Knife Steel Guide South Africa — Blade Steels Explained

There is a lot of noise talked about knife steel. Every year brings a new "super steel" that supposedly changes everything. The truth is simpler: a knife's performance comes from three things working together — the steel, the heat treatment the maker gives it, and the edge geometry. A brilliant steel with a lazy heat treat will lose to a humble steel done properly.

We stock knives from WE Knife Co., CIVIVI, SENCUT, Spyderco, Zero Tolerance, Cold Steel, CRKT, Kershaw, Spartan Blades, Sniper Bladeworks, SIG Sauer, Honey Badger, Kizer, Browning, Winchester, Bear Edge, Böker and Opinel — makers with their own foundries, heat treats and priorities. Below is every blade steel we currently sell, what it genuinely does well, and where it compromises. Where a steel is entry-level, we say so.

The Four Things That Actually Matter

• Edge retention — how long the blade stays sharp with use.
• Toughness — resistance to chipping or breaking under stress.
• Corrosion resistance — how well it shrugs off moisture, sweat, blood and salt.
• Ease of sharpening — how quickly you can bring the edge back on a stone.

You will also see a hardness figure on the Rockwell C scale (HRC). Most quality folders land between 58 and 62 HRC. Harder blades hold an edge longer but tend to be more brittle and harder to sharpen; softer blades are tougher and easier to touch up.

For most of the history of knifemaking, no steel could win on all four — improving one cost you another. That was simply metallurgical fact, and it is why this page is full of trade-offs. It is also why CPM MagnaCut caused the stir it did. The best steel is still the one that matches how you actually use the knife.

The Main Steels, Side by Side

Ratings are relative to one another on a 1–5 scale, and HRC figures are typical published working ranges for production knives. A few specialist steels — Nitro-X7, Opinel's carbon steel and Damasteel — are covered in their own sections below.

Value Stainless Steels

8Cr13MoV

A Chinese stainless that has been the backbone of affordable folders for two decades. Modest edge retention, but genuinely tough, easy to sharpen on anything, and forgiving of neglect. You will find it across the Honey Badger Cross-Bolt FRN range, on the Spyderco Tenacious, Mantra 4 and ButtonUp and on the Kershaw Brawler, where the point is a knife you use hard and sharpen often rather than one you baby. Its close sibling 8Cr14MoV, with slightly more chromium, behaves the same way in use and is the steel on the grey CRKT Drifter.

5Cr13MoV and 7Cr17MoV

Two more Chinese stainless steels at the affordable end. 5Cr13MoV is soft, very rust resistant and quick to sharpen — the right choice for a household kitchen set, which is where we stock it, on the Browning Kitchen Set. 7Cr17MoV carries a little more carbon and chromium and sits close to 440A: a sensible, easy-care steel for the traditional Browning Mini Trapper.

440 (basic)

When a maker states only "440 stainless" rather than 440C, expect the softer, lower-carbon end of the 440 family. It resists rust and sharpens easily, but it will need touching up more often than 440C. That is the honest trade on a value folder like the Bear Edge Brisk.

9Cr18MoV

A Chinese high-carbon stainless, broadly comparable to American 440C. Roughly 18% chromium gives it genuinely good corrosion resistance, and it sharpens easily on almost any stone. Edge retention is modest — it will not hold an edge like a super steel, and we would rather tell you that than pretend otherwise. What it is, is honest, low-maintenance value: the steel behind roughly half of our SENCUT range (Aetheris, Skarnax, Slybolt, Skelfin, Sachse, ArcBlast and Toxodon) and entry-level CIVIVI models such as the Praxis.

German 4116

A Solingen stainless used across quality European kitchen cutlery, also sold under its full name X50CrMoV15. It is the steel behind the Cold Steel Pro Lite and the Böker Heritage and Forge chef's knives. It does not hold an edge for long and it does not pretend to. What it does is resist rust well, take a very keen edge quickly, and come back on a basic stone in minutes. On a knife that genuinely gets used, that is the right trade.

