Whatever steel we consider, each has its own set of properties and characteristics that are suitable for specific conditions. Thanks to the professionalism of steel producers, the finished product combines both quality and optimal properties. However, to achieve the best characteristics at once in all directions does not work, so you have to sacrifice something. For example, soft iron does not stay sharp for long, but it will not be difficult to sharpen such a blade. Harder material may be prone to chips. In cases where the alloy has a complex chemical composition, its manufacture and processing become time-consuming and, as a result, the cost of the finished product increases. Thus, steel for the manufacture of knives, which meets several specific requirements at once, becomes more expensive in production.
Manufacturers
It will depend on what materials will be used in the manufacture of a particular product, how often it will become blunt, how complicated the sharpening process will be, what will be its resistance to bending, and how easy it will be to break it.
Here, not everything depends on the brand of steel for knives. Characteristics such as softness, bending, dulling and breaking can also depend on heat treatment. This is confirmed by the fact that well-established manufacturers on the market produce high-quality knives using the 420 brand. Here are some of them:
- Victorinox (Switzerland);
- Wenger (Switzerland);
- Tramontina (Brazil);
- Magnum (Germany);
- Beker (Germany);
- Fortuna (Austria);
- SOG (USA);
- Buck (USA);
- Chinese manufacturers. There are quite a lot of them today, so we will not list all of them.
All manufacturers are developing their own steel production and processing technologies, thanks to which they achieve their goals.
It is a misconception that a blade with excellent sharpness is the best. It is much more important to pay attention to wear resistance when comparing the grade of steel for knives. Characteristics, such as wear resistance, are directly dependent on the amount of carbon in the material. In ordinary carbon steel itself, the maximum hardness is observed when there is 0.7 percent carbon in it. If you increase this percentage in production, you can achieve increased resistance to wear.
Ways to improve product quality
Experienced and scientific methods metallurgists receive alloys that meet market requirements. For example, you can increase the resistance of the material through the use of alloying additives:
- chromium;
- Nickel
- manganese;
- silicon;
- vanadium;
- molybdenum;
- tungsten.
Due to the introduction of small amounts of other elements, alloy steel is more durable and wear-resistant than ordinary carbon steel. However, you must understand that the inclusion of the above additives makes sense up to a point. If the concentration threshold is exceeded, the steel begins to lose its strength properties.
The best additional element can be called molybdenum. Alloying steel using this component can improve both strength and toughness at the same time. An excellent example of this is the notorious Japanese blades, known for their characteristics. The molybdenum content in them reaches eight percent.
Vanadium, chromium, tungsten improve strength characteristics, but at the same time make steel more fragile. Alloying with chromium (over 13 percent) allows to give the material corrosion resistance along with improved cutting properties. You must understand that for such improvements will have to sacrifice fracture resistance.
If you raise the question of what is the best steel for a knife, we can conclude that stainless steel 440C is the best option. Its properties include the ability to hold sharpening for a long time. Such a material, however, is inferior in terms of wear resistance and resilience to such an alloy as 154 CM steel for knives. Comparison can also be made with brands such as AT S-34, BG-42. Their composition does not contain such an amount of chromium, however, it contains up to 4% molybdenum. Steel for the manufacture of knives of the indicated grades is called ball-bearing stainless. These alloys got this name due to the fact that they are distinguished by the properties of wear resistance among others.
Steel grades for knives: product specifications
A knife is an item that even the most peaceful people use almost every day. One of the oldest inventions of mankind through the thickness of centuries came in the XXI century, not much changed in shape. But there are a lot of alloys invented. Consider the popular steel grades and their characteristics in order to understand what is the best steel for a knife.
Brand 40X13
Let us consider it in more detail. If you select the most common models of domestic kitchen knives and make an analysis of which steel they use for knives, a comparison will make it clear that this is 40X13.
It is great for kitchen use due to the fact that it does not rust and perfectly grinds. The above material 420 is its foreign counterpart. Steel for a kitchen knife is not its only purpose. Scalpels (along with other surgical instruments) are also made of “medical steel”, and this is a well-known name.
Brand 6513
Foreign counterpart - 425. A good half of all Russian knives are made of this steel. It is unlikely that products made from it will once rust. And all thanks to the fact that the knives from this steel have high anti-corrosion characteristics. Their service life is measured in decades.
Brand 50X14MF
It is becoming increasingly popular in the production of cutting blades. The characteristics of the steels for knives of this brand are close to the parameters of the previous alloy, but have some drawbacks. Often used for the manufacture of medical instruments and high-quality knives, both for domestic use, and industrial, and even military. If you make the correct heat treatment of this steel, you can get a very durable product.
