Stainless Steel Chart
We posted our online knife steel chart in 1998 and have done our best to keep it up to date since then. We intend to provide an authoritative guide for researching and appreciating the different blade steels that a knife can be made with. While no two people may agree on the best knife steel, the information in this guide can be used as a starting place for comparison.
| Steel | Carbon (C) | Manganese (Mn) | Chromium (Cr) | Nickel (Ni) | Vanadium (V) | Molybdenum (Mo) | Tungsten (W) | Cobalt (Co) | Typical Hardness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4116 | 0.45-.050 | 0.40 | 14.50-14.80 | — | 0.10 | 0.60 | — | — | 55-57 |
| 14-4CrMo | 1.05 | 0.50 | 14.00 | — | — | 4.00 | — | — | 60-62 |
| 154CM | 1.05 | 0.5 | 14.0 | — | — | 4.0 | — | — | 58-62 |
| 19C27 | 0.95 | 0.70 | 13.50 | — | — | — | — | — | 61-62 |
| 20CV | 1.90 | .30 | 20.00 | — | 4.00 | 1.00 | .60 | — | 60 |
| 3Cr13 | 0.32 | 1.00 | 12.00-14.00 | — | — | — | — | — | 54-56 |
| 4034 | 0.42-0.5 | 1.00 | 12.50-14.50 | — | — | — | — | — | 54-55 |
| 420J2 | 0.15-0.36 | 1.0 | 12.00-14.00 | 1.00 | — | — | — | — | 49-53 |
| 420HC | 0.40-0.50 | 0.8 | 12.00-14.00 | — | 0.18 | 0.6 | — | — | 56-58 |
| 425 Modified | 0.40-0.54 | 0.50 | 13.50-15.00 | — | 0.10 | 0.60-1.00 | — | — | 57-59 |
| 440XH | 1.60 | .50 | 16.00 | 0.35 | 0.45 | 0.80 | — | — | 60-62 |
| 440A | 0.65-0.75 | 1.0 | 16.00-18.00 | — | — | 0.75 | — | — | 55-57 |
| 440B | 0.75-0.95 | 1.00 | 16.00-18.00 | — | — | 0.75 | — | — | 57-59 |
| 440C | 0.95-1.20 | 1.0 | 16.00-18.00 | — | — | 0.75 | — | — | 57-59 |
| 5Cr15MoV | 0.45-0.50 | 0.40 | 14.50-15.00 | — | 0.10 | 0.60 | — | — | 55-57 |
| 7Cr17 | 0.60-0.75 | ≤1.00 | 16.00-18.00 | ≤0.60 | — | ≤0.75 | — | — | 54-56 |
| 8Cr13MoV | 0.80 | 0.40 | 13.00 | 0.20 | 0.10 | 0.15 | — | — | 58-60 |
| 9Cr13CoMoV | 0.85 | 1.00 | 13.50 | — | 0.20 | 0.20 | — | 1.00 | 58-60 |
| 9Cr18MoV | 0.85-0.95 | 0.80 | 17.0-18.0 | 0.60 | 0.07-0.12 | 1.00-1.30 | — | — | 58-60 |
| Acuto+ | 0.90-0.95 | 0.50 | 17.0-18.0 | — | 0.10-0.25 | 1.30-1.50 | — | — | 59-60 |
| ATS-34 | 1.05 | 0.40 | 14.00 | — | — | 4.0 | — | — | 59-61 |
| ATS-55 | 1.00 | 0.50 | 14.00 | — | — | 0.60 | — | 0.40 | 59-61 |
| AUS-4 | 0.40-0.45 | 1.00 | 13.00-14.50 | 0.49 | — | — | — | — | 55-57 |
| AUS-6 | 0.55-0.65 | 1.0 | 13.00-14.50 | 0.49 | 0.10-0.25 | — | — | — | 55-57 |
| AUS-8 | 0.70-0.75 | 0.5 | 13.00-14.50 | 0.49 | 0.10-0.26 | 0.10-0.30 | — | — | 57-59 |
| AUS-10 | 0.95-1.10 | 0.50 | 13.00-14.50 | 0.49 | 0.10-0.27 | 0.10-0.31 | — | — | 58-60 |
| BG-42 | 1.15 | 0.50 | 14.50 | — | 1.20 | 4.00 | — | — | 59-61 |
| Bohler K110 | 1.55 | 0.35 | 11.80 | — | 0.95 | 0.80 | — | — | 58-60 |
| Bohler M390 | 1.90 | 0.30 | 20.00 | — | 4.00 | 1.00 | 0.60 | — | 60-62 |
| Steel | Carbon (C) | Manganese (Mn) | Chromium (Cr) | Nickel (Ni) | Vanadium (V) | Molybdenum (Mo) | Tungsten (W) | Cobalt (Co) | Typical Hardness |
|
Steel |
Carbon (C) | Manganese (Mn) | Chromium (Cr) | Nickel (Ni) | Vanadium (V) | Molybdenum (Mo) | Tungsten (W) | Cobalt (Co) | Typical Hardness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOS-S30V | 1.45 | — | 14.00 | — | 4.00 | 2.00 | — | — | 59-61 |
