Ideal steel for knives: foreign and domestic

When choosing a knife, many first of all pay attention to the grade of steel from which the blade is made. And here it does not matter at all what you need the product for - for the kitchen, hunting, and other household chores. In fact, this parameter is of great importance. It is on him that the strength of the knife depends, its property does not dull for a long time, long service life and much more.

A guide to the best knife steels

The brands of steel are actually just a huge amount. 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 that are very popular with blacksmiths and almost all manufacturers of piercing and cutting products.

Foreign

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

D2 (USA)

It is called “semi-stainless” because it contains less chromium than competitors, but at the same time it has excellent corrosion resistance. In terms of strength - a decent "average", it is quite difficult to sharpen. Ideal for high quality knives that are not expensive.

CPM S35VN (USA)

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

Elmax (Austria)

Powder steel, which contains a large amount of molybdenum, chromium and vanadium. Differs in durability, wear resistance, is not subject to oxidation. It is justly considered one of the best brands in the world.

440C (USA)

It is a high hardening stainless steel made of high carbon chrome steel. After heat treatment, it is able to achieve the highest strength, hardness and wear resistance of all stainless alloys.

M390 (Austria)

Powdered metal of the third generation. The M390 blade has excellent corrosion resistance, toughness and abrasion resistance. However, it should be noted that the blade is quite difficult to sharpen, but it can be easily polished to a perfect shine.

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, molybdenum. Considering the composition, we can say that this is one of the most recent 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 rate. It sharpens well on its own. Not recommended for concave blades.

VG10 (Japan)

VG-10 is very similar to 154CM and ATS-34, but contains slightly more chromium for improved corrosion resistance. It also contains vanadium, which makes it slightly tougher than its counterparts. The brand was not so long ago developed in Japan, but it was rather slowly introduced to 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.

CPM S30V (USA)

Manufactured by the Americans, the CPM S30V (often referred to simply as 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. It is considered one of the best knife-edge steels with an optimal balance of edge retention, toughness and strength.

AUS8 (Japan)

Compared to grades such as D2, 440C or any other similar type, AUS8 is considered a top grade steel. It has a good balance of quality, price and properties. With proper hardening and heat treatment, you will get high quality corrosion resistant stainless steel. Speaking of 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.

Domestic

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

65X13

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 poor quality. The advantages include: hardness, resistance to impact and bending, as well as corrosion, ease of maintenance, affordable price.

50X14MF

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

X12MF

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

95X18

High-alloy stainless steel, the advantages of which include hardness, resistance of the cutting edge, resistance to oxidation. The combination of high physical, chemical and mechanical properties makes 95X18 steel one of the best for making bladed weapons.

The best steel for a kitchen knife

When choosing a knife for the kitchen, first of all, we think about strength. Another important indicator is the quality of the cut. The blade should be easy to sharpen without requiring constant dressing.

The best kitchen knives have the following qualities:

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

If we talk about domestic steel grades, it is better to give preference to all of the above: 65X13, 40X12.95X18, 50X14MF.

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