Heat Treatment Specifications
Austenitizing
Temperature1030°C(1886°F)
Soak Time20 minutes
Tempering
Temperature180°C(356°F)
Time120 minutes
Cycles2x
Quench Medium
oil
Target Hardness
60 - 62 HRC
Performance Characteristics
Toughness6/10
Edge Retention7.5/10
Corrosion Resistance4/10
Ease of Sharpening4.5/10
Overall Score22/40
Interesting Facts
- 1Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) equivalent to AISI D2
- 2Japanese knifemakers heat treat to 64 HRC
- 3Used for long-life, high-precision cold-work dies
- 4European equivalent: X153CrMoV12, Chinese: Cr12Mo1V1
Famous Uses
Japanese kitchen knives
Industrial dies and molds
Best For
Tool blades
High-wear applications
Kitchen knives
Similar Steels
D2
American original
X12MF
Russian D2
Not Recommended For
- Marine environment
- Beginners
- Fine work
Expert Tips
- 1Japanese D2 equivalent
- 2Semi-stainless properties
- 3Excellent wear resistance
- 4Challenging to sharpen