When choosing a good folding knife, you should pay special attention to the steel used for the blade. Steel is really the essence of the blade, and the performance of a knife depends mainly on steel. The essence of steel is a carbon-containing iron alloy, generally rich in other elements, in order to improve certain properties and adapt to different user needs.
In the knife making industry, the added elements in different types of steel are different, and the rolling and heat treatment methods for making blades are also different. Details about these elements can be found in our Knife Steel Composition Chart.
1. Types of Knife Steel
1) Carbon
It is the most important hardening element present in all steels. To help increase the strength of the steel, we usually want knife-grade steel to have more than 5% carbon, also a high carbon steel.
2) Chromium
Increased wear resistance, hardness, and most importantly, corrosion resistance, with over 13% considered stainless steel. Despite the name, all steel will rust if not properly maintained.
3) Manganese
Important element that contributes to the textured structure, adds solidity, and strength, and wear resistance. Internal deoxidation of the steel during heat treatment and crimping, found in most knife and scissor steels except A-2, L-6 and CPM 420V.
4) Molybdenum
Carburizing agent, prevents the steel from becoming brittle, maintains the strength of the steel at high temperatures, occurs in many steels, air hardening steels (eg A-2, ATS-34) always contain 1% or more Molybdenum, so that they can Hardens in air.
5) Nickle
Preserves strength, corrosion resistance, and toughness. Appears in L-6, AUS-6 and AUS-8.
6) Silicon
Helps to increase strength. Like manganese, silicon is used to maintain the steel's strength during its production.
7) Tungsten
Enhances wear resistance. A mixture of tungsten and appropriate proportions of chromium or manganese is used to make high speed steel. A large amount of tungsten is contained in high speed steel M-2.
8) Vanadium
Enhanced wear resistance and ductility. A carbide of vanadium used in the manufacture of striped steel. Vanadium is found in many kinds of steel, among which M-2, Vascowear, CPM T440V and 420VA contain a lot of vanadium. And the biggest difference between BG-42 and ATS-34 is that the former contains vanadium
2. Key Characteristics
1) Hardness
Hardness refers to the ability to resist deformation when subjected to external pressure. The hardness of a tool is usually referred to as strength and is usually measured with "HRC".
HRC(Rockwell hardness), Rockwell hardness. The higher the hardness, the higher the resistance to extravagant damage, but the greater the brittleness. The hardness is not more than 60HRC. Usually, the edge hardness of a good knife should be above 50HRC and below 60HRC on the Rockwell hardness. According to the national standard kitchen knife hardness (QB/T19241993 kitchen knife), the hardness specified by the standard: is stainless steel 2HRC50; carbon steel ≥HRC52.
Hardness Test
2) Tenacity
Toughness refers to the ability to resist the damage of fracture when used in heavy duty applications. It can also be said that the ability of steel to bend without breaking. Cracks are the biggest damage a knife can do and are very hard to repair. It is important to note that the harder a knife is, the less tough it is. Of course, toughness is not as standardized as hardness.
3) Wear Resistance
Wear resistance is the ability of steel to withstand wear and tear. Abrasion occurs when harder particles pass over a softer surface. Among steels of equal hardness, those with larger carbides (think microscopic, hard, wear-resistant particles) generally resist wearing better. However, carbides can become brittle and crack, thereby reducing toughness.
4) Corrosion Resistance
Corrosion resistance refers to the ability to resist corrosion, such as rust caused by factors such as humidity, moisture, salt, etc. Note that the high corrosion resistance does come at the cost of a reduced blade sharpness
5) Edge Retention
Sharpness retention represents how long a blade can stay sharp when used over a period of time. This is an aspect that people are very concerned about these days, but unfortunately, there is a lack of a clear set of criteria for the evaluation of sharpness retention, and most of the data is subjective. In my opinion, sharpness retention is a combination of abrasion resistance and resistance to deformation of the blade.
Unfortunately, the best knife steel is more than just maximizing each of the above properties... that's just one aspect. The best thing to do is to achieve a balance of strength, hardness and toughness. There are some blades that are made to be extra hard but will snap or shatter if you pierce a very hard surface. Conversely, a knife is very tough, and able to bend but its edges are not hard enough. Also note that people are often misled by the name "stainless steel" when all types of steel can fade a bit and rust when exposed to air long enough. How do you plan to use your knives and decide which steel is best for your situation based on the needs of your situation?
3. Gooda High Quality Knife Steel
Our blade is made of high-quality 30Cr13MoV (420J2) stainless steel. After high temperature heat treatment at 1040 degrees, it is ice-calcined at -196 degrees again to make the internal structure of the material more compact and stable, strengthen the hardness and improve the stability of the tool, making it wear-resistant, sharp and easy to restore. (Rockwell hardness 52-60, ±2).
Blade Opening
Manual knife back grinding makes the knife back as smooth as a mirror and reduces the pressure on the fingers; manual cutting makes the resistance smaller, and grinding at different angles to meet different needs makes it sharper and prolongs the sharpness life retention. Ergonomic Design The solid wood handle fits the palm a longer grip is more comfortable.
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