Heat Treatment Specifications
Austenitizing
Temperature1080°C(1976°F)
Soak Time20 minutes
Tempering
Temperature204°C(399°F)
Time120 minutes
Cycles2x
Quench Medium
plate
Target Hardness
60 - 61 HRC
Performance Characteristics
Toughness5.5/10
Edge Retention4.5/10
Corrosion Resistance10/10
Ease of Sharpening7/10
Overall Score27/40
Interesting Facts
- 1Bohler-Uddeholm nitrogen-based steel
- 2First version in 2006, improved Vanax SuperClean in 2017
- 3Virtually rustproof - designed for extreme corrosion environments
- 4Nitrogen replaces carbon for hardening
- 5Spyderco calls it 'LC200N on steroids'
Famous Uses
Spyderco
Dive knives
Marine applications
Best For
Corrosion-critical environments
Marine knives
Coastal use
Similar Steels
LC200N
Similar corrosion resistance
MagnaCut
American competitor
Not Recommended For
- Budget projects
- Maximum wear
- Beginners
Expert Tips
- 1Requires cryo treatment for 60+ HRC
- 2Fine grain from nitrogen
- 3Not when corrosion is secondary