There are more pocket knife steels than you could shake a stick (knife?) at. Not all of them are great. This post will cover some of the better ones.
It is important to note that of the best quality pocket knife steels covered here, we will not focus on the super steels that are very expensive, like Elmax, MagnaCut, S90V, and others in this class - not because they are not good steels, but because of the price
With that being said, the following are some of the better knife steels out there that balance performance and price.
Some Good Quality Pocket Knife Steels
Any of the following steel alloys could make an excellent pocket knife steel, considering.
- 1095 and other 10XX steels: The tools steels in this class have relatively low carbon concentrations which makes them exceptionally tough. They stand up well to abuse, but tend to be pretty soft, but the good news there is that this keeps them easy to resharpen. Also, pocket knives made with steels in the 10XX class are not resistant to corrosion at all, so be aware of that.
- AUS-8 and AUS-10: These are perfectly middle of the road steels that offer decent edge retention and moderate toughness. What they lack otherwise they make up for in corrosion resistance and a fairly low price tag.
- D2: D2 is a tool steel that offers really good edge retention and wear resistance, making it very tough. It’s also somewhat easy to resharpen. What it does not do well is resist corrosion.
- 9Cr13MoV: This is probably the “everyman” steel of this list, and offers reasonable edge retention, moderate toughness and pretty good corrosion resistance. It is not a star by any means, especially compared to the other steels covered here, but it is very affordable.
- S30V: S30V is a super steel that is lauded for its edge retention. It is also fairly tough and corrosion resistant, but the caveat is that level of hardness, while it enables long edge retention, makes it fairly hard to sharpen.
- 14C28N: If you balance price and performance, 14C28N might be the best quality pocket knife steel on this list. It offers great toughness, edge retention and corrosion resistance. It also is easy to resharpen, can take a really sharp edge, and is fairly affordable.
- 154CM: This steel alloy is a bit pricey, and it’s a little tough to resharpen, but it offers good corrosion resistance, is fairly wear resistant, and will hold an edge for a good bit.
- Nitro-V: Nitro-V is another excellent pocket knife steel, primarily because of the high level of corrosion resistance it exhibits.
- 5160: This is a spring steel alloy that is extremely tough, and is perhaps one of the most abuse-resistant alloys on this list. If you need a steel that you can really beat up, this or one of the 10XX alloys is a good choice.
To Learn More About the Best Quality Pocket Knife Steels
While this post only covers a small handful of the best quality pocket knife steels out there, it is a good place to start. To learn more visit White Mountain Knives, where you can investigate the details in their blog and peruse some of the best-selling pocket knife brands and patterns in their collection.
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