Blade HQ
bladehq.com › blog › knife-steel-guide
Knife Steel Guide - Knife Life
August 29, 2022 - Larrin Thomas, a professional ... for all knowledge about knife steel. Dr. Thomas is a friend of ours here at Blade HQ, and with his help, we’ve worked to create this knife steel guide....
Blade HQ
bladehq.com › blog › comparing-steels
Comparing Steels - Knife Life
October 25, 2022 - * Rankings are compared to the steels featured on the Knife Steel Guide. See More · See More · Back to Article · Helpful Not Helpful · Knife Steel Back to top · Be sharp, get rewarded for loving knives... for FREE! Join the Action Check Points · ★ 1,000 Point Sign-up Bonus · $ Earn & Redeem Points · VIP Early-Access to Drops & Deals · Terms & Conditions Privacy · Copyright © 2026 Blade HQ.
Blade HQ's Updated Steel Guide
I heard they were redoing their steel guide. I heard Larrin even helped them. But it's still wildly inaccurate. I don't get it, why can't they figure this out? Why do cruwear and s110v have the same score for edge retention, or m4 and s90v??? Why are cruwear and m4 "premium" instead of high end? Why is m4 listed as having more toughness than cruwear? Why is AEB L "High End"? Why do cpm154 and XHP have the same corrosion resistance score? I could keep going. There are just so many issues. Long story short, this guide is trash. If you want a real steel guide that is backed by scientific testing, just go to Larrin: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/10/19/knife-steels-rated-by-a-metallurgist-toughness-edge-retention-and-corrosion-resistance/ More on reddit.com
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June 23, 2022Thanks BladeHQ!! Finally, an easy to understand steel guide.
The best steel guide is called “use it anyway and stop worrying”
More on reddit.com 128
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April 3, 2018Knife Steel Guide
https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/10/19/knife-steels-rated-by-a-metallurgist-toughness-edge-retention-and-corrosion-resistance/ Larrin Thomas is your guy! More on reddit.com
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May 18, 2023Knife steel guide found on Blade HQ
Totaled the points of each one...
CPM-154 = 18
CPM - S30V = 25
ELMAX = 24
H1 = 27
CPM - 3V = 27
1095 = 24
M390 = 23
Obviously you would have to base the decision of which blade you would want on which aspect(s) of the knife you like best, but these totals could help you find a more suitable one.
More on reddit.com 9
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October 7, 2016Videos
06:09
What Is The Best Knife Steel? - YouTube
39:09
Knife Steels RANKED 2024! Premium Or TRASH? - YouTube
What Knife Should I Buy? | Grinds & Blade Steels
20:16
The "Best Knife Steel" Is Cheaper Than You Think - YouTube
11:47
New Knives at Blade HQ for the week of 12/8/2025 LIVE - YouTube
14:06
What Are The Top Five Knife Steels? - YouTube
Reddit
reddit.com › r/knifeclub › blade hq's updated steel guide
r/knifeclub on Reddit: Blade HQ's Updated Steel Guide
June 23, 2022 - **The first rule of KnifeClub** is to talk about KnifeClub! Bring a friend! Feel free to engage in discussion on anything with a blade. Show off recent purchases or ask for advice! ... I heard they were redoing their steel guide. I heard Larrin even helped them.
Blade HQ
bladehq.com › blog › tag › knife-steel
Knife Blog - Tag: Knife Steel
BladeHQ on October 25, 2022, in Knife Anatomy, Learn Tags: Knife Steel · Back to Article Select a Steel Select a Steel Statistics Rankings Edge Retention Toughness Corrosion Resistance Ease of Sharpening * Rankings are compared to the steels featured on the Knife Steel Guide.
Wickededgeusa
support.wickededgeusa.com › portal › en › kb › articles › types-of-steel-used-in-knives
Knife Steels and Resources
Knife sharpeners that are precision engineered to help you easily create the sharpest and most durable edges possible while taking excellent care of your knives.
Blade HQ
bladehq.com › blog › how-to-choose-a-tactical-fixed-blade
How to Choose a Tactical Fixed Blade - Knife Life
December 10, 2019 - Whether the knife is used for camp chores or self-defense, the right blade steel can make all the difference. In fact, blade steel probably matters most for tactical fixed blade knives. Check out our blade steel guide for a comparison of all the best blade steels.
Blade HQ
bladehq.com › blog › what-do-we-mean-by-super-steel
What do we mean by "Super Steel?" - Knife Life
January 4, 2024 - If you’ve spent some time with Blade HQ, either on the website, social media, or YouTube, you’ve probably heard the expression "super steel" a few times. The time has come for me to explain what that means. No more putting it off. I’ve been doing some soul-searching lately, and I have ...
Wicked Edge
wickededgeusa.com › blogs › knowledge-base › knife-steels-and-resources
Knife Steels and Resources
April 30, 2025 - A.G. Russell’s guide offers a straightforward, easy-to-browse chart that organizes steels into stainless and non-stainless categories. It includes chemical compositions and short notes on performance, making it a great quick-reference tool for new and experienced knife users alike. If you're curious about how specific steels stack up in terms of edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and ease of sharpening, Blade HQ...
