Heat Treatment Specifications
Austenitizing
Temperature1020°C(1868°F)
Soak Time30 minutes
Tempering
Temperature175°C(347°F)
Time120 minutes
Cycles1x
Quench Medium
air
Target Hardness
58 - 60 HRC
Performance Characteristics
Toughness7.5/10
Edge Retention5.5/10
Corrosion Resistance3/10
Ease of Sharpening6.5/10
Overall Score22.5/40
Interesting Facts
- 1Air-hardening medium-alloy tool steel
- 25% chromium for semi-stainless properties
- 3Outstanding toughness for a tool steel
- 4Popular in custom chopper/machete community
- 5Easier to heat treat than A2
- 6Good balance of toughness and wear resistance
Famous Uses
Heavy chopping knives
Custom choppers
Industrial dies
Best For
Cold work tooling
Punches
Dies
Industrial cutting tools
Similar Steels
S7
Even tougher, for extreme impacts
A2
More wear resistance
Not Recommended For
- Maximum wear
- Corrosive environments
- Razor sharpness
Expert Tips
- 1Careful heat treatment due to tungsten
- 2Prone to brittleness if not tempered
- 3Better for tools than knives