Heat Treatment Specifications
Austenitizing
Temperature815°C(1499°F)
Soak Time15 minutes
Tempering
Temperature185°C(365°F)
Time120 minutes
Cycles2x
Quench Medium
oil
Target Hardness
56 - 58 HRC
Performance Characteristics
Toughness7/10
Edge Retention6.5/10
Corrosion Resistance1/10
Ease of Sharpening7.5/10
Overall Score22/40
Interesting Facts
- 1Marketing name used by Cold Steel, not a specific alloy
- 2Actually Sharon Steel's 0170-6 (SAE/AISI 1075 modified)
- 3Cold Steel used it 1989-2007 before switching to German 1055
- 4Ka-Bar Becker series uses similar 0170-6 steel
- 5Composition: 0.70% C, 0.50% Mn - essentially high-carbon with extras
Famous Uses
Cold Steel knives (1989-2007)
Ka-Bar Becker series
Best For
Budget utility knives
Camp knives
Traditional designs
Similar Steels
1095
Similar composition, still available
80CrV2
Modern replacement with vanadium
Not Recommended For
- Wet environments (rusts)
- Discontinued
- Searching for new material
Expert Tips
- 1Cold Steel trademark
- 2Similar to 1095 with extras
- 3Easy to sharpen
- 4Needs rust protection