What is the best steel for knives: rating

When choosing a knife, many first of all pay attention to the grade of steel from which the blade is made. And here it doesn’t matter at all why you needed the product - for the kitchen, hunting, or other household chores. In fact, this parameter is of great importance. The strength of the knife, its ability to not become dull for a long time, its long service life and much more depend on it.

Guide to the Best Knife Steels

Guide to the Best Knife Steels

There are actually just a huge number of steel grades. If you sit and study each one, it will take at least a week, plus or minus a couple of days (it all depends on how quickly you grasp the information). We invite you to familiarize yourself with the best brands, which are very popular among blacksmiths and almost all manufacturers of piercing and cutting products.

Foreign

In general, in every state it is somehow customary that one brand is popular, although many countries can use the steel of their neighbor on the border, or even a little further. However, this does not mean that you can buy a knife made of a certain steel only in the territory of the state where it was developed. If you really want it, you can buy a knife made of a specific steel in any country.

D2 (USA)

It is called “semi-stainless” because it contains less chromium than competitors, but at the same time has excellent corrosion resistance. In terms of strength, it is worthy of the “average” grade; it is quite difficult to sharpen. An ideal option for high quality knives that are not characterized by high cost.

d2

CPM S35VN (USA)

Premium steel. Contains niobium and has a fine-grained structure. It is characterized by exceptional strength, easy sharpening, does not corrode, and confidently holds the edge.

steel CPM S35VN

Elmax (Austria)

Powder steel, which contains large quantities of molybdenum, chromium and vanadium. It is durable, wear-resistant, and not subject to oxidation. It is rightly considered one of the best brands in the world.

steel Elmax

440C (USA)

This is a stainless steel with a high hardening coefficient made of high-carbon chrome steel. After heat treatment, it can achieve the highest strength, hardness and wear resistance among all stainless alloys.

steel 440c

M390 (Austria)

Third generation powder metal. The M390 blade has excellent corrosion resistance, rigidity and abrasion resistance. However, it is worth noting that the blade is quite difficult to sharpen, but it can be easily polished to a perfect shine.

m390

ZDP 189 (Japan)

This steel has an insanely high percentage of carbon (3.0%) and a chromium content of 20%. It also contains tungsten, vanadium, and molybdenum. Considering the composition, we can say that this is one of the latest developments in the field of metal. However, the brand itself is quite expensive, but it is characterized by ideal wear resistance and the ability to be strengthened to a higher level. Sharpens well on its own. Not recommended for concave blades.

steel zdp 189

VG10 (Japan)

VG-10 is very similar to 154CM and ATS-34, but contains slightly more chromium for increased corrosion resistance. Additionally it contains vanadium, which makes it a little tougher than its analogues. The brand was recently developed in Japan, but was rather slowly introduced into the American market by such respected knife manufacturers as Spyderco. It is a relatively hard and sharp material, but at the same time it is considered quite fragile.

steel vg10

CPM S30V (USA)

American made, CPM S30V (often called simply S30V) resists rust easily. Typically used for high quality premium pocket knives and expensive kitchen cutlery. The introduction of vanadium carbides results in exceptional hardness in the steel alloy matrix. Considered one of the best knife blade steels with the optimal balance of edge retention, hardness and strength.

CPM S30V

AUS8 (Japan)

Compared to grades like D2, 440C or any other similar types, AUS8 is considered a top tier steel. It has a good balance of quality, price and properties. With proper hardening and heat treatment, you will obtain high quality stainless steel that is resistant to corrosion. Speaking about the composition of AUS8, it should be said that it is alloy steel, and additional elements are added to the iron to improve the quality of the material.

aus8

Domestic

There are also a lot of Russian species. The most popular are mixed materials that fully meet the criteria for knives.

65Х13

Today it is one of the most popular steels on the Russian knife market. The composition includes manganese, chromium, molybdenum, silicon, nickel, tungsten, vanadium.It is clear that such a mixture simply cannot be of high quality. The advantages include: hardness, resistance to impacts and bends, as well as corrosion, ease of maintenance, affordable price.