Amazon
amazon.com › stores › BladeHQ › page › 933197E7-8C4E-4A35-871D-58E7A9F79311
Amazon.com: Blade HQ: Budget Steels
Originally designed for use in razor blades, this is true cutlery steel through and through.
Pinterest
pinterest.com › explore
Knife Steel Guide
The Pocket Knife: A Complete Beginner's Guide - Knife Life · Different Knife Shapes · Knife Designs Pattern · File Knife Design · Knife Pattern · Knife Shapes Design · Knife Patterns Templates · Knife Types · Knife Pattern Ideas · How To Hold A Knife · Different Knife Shapes · How To Temper Knife Steel · Knife Steel Hardness Chart · Knife Steel Temper Colors · Knife Steel Tempering Chart · Tempering Chart For Common Knife Steels · Blade Steel Chart ·
Blade HQ
bladehq.com › blog › pocket-knife-beginners-guide
The Pocket Knife: A Complete Beginner's Guide - Knife Life
February 24, 2025 - Blades are made of steel! This is the deepest rabbit hole in knives, and we have an entire knife steel guide to help you!
Blade HQ
bladehq.com › blog › cpm-magnacut-knife-steel-whats-the-big-deal
MagnaCut: All Your Questions Answered - Knife Life
February 9, 2024 - Larrin Thomas, professional metallurgist and writer of knifesteelnerds.com, employed some clever tricks to make MagnaCut score high marks in all categories. It has the toughness of CPM-4V (a hard-use steel found on high-end fixed blades) with the stainlessness of CPM-20CV (a tried-and-true premium knife steel used primarily in folders).
Knife Steel Nerds
knifesteelnerds.com › home › knife steels rated by a metallurgist – toughness, edge retention, and corrosion resistance
Knife Steels Rated by a Metallurgist - Toughness, Edge Retention, and Corrosion Resistance - Knife Steel Nerds
June 16, 2025 - Like many other steels it is all dependent on the heat treatment. I like using L6 that is differentially heat treated. A hard edge with a springy spine. 5160 is a selling point for some manufacturers as though it was magic somehow. Then they do not harden it properly hoping to avoid having the blade breaking.
Knife Informer
knifeinformer.com › discovering-the-best-knife-steel
Guide to the Best Knife Steel | Knife Informer
November 10, 2025 - Check out our essential guide to knife steel as we discuss the most popular steels and the key factors to consider in choosing the best steel for your knife.
HiConsumption
hiconsumption.com › home › gear › knives & multi-tools › the complete guide to the best edc knife steel
The Complete Guide To The Best EDC Knife Steel | HiConsumption
July 30, 2024 - That being said, there are still some factors you can watch for that will give you a better idea as to the quality of the steel in a given knife. One of these metrics is completely standardized (meaning it’s associated with a strict numerical value), whereas others are more of a roundabout figure to give you a better idea as to what you’re getting. We’ve outlined the most common and important ones below: Corrosion Resistance: Determined primarily by the amount of chromium in a given blade, corrosion resistance refers to how well a knife can resist environmental deterioration – most commonly, rust.
steveknife
stevehannerknives.wordpress.com › 2020 › 07 › 12 › best-knife-steel-comparison-steel-charts-guide-blade-hq
Best Knife Steel Comparison – Steel Charts & Guide | Blade HQ | steveknife
July 12, 2020 - Had a friend ask me about blade steel yesterday and I remembered my friends at Blade HQ have a great chart you can use with clickable links if you are shopping for a particular steel. Yes we can all be “blade snobs” and brag on our favorite steel. ... Learn all about knife steels, from CPM and Bohler to everything in between. Each steel features a chart with useful info that you need in shopping for knives. — Read on www.bladehq.com/cat–Best-Knife-Steel-Guide–3368
Blade HQ
bladehq.com › blog › category › learn
Knife Blog - Category: Learn
The Blade HQ Gift Guide is LIVE — get your holiday shopping started! 🎁 · Skip to next slide · Knife Blog Learn Best Of Reviews Culture News · Knife Blog · Home Learn Best of Reviews Culture News ·
Blade HQ
bladehq.com
Knives and EDC - Knife Store with Huge Selection | Blade HQ
This was my first back lock knife and I'm sry happy with it. The VG-10 steel hold a blade really well and it's super strong, I know this is a work horse.
Spyderco
techwriteredc.com › knife-steel-guide-a-compresinve-guide-for-blade-steel-on-edc-knives-and-fixed-blades
Knife Steel Guide | A Compresinve Guide For Blade Steel On EDC Knives and Fixed Blades
There’s usually a trade-off required, so a steel that scores highly in one property is likely to be lacking in another. Simply put, hardness refers to a material’s ability to resist deformation under stress or impact, (i.e. a blade’s resistance to scratching, abrasion, bending or otherwise deforming).