Edge Retention

Edge Retention represents how long the blade will retain its sharpness when subject to periods of use.  It’s what everyone talks about these days but unfortunately the measurement of edge retention lacks any defined set of standards and so much of the data is subjective.  For me, edge retention is a combination of wear resistance and an edge that resists deformation.

Toughness

Toughness is the ability to resist damage like cracks or chips when subject to impact or “sudden loads”.  Chipping is a knife’s worst enemy and never easy to fix.   There are a number of different ways to measure toughness (i.e. Charpy, Izod) thus it’s less standardized than hardness when it comes to knives. In general, the harder the steel the less tough it’s likely to be.

Hardness

Hardness is the ability to resist deforming when subject to stress and applied forces.   Hardness in knife steels is directly correlated to strength and is generally measured using the Rockwell C scale (aka “HRC”).

Corrosion Resistance

Corrosion resistance is the ability to resist corrosion such as rust caused by external elements like humidity, moisture and salt.  Note that a high resistance to corrosion does involve a sacrifice in the overall edge performance.

Wear Resistance

Wear resistance is the steel’s ability to withstand damage from both abrasive and adhesive wear.  Abrasive wear occurs when harder particles pass over a softer surface.  Adhesive wear occurs when debris is dislodged from one surface and attaches to the other.  Wear resistance generally correlates with the steel’s hardness but is also heavily influenced by the specific chemistry of the steel.  In steels of equal hardness, the steel with larger carbides (think microscopic, hard, wear resistant particles) will typically resist wear better.  However, carbides can become brittle and crack, thus decreasing toughness.

5Cr15MoV Knife Steel Review composition

The 5Cr15MoV is the derivation of the well-known X50CrMoV15 German steel. This might make you wonder if 5Cr15MoV holds up to the quality of X50CrMoV15. Just because it’s manufactured in China and the affordable pricing doesn’t make it perform worse. As a matter of fact, depending on the heat treatment, 5Cr15MoV can be just as good, if not better.

5Cr15MoV produces a corrosion-resistant blade that’s tough enough to endure aggressive cutting and is easy to sharpen. 

  • Carbon (C): 0.45 to 0.50%
  • Chromium (Cr): 14.50 to 15.00%
  • Molybdenum (Mo): 0.60%
  • Manganese (Mn): 0.40%
  • Vanadium (V): 0.10%

5Cr15MoV scores between 54 and 57 on the Rockwell hardness scale (HRC)

9Cr18MoV Steel Review and Comparison

9Cr18MoV is premium-grade Chinese high carbon stainless steel. Knife manufacturers selling various types of products highly favor this steel. There are several reasons for its popularity among knifemakers. 9Cr18MoV is affordable, delivers satisfying performance, and is widely available.

  • Carbon (C): 0.95%
  • Chromium (Cr): 18.50%
  • Molybdenum (Mo): 1.30%
  • Silicon (Si): 0.80%
  • Manganese (Mn): 0.80%
  • Nickel (Ni): 0.60%
  • Nitrogen (N) : 0.60%
  • Vanadium (V): 0.12%

9Cr18MoV scores between 58 and 60 on the Rockwell hardness scale (HRC)

154CM Knife Steel Review composition

154CM is a knife steel manufactured by Crucible Industries, based in New York, US. Knifemakers adopted 154CM steel as a material to forge blades for its balanced properties. 

154CM knife steel is basically a modified version of the 440C steel. The disparity is the added molybdenum. It’s harder than 440C, has better edge retention, and improved hardenability.

This knife steel has adequate edge retention and hardness. It achieves these by not sacrificing as much from toughness or corrosion resistance

  • Carbon (C): 1.05%
  • Chromium (Cr): 14.00%
  • Molybdenum (Mb): 4.00%

154CM scores between 57 and 60 on the Rockwell hardness scale (HRC)

D2 Knife Steel Review composition

D2 is high carbon and chromium steel that’s popular, affordable, easy to heat treat, and gives practical qualities to knives. It has high wear resistance, hardness, and fair corrosion resistance.

What started as tool steel for machine dies in the 1920s, D2 steel gained popularity among knifemakers since the late 1960s and continues to be a top pick for those making custom knives

  • Carbon (C): 1.55%
  • Chromium (Cr): 11.5%
  • Manganese (Mn): 0.90%
  • Vanadium (V): 0.80%
  • Silicon (Si): 0.45%
  • Copper (Cu): 0.35%

D2 scores between 60 and 64 on the Rockwell hardness scale (HRC)

AUS-10 Knife Steel Review composition

AUS-10 is a good all-around Japanese stainless steel. It balances hardness for edge retention with strong corrosion resistance, and it's not too delicate or prone to chipping. That means it stays sharp a long time and is easy to maintain! 

  • Carbon: 0.70 to 0.75%
  • Chromium: 13 to 14.50%
  • Silicon: 1%
  • Manganese: 0.50%
  • Nickel: 0.49%
  • Molybdenum: 0.10 to 0.30%
  • Vanadium: 0.10 to 0.26%
  • Phosphorus: 0.04%
  • Sulfur: 0.03%

AUS-10 scores between 60 and 64 on the Rockwell hardness scale (HRC)

REX 45 Knife Steel Review composition

Rex 45 Steel is a type of high-speed tool steel renowned for its impressive cutting performance abilities. Manufactured using powder metallurgy by Crucible. CPM Rex 45 is engineered for specialized industrial applications where superior red hardness and the capacity to withstand high temperatures during operation are essential.

CPM Rex 45 remains a relatively niche steel for knives, with only a handful of custom knife makers using this steel. Spyderco has utilized Rex 45 for some of their models, but they have since been discontinued. The reasons behind this are two-fold. First, CPM Rex 45 is not the most cost-effective option among all the great premium steels available. While it boasts great all-around performance, it may not be considered the absolute best. Secondly, Rex 45 isn’t easy to work with. From a manufacturer’s perspective, forging Rex 45 steel knives requires a considerable amount of effort and is more time-consuming

  • Carbon: 1.30% 
  • Chromium: 4.05% 
  • Vanadium: 3.05% 
  • Tungsten: 6.25% 
  • Molybdenum: 5.00% 
  • Cobalt: 8.00% 
  • Sulfur: 0.22%

REX 45 scores 67 on the Rockwell hardness scale (HRC)