Steel Directory
Knife steels, organized for actual decisions.
This directory is built to help readers compare tradeoffs fast. Browse by steel, read practical guidance, and stop guessing whether edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, or sharpening effort matters most for your use.
Inside the directory
37 steel profiles with consistent rating language.
Each entry focuses on buying context, real tradeoffs, and where a steel actually fits.
Jump to the full directoryStart Here
Three steels that explain the wider landscape.
If someone is new to the subject, these three profiles quickly frame the tradeoffs between stainless performance, modern premium carry, and simple hard-use carbon steel.
Featured steel
MagnaCut
Stainless Steel
MagnaCut is a stainless knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Featured steel
M390
Powder Metallurgy Stainless Steel
M390 is a premium stainless EDC steel with excellent wear resistance and top-tier corrosion performance; 20CV and 204P are practical equivalents.
Featured steel
1095
High-Carbon Steel
1095 steel profile with practical guidance on edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and maintenance.
All Steels
The full directory, from simple workhorses to high-end edge monsters.
Every card keeps the same core signals visible so readers can scan quickly before opening the full profile.
Various (Industry Standard)
1095
High-Carbon Steel
1095 steel profile with practical guidance on edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and maintenance.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Good
Corrosion
Poor
Sharpening
Very Easy
Crucible Industries
10V
Tool Steel
10V is a tool knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Excellent
Toughness
Good
Corrosion
Good
Sharpening
Difficult
Sandvik (Sweden)
14C28N
Nitrogen-Enhanced Stainless Steel
14C28N steel profile with practical guidance on edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and maintenance.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Excellent
Corrosion
Excellent
Sharpening
Easy
Crucible Industries
154CM
Stainless Steel
154CM steel profile with practical guidance on edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and maintenance.
Edge retention
Very Good
Toughness
Good
Corrosion
Very Good
Sharpening
Moderate
Crucible Industries
15V
Tool Steel
15V is a wear-max tool steel built for extreme edge retention in enthusiast EDC knives, with major tradeoffs in sharpening speed and corrosion maintenance.
Edge retention
Outstanding
Toughness
Fair
Corrosion
Good
Sharpening
Very Difficult
Crucible Industries
3V
Tool Steel (Powder Metallurgy)
3V steel profile with practical guidance on edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and maintenance.
Edge retention
Very Good
Toughness
Excellent
Corrosion
Poor
Sharpening
Moderate
Various
420HC
Stainless Steel
420HC is a stainless knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Fair
Toughness
Excellent
Corrosion
Excellent
Sharpening
Very Easy
Various
440C
Stainless Steel
440C is a stainless knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Fair
Corrosion
Very Good
Sharpening
Easy
Various
A2
Tool Steel
A2 is a tool knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Fair
Toughness
Very Good
Corrosion
Fair
Sharpening
Very Easy
Uddeholm (Sweden)
AEB-L
Stainless Steel
AEB-L steel profile with practical guidance on edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and maintenance.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Excellent
Corrosion
Very Good
Sharpening
Easy
Aichi / Various
AUS-8/8Cr13MoV
Stainless Steel
AUS-8/8Cr13MoV is a stainless knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Fair
Toughness
Very Good
Corrosion
Very Good
Sharpening
Easy
Carpenter Technology
BD1N
Stainless Steel
BD1N is a stainless knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Fair
Toughness
Fair
Corrosion
Excellent
Sharpening
Easy
Crucible Industries
CPM-154
Stainless Steel
CPM-154 is a stainless knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Good
Corrosion
Very Good
Sharpening
Easy
Crucible Industries
CPM-CruWear
Tool Steel
CPM-CruWear is a tool knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Excellent
Corrosion
Good
Sharpening
Easy
Crucible Industries
CPM-M4
Tool Steel
CPM-M4 is a tool knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Very Good
Toughness
Very Good
Corrosion
Good
Sharpening
Moderate
Various (Industry Standard)
D2
Semi-Stainless Tool Steel
D2 steel profile with practical guidance on edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and maintenance.
