Heat Treatment Specifications
Austenitizing
Temperature1000°C(1832°F)
Soak Time15 minutes
Tempering
Temperature100°C(212°F)
Time120 minutes
Cycles2x
Quench Medium
plate
Target Hardness
67 - 70 HRC
Performance Characteristics
Toughness2/10
Edge Retention9/10
Corrosion Resistance5/10
Ease of Sharpening1.5/10
Overall Score17.5/40
Interesting Facts
- 13% carbon - one of highest carbon stainless steels
- 2Can reach 67+ HRC
- 3Developed by Hitachi for extreme hardness
- 4Notoriously difficult to sharpen
- 5Sal Glesser first heard of it around 2000
Famous Uses
Spyderco Dragonfly
High-end Japanese knives
Best For
High-end kitchen knives
Precision cutting
Corrosion-resistant applications
Similar Steels
Not Recommended For
- Field sharpening (nightmare)
- Impact loads (brittle)
- Budget projects
Expert Tips
- 1Extremely hard - requires careful sharpening
- 2Excellent for wet environments
- 33% carbon provides superior edge retention