65x13

50X14MF

Resistant to humidity, aggressive chemicals, recommended for allergy sufferers. Kitchen knives made from this steel can be safely washed in the dishwasher using detergents. In addition, the main advantages include: it retains its sharpness for a long time, is easy to straighten and sharpen at home.

50X14MF knife

X12MF

It is characterized by a very dense structure, resistant to impacts and damage. This brand has high cutting properties, and the blade itself holds an edge for a long time. The main quality is high hardness, which is formed by strengthening the crystal lattice with alloying elements.

steel

95Х18

Highly alloyed stainless steel, the advantages of which include hardness, cutting edge resistance, and oxidation resistance. The combination of high physical, chemical and mechanical properties makes 95X18 steel one of the best for creating bladed weapons.

95x18

Best steel for a kitchen knife

When choosing a knife for the kitchen, first of all we think about durability. Another important indicator is the quality of the cut. The blade should be easy to sharpen, but not require constant editing.

The best kitchen knives have the following qualities:

  • resistant to corrosion;
  • do not crumble;
  • have a homogeneous fabric without bubbles and streaks.

If we talk about domestic steel grades, it is better to give preference to all of the above: 65Х13, 40Х12,95Х18, 50Х14МФ.

Among the foreign ones, 440C is popular. Knives made of AUS8 steel also perform well in the kitchen.

how to choose knife steel

Comments and feedback:

Good afternoon. If the author had limited himself to simply listing steel grades, providing them with beautiful photographs, it would have been an excellent article. In this case, the opposite happened. And this is exactly the case when a non-specialist starts writing about something he doesn’t understand. I won't be unfounded:

Chemical composition in% of material 65X13 according to GOST 5632 - 72
C 0.6 - 0.7; Si 0.2 - 0.5; Mn 0.25 – 0.8; Ni up to 0.5; S up to 0.025; P up to 0.03; Cr 12 - 14
and there is no trace of molybdenum, tungsten, or vanadium (which is what you are writing about) in steel. Nickel is used as an impurity, and silicon and manganese are used as deoxidizing agents and are found in ALMOST ANY STEEL.

The trick of Japanese steel ZDP 189 is that it is a composite made of several layers, each subsequent one with a lower carbon content (which you are silent about). If the knife were made entirely of steel with 3% carbon (which, by the way, corresponds to cast iron), then it would be as fragile as glass.
I won’t go into other cases, but the article is worthless. So, popcorn for the average person. Learn the materiel, colleague.

author
Alexander

The trick of Japanese steel ZDP 189 is that it is a composite made of several layers, each subsequent one with a lower carbon content (which you are silent about). If the knife were made entirely of steel with 3% carbon (which, by the way, corresponds to cast iron), then it would be as fragile as glass.

this is nonsense, but overall both the article and half the answer are nonsense))))

author
Yonger

One phrase...It is clear that such a mixture simply cannot be of high quality...shows that the author is not an expert on steels.

author
Alex

As a knifemaker, I don’t see any point in messing with 40X13 and 65X13. For me, the choice is from our steels X12MF and 95X18, maybe I’ll also try 110X18.

author
Alex

Valves (exhaust) Chelyabinsk. This is steel, and you are formulas?!

author
Sergey

One big fan of forging knives once said that he made the best knives from bearings that were replaced with new ones at the yard water supply point. They changed such healthy bearings there. But I don’t know what kind of steel it is.

author
Sarmat

Most likely ShKh15.

author
Vladimir

I read about Elmax, and I really wanted it; when I got to the price tag, I really didn’t want it. As a result, 95x18 Zlatoust for half the price from Elmax and there are no complaints about the knife. We vote with our wallet).

author
Dmitriy

the quality of articles is now very poor, because they are written by strangers

author
Eugene

So how can he be a specialist if he studied all the steel in a week????!!!!! He goes through the forest and further!!!!!!!!!!!

author
Yuri

Where is the 9XC?

author
max61

Some “highest class experts” have gathered, but if you read the comments, it’s just pure nonsense.
Affftaru plusan.

author
max61

I would like to read about BAD steel grades! All THESE are well-known, and they have already been talked about everywhere.
It would be better to tell us what to take “to the forest” and what “to the kitchen.”

author
Sergey

Washing machines

Vacuum cleaners

Coffee makers