Edge retention
Excellent
Toughness
Fair
Corrosion
Fair
Sharpening
Difficult
Böhler-Uddeholm (Austria)
Elmax
Powder Metallurgy Stainless Steel
Elmax steel profile with practical guidance on edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and maintenance.
Edge retention
Excellent
Toughness
Good
Corrosion
Excellent
Sharpening
Difficult
Bohler-Uddeholm
K390
Tool Steel
K390 is a tool knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Very Good
Toughness
Good
Corrosion
Good
Sharpening
Moderate
Zapp
LC200N
Stainless Steel
LC200N is a stainless knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Fair
Toughness
Excellent
Corrosion
Outstanding
Sharpening
Easy
Various
M2
Tool Steel
M2 is a tool knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Good
Corrosion
Good
Sharpening
Easy
Bohler-Uddeholm
M390
Powder Metallurgy Stainless Steel
M390 is a premium stainless EDC steel with excellent wear resistance and top-tier corrosion performance; 20CV and 204P are practical equivalents.
Edge retention
Excellent
Toughness
Fair
Corrosion
Outstanding
Sharpening
Difficult
Niagara Specialty Metals
MagnaCut
Stainless Steel
MagnaCut is a stainless knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Very Good
Corrosion
Excellent
Sharpening
Easy
Carpenter Technology
Maxamet
Tool Steel
Maxamet is a tool knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Outstanding
Toughness
Poor
Corrosion
Good
Sharpening
Very Difficult
Bohler
N690
Stainless Steel
N690 is a stainless knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Fair
Corrosion
Excellent
Sharpening
Easy
New Jersey Steel Baron / Buderus (Germany)
Nitro-V
Nitrogen-Enhanced Stainless Steel
A budget-friendly steel that punches above its weight, offering excellent toughness and corrosion resistance for everyday knives.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Excellent
Corrosion
Excellent
Sharpening
Very Easy
Crucible Industries
Rex 121
Tool Steel
Rex 121 is a tool knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Outstanding
Toughness
Poor
Corrosion
Fair
Sharpening
Very Difficult
Crucible Industries / Hitachi
Rex 45/HAP40
Tool Steel
Rex 45/HAP40 is a tool knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Very Good
Toughness
Good
Corrosion
Good
Sharpening
Moderate
Crucible Industries
S110V
Stainless Steel
S110V is a stainless knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Excellent
Toughness
Fair
Corrosion
Excellent
Sharpening
Difficult
Crucible Industries
S30V
Powder Metallurgy Stainless Steel
S30V steel profile with practical guidance on edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and maintenance.
Edge retention
Very Good
Toughness
Good
Corrosion
Excellent
Sharpening
Difficult
Crucible Industries
S35VN
Stainless Steel
S35VN is a stainless knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Good
Corrosion
Very Good
Sharpening
Easy
Crucible Industries
S45VN
Stainless Steel
S45VN is a stainless knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Good
Corrosion
Excellent
Sharpening
Moderate
Crucible Industries
S90V
Powder Metallurgy Stainless Steel
S90V steel profile with practical guidance on edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and maintenance.
Edge retention
Outstanding
Toughness
Fair
Corrosion
Very Good
Sharpening
Difficult
Bohler / Crucible
V4E/4V
Tool Steel
V4E/4V is a tool knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Very Good
Corrosion
Good
Sharpening
Easy
Uddeholm
Vanadis 8
Tool Steel
Vanadis 8 is a tool knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Very Good
Toughness
Very Good
Corrosion
Good
Sharpening
Moderate
Uddeholm
Vanax
Stainless Steel
Vanax is a stainless knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Good
Corrosion
Outstanding
Sharpening
Moderate
Takefu Special Steel Co.
VG10
Japanese Stainless Steel
The gold standard for Japanese kitchen knives, VG-10 offers a fantastic balance of sharpness, edge retention, and corrosion resistance.
Edge retention
Very Good
Toughness
Good
Corrosion
Excellent
Sharpening
Moderate
Carpenter Technology
XHP
Stainless Steel
XHP is a stainless knife steel profile covering key tradeoffs in edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpening difficulty.
Edge retention
Good
Toughness
Good
Corrosion
Very Good
Sharpening
Moderate