440C

The old American benchmark, and still the sensible choice for a traditional hunting knife — which is exactly where you will find it, on the Browning Hunter. High carbon and high chromium give real corrosion resistance, and it sharpens back without a fight after a long day in the field. Modern powder steels beat it on paper; very few beat it on ease of living with.

AUS-10A

A Japanese stainless with a little more carbon than the AUS-8 many people know, and Cold Steel's workhorse — it is in the Mackinac Hunter, Air Lite, 4-Max Scout, Engage and Mini Recon 1. It holds a keen edge respectably, resists corrosion well, and — the part that matters on a hunting knife — sharpens easily in camp without a workshop full of stones.

14C28N

A fine-grained Swedish stainless developed by Sandvik, with a small nitrogen addition. It punches well above its price: very tough, resistant to rust, takes an extremely keen edge, and is easy to bring back on a stone. It gives up some outright edge retention to do it. Excellent for a hard-use everyday carry or a knife that may get knocked about — it is what we use in the CIVIVI Cibus kitchen knives, and what the upgraded Honey Badger G10 and Black FRN Cross-Bolts run.

AEB-L

A Swedish razor-blade stainless and a close cousin of 14C28N. Its very fine grain structure means it takes a superb edge and is unusually tough for a stainless, with good corrosion resistance and easy sharpening in exchange for moderate edge retention. You will find it on the CIVIVI Carveth in our fixed blade range.

6Cr13 and utility steels

A soft, highly corrosion-resistant stainless that is extremely easy to sharpen but does not hold an edge for long. That is by design: we only stock it where the blade is replaceable, in the Elementum Utility. A fresh edge is a new blade away. The Kizer Uti Bear 2 takes a similar approach with SK5 and 50Cr15MoV — practical, easy-sharpening steels for workshop and garage cutting.

Mid-Range Workhorses

VG-10

The Japanese cutlery stainless that made Spyderco's reputation in Seki-City, and still the steel in the Delica 4. Vanadium and cobalt give it a well-judged balance: good edge retention, good corrosion resistance, and — unusually for a steel that performs this well — it sharpens back to hair-splitting on ordinary stones without a fight. It has been in production for decades because the balance is genuinely hard to improve on at the price. It is also the blade on the Spartan Blades Carnivore Dining Set.

MBS-26

A Japanese kitchen stainless used on Spyderco's Seki-made kitchen knives, run at around 60 HRC. It takes a fine, keen edge, holds it well for kitchen work and shrugs off acidic food. You will find it on the Spyderco K04 serrated utility and K05 paring knives.

Nitro-V

An American nitrogen-enhanced stainless in the same family as 14C28N and AEB-L, with a little vanadium added. It holds an edge slightly better than either while keeping their toughness, corrosion resistance and easy sharpening. A sensible step up, and common across the CIVIVI EDC range and on the SIG Sauer Xiphos.

Nitro-X7

A newer nitrogen-enriched stainless built on the Nitro-V recipe. Where Nitro-V is known for corrosion resistance and easy sharpening, Nitro-X7 rebalances the carbon and nitrogen for more edge stability and toughness, and runs harder at 60–62 HRC. It made its CIVIVI debut on the CIVIVI Vyrent.

CTS BD1N

A nitrogen-enriched stainless from Carpenter Technology in Pennsylvania, and the steel in the Spyderco Para Military 2 Lightweight, Shaman, Native Chief and the featherweight Charisma. It sits in a genuinely useful middle ground — good edge retention, good toughness, good corrosion resistance — and is markedly easier to sharpen than the premium powder steels above it. If you want a full-size working folder you can maintain on a basic stone, this is the honest answer.

N690

An Austrian cobalt-alloyed stainless from Böhler, and a close relative of the better-known 440C. Good corrosion resistance, tough, and easy to bring back on an ordinary stone, with respectable edge retention for the price. It is the steel on the Kizer Wharning, where a dependable working blade is the whole point.

154CM

The classic American premium stainless that came before the powder steels. Edge retention and rust resistance are both good, it is not hard to sharpen, and it has decades of track record. You will find it on the Kizer Militaw in G10, where it keeps the price sensible, and on the Spartan Blades POROS and Eleos.

