Important knife steels
Composition, edge retention and corrosion resistance
Stainless knife steels
VG1
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 84,7 %); Carbon (1,00 %); Chromium (14,00 %); Molybdenum (0,30 %).
VG5
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 84,8 %); Carbon (0,75 %); Chromium (14,00 %); Molybdenum (0,30 %); Vanadium (0,15 %).
VG10
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 81 %); Carbon (1,00 %); Chromium (15,00 %); Molybdenum (1,00 %); Vanadium (0,25 %); Cobalt (1,55 %).
VG-MAX
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (value not published); Carbon (value not published); Chromium (value not published); Tungsten (value not published); Molybdenum (value not published); Vanadium (value not published).
VG XEOS
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 76-78 %); Carbon (0,70-0,80 %); Chromium (18,00-19,00 %); Molybdenum (1,85-2,00 %); Manganese (0,68 %); Vanadium (0,35-0,45 %); Silicon (0,25-0,30 %); Nickel (0,12 %); Tungsten (0,11 %); Copper (0,08 %); Niobium (0,01-0,02 %). Source: Spyderco lab analysis.
Ginsan / Silver 3
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 84-85 %); Carbon (0,95-1,10 %); Chromium (13,00-14,50 %); Manganese (bis 1,00 %); Silicon (bis 0,35 %).
Cobalt Special (CoSP)
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 78 %); Carbon (1,05 %); Chromium (16,00 %); Molybdenum (1,50 %); Vanadium (0,25 %); Tungsten (0,25 %); Cobalt (2,50 %).
AUS-10 / AUS-10A
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 82-86 %); Carbon (0,95-1,10 %); Chromium (13,00-14,50 %); Molybdenum (0,10-0,31 %); Vanadium (0,10-0,27 %); Manganese (bis 0,50 %); Silicon (bis 1,00 %); Nickel (bis 0,49 %).
9Cr18MoV
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 76-81 %); Carbon (0,85-0,95 %); Chromium (17,00-19,00 %); Molybdenum (1,00-1,30 %); Vanadium (0,07-0,12 %); Manganese (bis 0,80 %); Silicon (bis 0,80 %); Nickel (bis 0,60 %).
ZA-18
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (value not published); Carbon (value not published); Chromium (value not published); Molybdenum (value not published); Cobalt (value not published); Vanadium (value not published).
X50CrMoV15 (1.4116)
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 82-84 %); Carbon (0,45-0,55 %); Chromium (14,00-15,00 %); Molybdenum (0,50-0,80 %); Vanadium (0,10-0,20 %); Manganese (bis 1,00 %); Silicon (bis 1,00 %).
14C28N
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 84 %); Carbon (0,62 %); Chromium (14,00 %); Nitrogen (0,11 %); Manganese (0,60 %); Silicon (0,20 %).
AEB-L / 13C26 (Swedish steel)
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 85 %); Carbon (0,67-0,68 %); Chromium (13,00 %); Manganese (0,60-0,70 %); Silicon (0,40 %).
Böhler N690
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 78 %); Carbon (1,08 %); Chromium (17,30 %); Molybdenum (1,10 %); Vanadium (0,10 %); Cobalt (1,50 %); Manganese (0,40 %); Silicon (0,40 %).
ATS-34
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (value not published); Carbon (value not published); Chromium (14,00 %); Molybdenum (4,00 %); Manganese (value not published); Silicon (value not published).
Powder steels
SG2 / R2 / FAXR2
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 77-80 %); Carbon (approx. 1,25-1,45 %); Chromium (approx. 14,00-16,00 %); Molybdenum (approx. 2,30-3,30 %); Vanadium (approx. 1,80-2,20 %). Typical industry values.
SPG STRIX
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (value not published); Carbon (value not published); Chromium (value not published).
CPM MagnaCut
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 82 %); Carbon (1,15 %); Chromium (10,70 %); Molybdenum (2,00 %); Vanadium (4,00 %); Niobium (0,20 %); Nitrogen (0,20 %).
ZDP-189
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 74 %); Carbon (approx. 3,00 %); Chromium (approx. 20,00 %); Molybdenum (approx. 1,40 %); Tungsten (approx. 0,60 %); Vanadium (approx. 0,10 %); Manganese (approx. 0,50 %); Silicon (approx. 0,40 %).