Brand 95X18
Stainless steel, with some processing requirements. If you take into account all the nuances in the production, you can get a durable and flexible knife. Such blades lend themselves poorly to sharpening, but will not become dull for a long time. Traces of corrosion are possible, but only with prolonged exposure to moisture.
Brand 65G
Refers to type of spring steel. If you were thinking about how to make a knife, you probably know it, as it is considered very popular in various forums on homemade production. Kitchen tools are made of it very rarely, since it is susceptible to corrosion. They try to increase resistance to rust thanks to various coatings, however this is not a panacea.
Brand 420
The most budgetary and most common option in the world. Perhaps due to this, most Chinese manufacturers use it. This steel is considered one hundred percent stainless. Proper heat treatment allows you to achieve excellent performance for blades made of this steel, as evidenced by the choice of popular foreign manufacturers mentioned above. By the example of this material it is clearly seen that the chemical composition plays far from the main role. The service life, despite the low cost, is quite large.
Brand 420 NS
This high carbon steel is universally used for making knives. Many eminent manufacturers prefer this particular steel due to the fact that it is easily processed and has good anti-corrosion properties. Often blades from it will become dull. However, in order to restore their sharp cutting edge, it does not take much effort.
M390
M390 steel knives boast high cutting and wear-resistant properties. It is very popular with blade manufacturers. Such steel, in addition to the manufacture of knives, is used for the manufacture of surgical instruments to which high demands are made. Thanks to alloying with chromium such steel is not covered by rust. It is worth noting that not only knives from M390 steel are produced. Such steel is very popular in the industrial production of apparatus and machines for working with solid materials.
Brand 440
Several of its varieties are distinguished, designated A, B and C. Note brand 440C, which is considered high-tech steel. Each of the varieties has its own percentage of carbon content: 0.75%, 0.90% and 1.20%.
Brand AUS
The Japanese analogue of alloy 440. Like the previous version, it has several varieties that also differ in the amount of carbon: AUS-6, -8, -10.
Brand X12MF
Die steel of this type has a very high wear resistance and strength. Knives made of steel X12MF are susceptible to corrosion, which is why their use in the kitchen is undesirable. Such knives boast good cutting properties and the ability to not lose their sharpness for a long time. Knives made of X12MF steel are on a special account with hunters who cannot do without a quality tool.
Brand ZPD-189
This is the highest category of steel made in Japan. It combines high strength and toughness, along with hardness that has no analogues in the world. It is used by several manufacturers to make their best knives. Accordingly, the price of the finished product is very high. Therefore, there are very few such products on the domestic market.
Brand S30V
The developers of this alloy are Dick Barber and Chris Reeve. Vanadium carbides are used for steel production . Thanks to their application, it is possible to achieve a better grain of steel and greater strength. This development was adopted by many modern manufacturers of knives.
Brand N-1
It is widely used for the manufacture of knives used in the sea, where the constant exposure to salt water can cause rust. It is not very convenient in processing. Well-known manufacturer Spyderco widely uses this steel grade for its knives. What is the best steel for a knife used by sailors? Of course - N-1.
Brand AT S-34 and 154 CM
Included in the list of the most high-tech materials. Steel 154 - the original American development, with high characteristics and the same price. AT S-34 is a Hitachi product. It is a Japanese counterpart to 154 steel. It is believed that these brands occupy leading positions in the world.
Damascus and damask
If you ask professionals what is the best steel for a knife, they will answer you - damask or damask. Since ancient times, to indicate the excellent qualities of the blade, they simply said that it was made of Damascus steel. The quality of damask knives depends on the professionalism of the blacksmith, the proper heat treatment, and grinding. If we compare Damascus blades with damask blades, we can note the superiority of the former in strength. If we talk about cutting properties, then here they are equal.
Interestingly, the lost secret of damask steel was found in 1841 by Anosov P.I., a Russian metallurgist. Thanks to him, the production of weapons from this steel at the Zlatoust factory was revived. Even in our time, the blades produced there are called the best. During the Soviet Union, the production of quality knives ceased to exist as such thanks to state policy. Officially manufactured then products were of deplorable quality, and could hardly satisfy the requirements of the hunter. Only thanks to craftsmen who knew how to make a knife with high quality could one acquire a good blade.
Damask steel "Lyusya"
The metallurgist who developed this material named it after his wife. At one time, about 8 tons of this steel were manufactured. After the death of the master, the secret of this damask, which has unique characteristics, was lost.
So, we found out what steel knives are made of - centuries-old companions of man.