Tool Steels

These are not stainless. They trade corrosion resistance for wear resistance and toughness, and they ask you to look after them in exchange. In a dry Highveld climate that is easy. On the coast it is a commitment.

D2 — please read this one

A high-carbon tool steel with excellent wear resistance and an aggressively toothy edge that many people prefer for rope, cardboard and general work. But D2 is only semi-stainless. With around 12% chromium, much of it locked up in carbides, it can develop spots and a patina if left wet. In Lowveld or KwaZulu-Natal humidity, or anywhere near the coast, that is a real consideration rather than a technicality. Wipe it dry after use and give it a light oil now and then, and it repays you with a lot of edge for the money. You will find it on about half of our SENCUT folders (Crowley, Ingot, Quirk, Serene, Stria and Vyrce), the CIVIVI Elementum and Mini Praxis, the CRKT Drifter in D2, the Spyderco Tenacious R.I.L. and the Browning Cedar and South Slope.

CPM CRU-WEAR

A powder-made tool steel and the choice on the Spyderco Para 3 CruCarta. It gives up corrosion resistance — less even than D2 — and buys back an unusually good pairing of edge retention and toughness. This is the steel to pick if you would rather an edge rolled than chipped, which on a hard-use knife is the failure mode you want. Keep it dry and oiled and it will outlast most stainless steels on edge holding.

CPM M4

A powder-made high-speed tool steel that combines long edge retention with real toughness — the pairing hard-use knife people chase. It is not stainless, which is why makers usually coat it: the tiger stripe on the Zero Tolerance 0203 and the black TiNi on the Cold Steel Swift III. Wipe it dry and keep a light film of oil on it.

Carbon steel (XC90)

Not a tool steel in the modern sense and not stainless at all: a plain high-carbon steel, and the one Opinel has used for well over a century. It takes a very fine edge quickly and comes back on any stone, but it will rust or patina if left wet. Dry it after use and give it a drop of oil now and then. You will find it on the Opinel Traditional.

SK-5 and 1095 carbon

Two plain high-carbon steels — SK-5 from Japan, 1095 the American classic — and the traditional choice for big fixed blades that get hit, batoned and pried. Very tough, quick to sharpen in the field, and not stainless, so both come coated and want drying and oiling after use. SK-5 is on the Cold Steel SRK Compact; 1095 is on the Spartan Blades Harsey Fighter.

CPM 3V

One of the toughest knife steels made, and the one to choose when a blade will be abused. It holds an edge well and shrugs off the impacts that chip harder steels. The trade-off is that it is not stainless: wipe it dry and oil it after wet work. We stock it on the Kizer Begleiter Fix, a fixed blade built for hard use.

Premium Powder Steels

These are made by compressing fine metal powders under enormous pressure, producing a cleaner and more uniform grain than conventionally melted steel. You will find them across our premium steel collection, on Kizer's titanium folders, and on the upper Spyderco, Zero Tolerance, Sniper Bladeworks and Kershaw models.

CPM S30V

The steel that brought powder metallurgy into mainstream production knives, and still an excellent working choice. Fine, dense grain, a very keen edge, and far better edge retention than conventional stainless. It is a little harder to sharpen than the S35VN that succeeded it — the extra niobium in S35VN was added partly to address exactly that. The steel in the Kershaw Blur and the Zero Tolerance 0350.

CPM S35VN

Crucible's American powder steel, developed with input from custom knifemakers as a refinement of S30V, with niobium added for finer grain and better toughness. It is the definition of a balanced premium steel — good edge retention, good toughness, good corrosion resistance, and importantly it is noticeably easier to sharpen than the top-tier super steels. If you want premium performance you can still maintain yourself at home, start here. It is on the Sniper Bladeworks DMF and LPC, the Zero Tolerance 0450, the Spartan Blades Soter and the serrated Spyderco Native 5.

CPM SPY27

A steel Crucible developed exclusively for Spyderco. Think of it as VG-10 taken further — the proven balance, enriched with cobalt and other alloys, then made by the particle process for a far more uniform grain. It has a distinctive "sticky sharp" edge, excellent corrosion resistance, and it does not become a chore to sharpen. Found on the Sage 5 Lightweight, Para 3 Lightweight and Stretch 2 XL Lightweight, which is why those knives wear that particular blue.

