When considering knife steels, there are 5 things you want to keep track of: toughness, hardness, edge retention, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance. It is rare that a knife steal meets all of these requirements, but a few come impressively close. Today, we’ll discuss three impressive steels that are commonly found in the knife-making industry.
One of the most popular steels for knife making is CPM S35VN steel. Created in 2009, this steel is known for its ability to hold an edge and its corrosion resistance. It is also a strong steel, much tougher than its predecessor, S30VN steel. Blades made from S35VN steel are unlikely to chip while staying sharp. Because it is unlikely to corrode, this metal is great for kitchen knives that are exposed to moisture on a daily basis.
Also a Crucible Particle Metallurgy (CPM) steel, CPM 154 steel is easy to sharpen and polish. It also has better toughness and corrosion resistance than its precursor, 154-CM. Because of the evenly distributed carbides, CPM 154 has excellent edge retention while also being able to be sharpened into thinner edges. The toughness and corrosion resistance make this a great steel to use in field processing knives such as Benchmade’s Meatcrafter which is commonly used by hunters to process meat.
MagnaCut steel has stolen the spotlight for a few years now. This steel holds its own in all five of the categories that make a great knife steel. Is it perfect? No, but it’s pretty close. Known for its extreme toughness, MagnaCut is hard to chip or break. It is also very corrosion resistant, meaning it rarely rusts. And last but not least, it holds an edge for an impressive amount of time. All this considered, MagnaCut steel is the perfect option for your next EDC knife. One of the knives we love here at Knifehub.com that comes in MagnaCut steel is Kershaw’s American-made Livewire. This OTF knife is sure to impress even the pickiest collector.
There are quite a few great steels on the market today, but the team here at Knifehub.com feels that the three mentioned above deserve some attention. We do our best to bring you a wide variety of knives and steels. Check out our entire selection at Knifehub.com!
댓글