Heat Treatment Specifications
Austenitizing
Temperature790°C(1454°F)
Soak Time15 minutes
Tempering
Temperature200°C(392°F)
Time120 minutes
Cycles1x
Quench Medium
water
Target Hardness
58 - 62 HRC
Performance Characteristics
Toughness6/10
Edge Retention6/10
Corrosion Resistance1/10
Ease of Sharpening8/10
Overall Score21/40
Interesting Facts
- 1GOST Russian water hardening tool steel
- 2Soviet industry used U8 for files - now used by craftsmen
- 3Before 1990s, U8/U10 coated with chromium for scalpels
- 4Many Russian Yakut knives made from old U8 files
- 5High-speed steels were cheapest option for Russian makers
Famous Uses
Kizlyar Phoenix combat knife
Russian forged knives
Soviet-era files repurposed
Best For
Hand tools
Traditional knives
Wood chisels
Similar Steels
1084
American equivalent
SK5
Japanese equivalent
Not Recommended For
- Wet environments
- Western markets
Expert Tips
- 1Popular in Russia
- 2Higher carbon = harder than U7
- 3Rusts quickly
- 4Easy to sharpen