X - Y - Z
Yataghan
The most beautiful of all sabers, with it's forward curved blade it would have been as fine to use as to look at. Said to be Turkish in origin made with out guard and always with eared pommel.
Z60CDV14
A clean high carbon stainless from Sweden. Higher in Nickel and Molybdenum than AUS-8, with a little less Carbon. Chosen for a balance between ease of sharpening and edge retention.
Carbon 0.6 to 0.65%, Manganese 0.45%, Chromium 14%, Nickel 0.15%, Vanadium 0.15 to 0.2%, Molybdenum 0.55 to 0.6%
ZDP-189
A stainless powder metal super steel by Hitachi of Japan. It has a huge amount of carbon and Chromium which combined give it ridiculously high levels of hardness (64-66 Rc!). It has superb edge retention, but of course is very difficult to sharpen. The Carbon and the Chromium pairs up, which doesn't leave a lot of surface Chromium available to fight corrosion, it is still stainless but isn't overly resistant compared to something like S30V. It is a very expensive steel, and very difficult to get. We made one of our original Acies in ZDP-189, we have been unable to procure any since. Spyderco and William Henry have also used it on a number of knives.
3.00% Carbon (C), 20.00% Chromium (Cr), Trace amounts of Cobalt, Niobium and Vanadium, 0.5% Manganese (Mn), 1.40% Molybdenum (Mo), 0.4% Silicon (Si), 0.60% Tungsten (W).
Zirconia
Material of great hardness, (included in ceramic used in making ceramic blades) and used as grain on grinding belts for grinding knives.
Zytel®
A thermoplastic material used in molding handles for knives, generally containing 25 to 50% chopped fiberglas or kevlar" fiber or carbon fiber.