CPM S45VN

A further refinement of S35VN with more chromium and nitrogen, buying better corrosion resistance and a little more edge retention for a small trade in toughness. A beautifully balanced modern blade steel, on the Spyderco Para Military 2 and the Zero Tolerance 0044.

CTS-XHP

A Carpenter powder steel that behaves much like a stainless version of D2: high hardness, long edge retention and good corrosion resistance, with a little less toughness than S35VN. Plan on a diamond stone. It is the blade on the Spartan Blades Astor.

Elmax

A powder stainless from Böhler-Uddeholm that sits between S35VN and M390. Very good rust resistance and long edge life, with the sharpening effort that comes with it: plan on a diamond stone. It is the blade steel on the Kizer Drop Bear Zero, Harpoon Fold and T1 BD.

CPM 20CV

Crucible's high-chromium, high-vanadium super steel: outstanding edge retention and outstanding corrosion resistance, with moderate toughness. It is harder to sharpen than the steels above, and you will want diamond stones for it. A flagship steel on our WE Knife Co. folders and on the Zero Tolerance 0990.

Böhler M390

The Austrian benchmark super steel, and for practical purposes 20CV's twin — the two share a near-identical recipe, and there is no meaningful performance gap between them. Choose the knife you like the look of rather than the stamp on the blade. Expect excellent edge retention, excellent corrosion resistance, moderate toughness, and diamond stones at sharpening time. Alongside WE and Kizer, it is on the SIG Sauer Validus.

CPM MagnaCut

The steel that broke the old compromise, and the reason the table above has one row that does not look like the others.

Every steel on this page trades one property against another, because carbides — the hard particles that give a steel wear resistance — normally lock up the chromium that would otherwise fight rust. Metallurgist Larrin Thomas designed MagnaCut specifically around that problem, using vanadium and niobium carbides for wear resistance while leaving the chromium free in the steel matrix to do its corrosion-resisting job.

The result is a steel with the edge retention of a premium powder steel, the toughness of a good tool steel, and corrosion resistance better than almost anything else here — at the same time. It also sharpens more readily than 20CV or M390.

It is not magic and it is not free: it costs more, and a super-steel with poor heat treatment is still a poor knife. But if you have been told MagnaCut is overhyped, the honest answer is that this one largely earns it. You will find it on the Spyderco Manix 2 Salt and Sage 5 Salt, the Cold Steel Recon M1 and the Zero Tolerance Hinderer 0562CF.

LC200N

A nitrogen-alloyed stainless from Zapp, developed for salt water and often called a "rustproof" steel. It will not rust in conditions that would stain M390 or S45VN, and it is very tough, which is why it is used on dive and marine knives. Edge retention is moderate rather than exceptional, so it suits coastal and boat use better than long hauls between sharpenings. It is on the Spyderco Caribbean Salt and the Kizer Drop Bear in gradient titanium.

The Extreme End: S110V, Maxamet and REX 121

These are steels for people who measure a knife by how long it keeps cutting, and who are happy to pay for that in sharpening time. All three hold an edge far longer than anything above them on this page. All three need diamond or CBN abrasives and real patience at the stones, and all three are more brittle than a working knife usually wants — slice with them, don't pry.

CPM S110V

A Crucible powder stainless packed with vanadium and niobium carbides. It keeps cutting long after S30V-class steels have given up, and it is genuinely rust resistant, so it suits someone who cuts a lot of cardboard, rope or hide. It is on the Spyderco Military.

Maxamet

A Carpenter powder high-speed steel run at around 68–70 HRC, far harder than almost any other production knife. The edge retention is extraordinary. It is not stainless, so treat it like a carbon blade: wipe it dry and keep a light coat of oil on it, especially on the coast. On the Spyderco Para Military 2 Maxamet.

CPM REX 121

One of the most extreme knife steels made: a high-speed tool steel loaded with vanadium and tungsten carbides, run very hard. Its edge retention is in a different class, it is not stainless, and it is a collector's and steel-enthusiast's steel first. On the Spyderco Sage 6.

