Heat Treatment Specifications
Austenitizing
Temperature1052°C(1926°F)
Soak Time15 minutes
Tempering
Temperature177°C(351°F)
Time60 minutes
Cycles2x
Quench Medium
plate
Target Hardness
62 - 64 HRC
Performance Characteristics
Toughness8/10
Edge Retention3.5/10
Corrosion Resistance8/10
Ease of Sharpening8/10
Overall Score27.5/40
Interesting Facts
- 1Developed by Uddeholm in 1960s for razor blade industry
- 2Achieved 85% market share in razor blades by 1961
- 3Considered one of the best steels for kitchen knives
- 4Easy to sharpen to extremely keen edge
- 5Devin Thomas popularized it for custom kitchen knives
Famous Uses
Custom kitchen knives
Razor blades
Devin Thomas knives
Best For
Professional cutlery
Kitchen knives
Corrosion-resistant blades
Similar Steels
13C26
Sandvik equivalent, identical properties
14C28N
More modern alternative
VG-10
Japanese competitor, slightly thicker edge
52100
Carbon equivalent by edge behavior
Not Recommended For
- Heavy work (brittle on thin edge)
- Rough use
- Batoning and impacts
Expert Tips
- 1Target 60 HRC for optimal results
- 2Very pure steel
- 3Excellent edge characteristics