| CPM-125V | 3.20-3.40 | 0.40-0.60 | 13.75-14.25 | 0-0.40 | 11.5-12.25 | 2.25-2.75 | 0-0.50 | 0-0.50 | 59-61 |
| CPM-154 | 1.05 | 0.60 | 14.00 | — | — | 4.00 | — | — | 59-61 |
| CPM-20CV® | 1.9 | — | 20.00 | — | 4.00 | 1.00 | 0.6 | — | 60-62 |
| CPM-S30V® | 1.45 | — | 14.00 | — | 4.00 | 2.00 | — | — | 59-61 |
| CPM-S35VN® | 1.40 | — | 14.00 | — | 3.00 | 2.00 | — | — | 59-61 |
| CPM-S45VN® | 1.48 | — | 16.00 | — | 3.00 | 2.00 | — | — | 59-61 |
| CPM-S60V® | 2.15 | 0.40 | 17.00 | — | 5.50 | 0.40 | — | — | 58-60 |
| CPM-S90V® | 2.30 | — | 14.00 | — | 9.00 | 1.00 | — | — | 56-59 |
| CPM-S110V® | 2.80 | 0.40 | 15.25 | — | 9.00 | 2.25 | 0.20 | 2.50 | 58-61 |
| CPM-SPY27 | 1.25 | 0.50 | 14.0 | — | 2.00 | 2.00 | — | 1.50 | 60-61 |
| CTS-40CP | 0.90-1.20 | 1.0 | 16.00-18.00 | — | — | 0.75 | — | — | 59-60 |
| CTS-BD1 | 0.90 | 0.60 | 15.50 | — | 0.10 | 0.30 | — | — | 58-60 |
| CTS-BD1N | 0.85-0.95 | 1.0 | 15.00-17.00 | — | 0.10-0.15 | 0.50 | — | — | 60-63 |
| CTS-XHP | 1.60 | 0.50 | 16.00 | 0.35 | 0.45 | 0.80 | — | — | 58-60 |
| ELMAX | 1.70 | 0.30 | 18.00 | — | 3.00 | 1.00 | — | — | 58-62 |
| G-2 | 0.90 | 0.60 | 15.50 | — | — | 0.30 | — | — | 56-58 |
| GIN-1 | 0.90 | 0.60 | 15.50 | — | — | 0.30 | — | — | 56-58 |
| H-1 | 0.15 | 2.00 | 14.00-16.00 | 6.00-8.00 | — | .50-1.50 | — | — | ** |
| LV-02 | 0.68 | 0.6 | 13.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| LV-03 | 0.95 | 0.65 | 13.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 58-60 |
| LV-04 | 0.90 | 0.7 | 18.0 | — | 0.10 | 1.15 | — | — | 59 |
| M390 | 1.90 | 0.30 | 20.00 | — | 4.00 | 1.00 | 0.60 | — | 60-62 |
| MBS-26 | 0.85-1.00 | 0.30-0.60 | 13.00-15.00 | — | — | 0.15-0.25 | — | — | — |
| MBS-30 | 1.12 | 0.50 | 14.00 | — | 0.25 | 0.60 | — | — | — |
| N680 | 0.54 | 0.40 | 17.30 | 0.50 | 0.10 | 1.10 | — | — | 53-58 |
| N690 | 1.07 | — | 17.00 | — | 0.10 | — | — | 1.50 | 60 |
| N695 | 1.05 | 0.40 | 16.70 | — | — | 0.50 | — | — | 57-59 |
| Niolox | 0.80 | — | 12.70 | — | 0.90 | 1.10 | — | — | 59-61 |
| Nitro-B | 0.5 | 0.55 | 14.7 | — | 0.1 | 0.6 | — | — | 59-61 |
| Nitro-V | 0.68 | 0.65 | 13 | — | 0.8 | — | — | — | 59-61 |
| 1.05 | 0.50 | 14.00 | — | 0.20 | 4.00 | — | — | 59-64 | |
| Sandvik 12C27 | 0.60 | 0.40 | 13.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 57-59 |
| Sandvik 12C27Mod | 0.52 | .60 | 14.50 | — | — | — | — | — | 55-57 |
| Sandvik 13C26 | 0.68 | 0.60 | 12.90 | — | — | — | — | — | 57-69 |
| Sandvik 14C28N | 0.62 | .60 | 14.0 | — | — | — | — | — | 57-60 |
| T5MoV | 0.50 | — | 14.0 | — | 0.15 | 0.35 | — | — | 56-58 |
| T6MoV | 0.60 | — | 14.2 | 0.23 | 0.10 | 0.65 | — | — | 56-58 |
| VG-10 | 0.95-1.05 | 0.50 | 14.50-15.50 | — | 0.10-0.30 | 0.90-1.20 | — | 1.30-1.50 | 59-61 |
| X-15 TN | 0.42 | 0.46 | 15.55 | 0.30 | 0.29 | 1.70 | — | — | 58-60 |
| ZDP-189 | 3.00 | 0.50 | 20.00 | — | — | 1.40 | 0.60 | — | 64-66 |
| Steel | Carbon (C) | Manganese (Mn) | Chromium (Cr) | Nickel (Ni) | Vanadium (V) | Molybdenum (Mo) | Tungsten (W) | Cobalt (Co) | Typical Hardness |