HAP 40
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 72 %); Carbon (approx. 1,30 %); Chromium (approx. 4,00 %); Molybdenum (approx. 5,00 %); Tungsten (approx. 6,00 %); Vanadium (approx. 3,00 %); Cobalt (approx. 8,00 %); Manganese (approx. 0,30 %); Silicon (approx. 0,30 %).
Blue steel / Aogami
Aogami #2
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 97 %); Carbon (1,05-1,15 %); Chromium (0,20-0,50 %); Tungsten (1,00-1,50 %); Manganese (0,20-0,30 %); Silicon (0,10-0,20 %).
Aogami #1
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 97 %); Carbon (1,25-1,35 %); Chromium (0,20-0,50 %); Tungsten (1,00-1,50 %); Manganese (0,20-0,30 %); Silicon (0,10-0,20 %).
Aogami Super
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 94-95 %); Carbon (1,40-1,50 %); Chromium (0,30-0,50 %); Tungsten (2,00-2,50 %); Molybdenum (0,30-0,50 %); Vanadium (0,30-0,50 %); Manganese (0,20-0,30 %); Silicon (0,10-0,20 %).
White steel / Shirogami
Shirogami #3
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 98,6 %); Carbon (0,80-0,90 %); Manganese (0,20-0,30 %); Silicon (0,10-0,20 %); other accompanying elements (trace only).
Shirogami #2
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 98,4 %); Carbon (1,05-1,15 %); Manganese (0,20-0,30 %); Silicon (0,10-0,20 %); other accompanying elements (trace only).
Shirogami #1
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 98,2 %); Carbon (1,25-1,35 %); Manganese (0,20-0,30 %); Silicon (0,10-0,20 %); other accompanying elements (trace only).
Semi-stainless knife steels
SLD
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 84,6 %); Carbon (1,50 %); Chromium (12,00 %); Molybdenum (0,90 %); Vanadium (0,30 %); Manganese (0,40 %); Silicon (0,30 %).
SKD11
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 82,7-86,6 %); Carbon (1,40-1,60 %); Chromium (11,00-13,00 %); Molybdenum (0,80-1,20 %); Vanadium (0,20-0,50 %); Manganese (bis 0,60 %); Silicon (bis 0,40 %).
D2
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 82,9-86,7 %); Carbon (1,40-1,60 %); Chromium (11,00-13,00 %); Molybdenum (0,70-1,20 %); Vanadium (approx. 0,80 %); Manganese (0,30-0,50 %); Silicon (0,30-0,50 %).
Chromax
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (value not published); Carbon (value not published); Chromium (value not published); Molybdenum (value not published); Vanadium (value not published); Manganese (value not published).
Carbon and special knife steels
ApexUltra
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 93,6 %); Carbon (1,25 %); Tungsten (2,60 %); Chromium (1,50 %); Vanadium (0,40 %); Manganese (0,30 %); Silicon (0,35 %).
V-Toku1
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 96,1 %); Carbon (1,15 %); Chromium (0,35 %); Tungsten (2,25 %); Vanadium (under 0,20 %).
SK-5 / SK85
Composition in percent by weight
Iron (approx. 97,4-99,0 %); Carbon (0,80-0,90 %); Manganese (0,10-0,50 %); Silicon (0,10-0,39 %); Chromium (bis 0,30 %); Nickel (bis 0,25 %); Copper (bis 0,25 %).
What the alloying elements do
Iron
Base metal of all steels listed here and always the largest share.
Carbon
Enables high hardness and improves edge retention. A high content can make the blade more brittle.
Chromium
Improves corrosion resistance and wear resistance. A lot of chromium does not automatically mean perfect rust resistance.
Molybdenum
Improves strength, hardenability and often corrosion resistance as well.
Vanadium
Forms very hard carbides, refines the grain and increases wear resistance and edge retention.
Tungsten
Increases wear resistance and hot hardness; typical in blue steels and high-speed steels.
Cobalt
Strengthens the steel matrix and supports high hardness and long edge retention.
Nickel
Mainly increases toughness and strength and can support corrosion resistance.
Niobium
Forms very hard carbides, refines the grain and increases wear resistance and edge retention.
Copper
In small amounts can affect corrosion resistance; usually only present in small quantities in knife steel.
Manganese / Silicon
Support production and hardenability; usually present only in small amounts.
Nitrogen
Can improve hardness, microstructure stability and corrosion resistance; especially important in nitrogen-alloyed steels.