Damascus

Damascus is not a single steel but a pattern-welded blade: layers of steel are forge-welded together and then acid-etched to reveal flowing, one-of-a-kind patterns. No two blades come out identical.

Be clear about what you are buying it for. On our CIVIVI Damascus models the pattern is chosen primarily for its appearance, so judge the knife on its looks and on the fit and finish rather than expecting super-steel cutting performance. As a rule of thumb, treat a Damascus blade as a capable mid-range cutter and a genuine showpiece. Layer count is an aesthetic figure, not a performance one.

The exception is Damasteel, a Swedish pattern-welded steel made from powder-metallurgy stainless steels, so it performs as a genuine working blade as well as a showpiece. It is on the WE Evoke in the Hakkapella pattern, while stock lasts.

Blade Coatings

A coating is not a steel, but it changes how one behaves.

• Stonewash — a tumbled finish that hides scratches rather than showing every one. The sensible choice on a knife that will actually get used.
• DLC (diamond-like carbon) — a hard, non-reflective black coating that adds real wear resistance.
• TiCN (titanium carbonitride) — a vapour-deposited ceramic coating harder than most tool steels and chemically inert. On the Sage 5 Salt it sits over MagnaCut, which is two layers of corrosion protection on a steel that did not need help.
• Titanium nitride and similar — the grey and gold coatings you see on budget and mid-range blades. Mildly wear-resistant, mostly cosmetic, and they will wear through at the edge with use.

Handle Materials

The steel does the cutting, but the handle is what you actually hold.

• G10 — a tough fibreglass-and-epoxy laminate: light, grippy, and impervious to water. The everyday-carry workhorse.
• FRN — fibre-reinforced nylon, moulded rather than machined. Lighter and cheaper than G10 with a bit more flex, and effectively immune to water. The standard on hard-use working folders.
• Micarta — layered canvas or linen set in resin. Warm in the hand, grips better as your hands get wetter, and develops character with use. A favourite for hunting and field work.
• Titanium (6AL4V) — strong, light and effectively corrosion-proof. Used for frame locks and our high-end WE handles, and the best choice for coastal and wet conditions. Anodising it changes colour by oxide thickness rather than pigment, which is why flame-anodised handles are never quite identical.
• Aluminium — light and slim, often anodised in rich colours. Can feel cold and a little slick when wet.
• Carbon fibre — extremely light and stiff with an unmistakable premium look. Costs more and is less impact-tolerant than G10.
• Ultem — a translucent amber high-performance polymer: light, chemical-resistant and distinctive.
• Lexan — a clear, impact-resistant polycarbonate that shows off the knife's internals.
• Natural wood — Guibourtia and similar hardwoods. Beautiful and warm; keep it out of prolonged soaking.
• Stag and bone — the traditional handle materials, natural or imitation. Character over performance, and the right look on a classic pattern.
• Resin — cast and polished for depth of colour and pattern. A dress-knife finish.

Choosing for South African Conditions

Most steel guides are written for a climate that is not ours. Here is how the range maps onto the way knives actually get used in this country.

Everyday carry on the Highveld

Gauteng is dry for most of the year, so corrosion is a secondary concern and you can choose on edge retention and how much sharpening you enjoy. 14C28N, VG-10, CTS BD1N or Nitro-V for value; CPM S35VN or S30V if you want premium that is still easy to maintain yourself. If the knife is going to live in a toolbox or a bakkie door rather than a pocket, a Honey Badger Cross-Bolt in FRN or a CRKT Drifter is the sensible answer — cheap enough that you will actually use it.

Bushveld hunting and field dressing

You want enough edge retention to process an animal without stopping, enough toughness to survive contact with bone, and resistance to blood and stomach contents — which are salty and acidic and will stain a neglected blade. CPM MagnaCut is now the best answer if the budget allows, because it does not make you choose. CPM S35VN and S30V are the sensible all-rounders. AUS-10A and 440C are excellent easy-to-maintain choices on a traditional hunting folder, and 14C28N and AEB-L are hard to fault on a fixed blade.

