels – the S30V, S60V, and S90V. CPM steel starts life off as metal particles that are melted together to form raw steel. This process yields steel with the highest carbon content of any blade steel, with uniform carbide particle dispersion throughout the steel. This even dispersion along with the high carbon content will produce a blade steel that has extreme edge holding. What we have here, friends, is definitely a high performance steel that is favored for hunting knives and high end tactical/survival knives. Currently, the S30V grade of steel is what’s hot on the market. It is a steel that was specifically engineered for use in knives and not engineered for non-cutlery specific applications [as the other steels are] adapted for use in knives. Many production knife companies who are noted for high end knives use S30V. You’ll recognize such names as Spyderco, Benchmade, MicroTech, and Lone Wolf Knives to name a few. And S30V is all the rage in custom knives too. So, this is a steel that is not a “custom only” exclusive. You can easily get it on a mass produced knife! The popularity of S60V and S90V grades of steel has been somewhat overshadowed by S30V, but they still are excellent choices for steel that has brute edge holding strength and toughness.
And so, this concludes our tutorial on the various blade steels that are out on the market currently. It can be confusing at first to neophytes. Listening to knife enthusiasts talk or reading a manufacturer’s catalog with such “strange” designations like S30V, 154CM, AUS-8, and 440C form the core of what is known as the knife lexicon. Plus, there are so many choices out there that it is mind-boggling and can make it more difficult when it comes time to purchase a knife. Remember, there is really no right or wrong grade of steel, just what is most suitable to your intended use of the knife and how much you are willing to spend for your knife. For instance, if you are a hard core hunter who takes pride in his or her equipment, an S30V blade would suit you the best…but you’ll definitely have to pay for that high performance! On the contrary, if you’re a mechanic or carpenter who uses their knives on a regular basis throughout the work day to strip wire, cut linoleum, or scrape residue – a knife with a low or medium grade steel would suit you best cost wise. Though, these rules generally do not apply! Part of making the smart purchase of your knife is being educated beforehand about steel as well as other materials that go into making a knife. We will cover the other aspects in future tutorials. Until then, have a “knife” day!
**The opinions expressed by Dexter Ewing do not reflect those of the staff of Blades By Brown Cutlery**
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