The Ultimate Guide to Knife Steel Types and Their Benefits

Choosing the right knife steel can make a significant difference in a knife’s performance, durability, and ease of maintenance. Different steels provide unique properties that make them ideal for specific uses, whether you're looking for an EDC pocket knife, a durable hunting knife, or a high-quality chef’s knife. This guide covers the most popular knife blade steels and their benefits, helping you make an informed decision when buying your next knife.

1. 440C Steel – Affordable and Corrosion-Resistant

440C steel is a high-carbon stainless steel known for affordability and good corrosion resistance, making it ideal for pocket knives and hunting knives.

• Best For: General-purpose pocket knives, hunting knives
• Benefits: Excellent corrosion resistance, easy to sharpen, affordable
• Drawbacks: Moderate edge retention compared to premium steels

2. AUS-8 Steel – Tough and Easy to Sharpen

AUS-8 is a Japanese stainless steel popular for EDC knives and outdoor knives due to its toughness, ease of sharpening, and good corrosion resistance.

• Best For: EDC knives, survival knives, outdoor knives
• Benefits: Good toughness, resistant to chipping, easy to sharpen
• Drawbacks: Less edge retention than high-end steels

3. VG-10 Steel – Ideal for Kitchen Knives

VG-10 steel is a high-quality Japanese stainless steel known for sharpness and corrosion resistance, making it a popular choice for chef’s knives and high-performance kitchen knives.

• Best For: Kitchen knives, chef’s knives, culinary tools
• Benefits: Excellent edge retention, corrosion-resistant, very sharp
• Drawbacks: Can be brittle, best for slicing rather than chopping

4. D2 Steel – Semi-Stainless with Great Edge Retention

D2 tool steel is a high-carbon, high-chromium steel with excellent hardness and wear resistance, making it ideal for tactical knives and fixed-blade knives.

• Best For: Tactical knives, hunting knives, fixed-blade knives
• Benefits: Outstanding edge retention, high wear resistance
• Drawbacks: Difficult to sharpen, lower corrosion resistance than stainless steels

5. 154CM Steel – High-Quality American Stainless Steel

154CM steel is an American-made stainless steel with excellent toughness, edge retention, and corrosion resistance, making it suitable for folding knives and tactical knives.

• Best For: Pocket knives, tactical knives, survival knives
• Benefits: Balanced edge retention, corrosion resistance, tough
• Drawbacks: Slightly more expensive than basic stainless steels

6. S30V Steel – Premium Steel with Excellent Edge Retention

Developed by Crucible Industries, S30V steel is a high-end option for premium knives, known for its edge retention and toughness, making it perfect for hunting knives and EDC knives.

• Best For: High-end EDC knives, hunting knives, survival knives
• Benefits: Superior edge retention, corrosion-resistant, durable
• Drawbacks: Difficult to sharpen, higher cost

7. M390 Steel – Maximum Wear Resistance

M390 is a premium stainless steel known for its wear resistance and edge retention, making it ideal for tactical knives and collectible knives that require longevity and minimal maintenance.

• Best For: Collectible knives, tactical knives, high-end EDC knives
• Benefits: Incredible edge retention, high wear and corrosion resistance
• Drawbacks: Expensive, challenging to sharpen

8. CPM S35VN Steel – An Upgrade to S30V

CPM S35VN, a premium steel developed by Crucible Industries, is an improvement on S30V, adding niobium for enhanced toughness and ease of sharpening. It’s a favorite for high-end EDC knives and tactical knives.

• Best For: High-end EDC knives, tactical knives, hunting knives
• Benefits: Excellent edge retention, easy to sharpen, corrosion-resistant
• Drawbacks: Higher cost, though easier to sharpen than S30V

9. Magnacut Steel – New and Ultra-Resistant

Magnacut is a recently developed, high-performance stainless steel by Crucible Industries. Known for its balance of toughness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance, it’s quickly gaining popularity in EDC knives and survival knives.

• Best For: Premium EDC knives, hunting knives, survival knives
• Benefits: Exceptional corrosion resistance, excellent edge retention, high toughness
• Drawbacks: Limited availability, higher cost

10. 5160 Steel – Known for Toughness and Flexibility

5160 steel is a spring steel alloy known for its flexibility and durability, often used in outdoor knives and survival knives where impact resistance is crucial.

• Best For: Bushcraft knives, survival knives, large fixed-blade knives
• Benefits: High impact resistance, good toughness, resists chipping
• Drawbacks: Susceptible to corrosion, requires regular maintenance

11. Damascus Steel – Aesthetic and Durable

Damascus steel is known for its unique wavy patterns and excellent balance of durability and sharpness, making it popular for collectible knives and luxury kitchen knives.

• Best For: Collectible knives, chef’s knives, showpieces
• Benefits: Beautiful patterns, durable, holds a sharp edge
• Drawbacks: Requires maintenance, can be expensive

12. 1095 Carbon Steel – Reliable for Tough Use

1095 carbon steel is a high-carbon steel known for its toughness and edge retention, making it popular for bushcraft knives and survival knives.

• Best For: Bushcraft knives, outdoor knives, fixed-blade knives
• Benefits: Excellent edge retention, tough, easy to sharpen
• Drawbacks: Prone to rust, requires regular maintenance

13. High Carbon Stainless Steel – Balanced Performance

High carbon stainless steel combines the sharpness of carbon steel with the corrosion resistance of stainless, making it ideal for kitchen knives and hunting knives.

• Best For: Chef’s knives, hunting knives, EDC knives
• Benefits: High corrosion resistance, good edge retention, durable
• Drawbacks: Moderate toughness, not as hard as premium steels

14. N690 Steel – European Stainless Steel

N690 steel is an Austrian stainless steel known for its fine edge retention and excellent corrosion resistance, commonly used in kitchen knives and folding knives.

• Best For: Chef’s knives, EDC knives, folding knives
• Benefits: Good edge retention, corrosion-resistant, tough
• Drawbacks: Moderate cost, somewhat challenging to sharpen

15. Sandvik 14C28N – Great for Everyday Carry

Sandvik 14C28N is a stainless steel developed in Sweden with excellent corrosion resistance and edge stability, making it popular for EDC knives and kitchen knives.

• Best For: EDC knives, chef’s knives, outdoor knives
• Benefits: High corrosion resistance, good edge stability, easy to sharpen
• Drawbacks: Less durable than higher-end steels

Choosing the Right Knife Steel for Your Needs

Knowing the properties of different knife steels can help you select the best blade for your needs. Whether you’re seeking a premium EDC knife with excellent edge retention, a kitchen knife that resists corrosion, or a tough outdoor knife for rugged use, the right steel makes all the difference. Explore our collection of knives featuring these high-quality steels to find the perfect tool for your lifestyle.