Coastal and fishing — KZN, the Cape, humid Lowveld

Corrosion resistance leads here, and this is where CPM MagnaCut has changed the conversation. It resists salt better than almost anything else we stock while still holding a working edge through a session of cutting line and processing fish — which is why Spyderco's Salt Series knives use it. LC200N, on the Spyderco Caribbean Salt, is the rustproof alternative if you would rather never think about it. M390, CPM 20CV, CPM SPY27 and S45VN are the next strongest, with VG-10 and 14C28N close behind for the money. Titanium handles are a real advantage. We would steer you away from D2, CRU-WEAR, M4, Maxamet, REX 121 and the carbon steels for salt exposure unless you are genuinely diligent about drying and oiling.

Kitchen, braai and biltong

You want easy sharpening, resistance to food acids, and something that cleans up quickly. 14C28N is ideal and is exactly why the Cibus kitchen range uses it. VG-10, AEB-L, Nitro-V, MBS-26 and German 4116 — sold as X50CrMoV15 on our Böker chef's knives — are equally at home.

Looking After a Blade in This Climate

• After field dressing, rinse and dry the blade as soon as you reasonably can. Blood and stomach contents will stain even good stainless if left on overnight.
• After the coast, rinse salt off with fresh water, dry thoroughly, and put a light film of oil on the blade and the pivot.
• In humid areas, do not store a knife wet or leave it in a closed sheath long-term. A silica sachet in the drawer costs nothing.
• D2, CRU-WEAR, M4, Maxamet, REX 121 and the carbon steels want a wipe-down after every use and occasional oiling. They are not stainless.
• Sharpening: value and mid-range steels come back on any decent stone. CPM 20CV and M390 want diamond or CBN abrasives, and S110V, Maxamet and REX 121 demand them. MagnaCut, S30V, S35VN, S45VN and SPY27 sit comfortably in between. Our sharpening range covers all of it, and if you own a premium powder steel, buy diamond — ceramic and carbide will blunt themselves against it.

Common Questions

What is CPM MagnaCut, and is it worth the money?

It is a powder steel designed by metallurgist Larrin Thomas to deliver edge retention, toughness and corrosion resistance simultaneously, rather than trading one against the others as almost every steel before it did. For coastal, fishing and hunting use in South Africa it is the strongest all-round choice we stock. It costs more, and heat treatment still matters — but yes, it largely earns the reputation.

Is D2 stainless?

No — it is semi-stainless. It resists rust far better than plain carbon steel but can still spot and patina, so keep it dry and lightly oiled. CRU-WEAR is less stainless still.

What is the difference between M390 and CPM 20CV?

Almost nothing. They are near-identical recipes from two different mills, Böhler in Austria and Crucible in the United States, and they perform the same in use.

S30V or S35VN — which should I choose?

S35VN is the later refinement, with niobium added for finer grain, slightly better toughness and easier sharpening. In practice the difference is modest. Choose the knife, not the stamp.

What is the best all-round knife steel?

CPM MagnaCut, if the budget reaches. If not, CPM S35VN balances edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance and ease of sharpening better than steels that chase a single number.

Which steel holds an edge the longest?

Of what we stock, Maxamet, CPM REX 121 and CPM S110V. They are specialist steels: superb if you cut a lot between sharpenings and own diamond stones, but more brittle and much more work to sharpen than the all-rounders.

What is the best budget knife steel?

14C28N is hard to beat: tough, rust-resistant and easy to sharpen. AEB-L is its equal, and VG-10 is worth the small step up.

Which steel is best for the South African coast?

CPM MagnaCut, comfortably, or LC200N if you want a steel built for salt water. M390, CPM 20CV or CPM S45VN after that, ideally with a titanium handle.

Do I need a diamond sharpener?

For 20CV, M390, MagnaCut, S110V, Maxamet and REX 121, yes — the vanadium carbides in those steels are harder than the abrasive in a standard ceramic or carbide sharpener, so anything else will struggle. For value and mid-range steels, any decent stone will do.

Still Not Sure?

Come and handle the range at our showroom in Kempton Park, or get in touch and tell us how you will actually use the knife. We would rather sell you the right one than the expensive one.

Veld Born SA.