International Knife Steel Performance Comparison Table

High Carbon High Chromium Cold Work Tool Steel

D2 (USA AISI)

60-62

High wear resistance, moderate corrosion resistance and toughness; minimal quenching deformation

Hunting knives, blanking dies, wear-resistant tools

Powder High-Speed Steel

CPM M4 (USA Crucible)

62-66

Superior wear resistance, better toughness than conventional HSS; powder metallurgy improves uniformity

Heavy-duty cutting tools, precision blades

Air-Hardening Medium-Alloy Cold Work Steel

A2 (USA AISI)

57-59

Excellent toughness and corrosion resistance; strong ductility and thermal stability

Combat knives, stamping dies

High-Toughness Cold Work Tool Steel

DC53 (Japan Daido)

60-62

Exceptional toughness and wire-cutting performance; superior crack resistance

Precision stamping dies, high-wear blades

Shock-Resistant Tool Steel

S7 (USA AISI)

54-58

Extreme impact resistance and thermal fatigue resistance; moderate hardness with easy machinability

Impact tools, rock drilling bits

High-Speed Tool Steel

M2 (USA AISI)

62-64

High wear/heat resistance, suitable for high-speed cutting

Drill bits, milling cutters

Nitrogen-Strengthened Stainless Steel

INFI (USA Busse Proprietary)

58-60

Outstanding toughness and rust resistance; unique elastic recovery (e.g., 35° bend rebound)

Tactical knives, extreme-environment tools

High-Wear Tool Steel

Vanadis 4 Extra (Sweden)

60-62

Exceptional edge stability and crack resistance; ideal for sticky materials

Cold work dies, precision tools

Oil-Hardening Cold Work Steel

O1 (USA AISI)

60-62

Easy machining with oil quenching; poor rust resistance

Traditional tools, woodworking blades

High-Nitrogen Stainless Steel

N690Co (Austria)

58-60

High corrosion/wear resistance; cobalt enhances high-temperature performance

Dive knives, outdoor multi-tools

Powder Stainless Steel

M390 (Austria Böhler)

60-62

Ultra-high hardness, wear/corrosion resistance; 20% Cr with Mo/V for uniform microstructure

Premium knives, aerospace components

High-Vanadium Powder Steel

CPM 90V (USA Crucible)

62-64

Extreme wear resistance (9% vanadium); low toughness, suited for abrasive environments

Industrial cutters, woodworking tools

Ultra-Hard Powder Steel

CPM 125V (USA Crucible)

64-66

Top-tier hardness and wear resistance; high brittleness requires precise heat treatment

Precision dies, extreme-wear tools

Laminated High-Carbon Stainless Steel

ZDP-189 (Japan Hitachi)

66-67

3% carbon laminated structure for unmatched edge retention; prone to rust without maintenance

High-end kitchen knives, razors

High-Carbon Stainless Steel

154CM (USA Carpenter)

60-62

Balanced hardness/corrosion resistance; lower wear resistance than powder steels

EDC knives, outdoor tools

Powder Metallurgy Stainless Steel

CPM154 (USA Crucible)

60-62

Enhanced toughness and corrosion resistance over 154CM via powder process

Precision tools, diving equipment

High-Toughness Cold Work Steel

K110 (Austria Böhler)

58-60

Optimized Mo/V ratios for heavy-impact resistance

Heavy-duty stamping dies, industrial blades

High Carbon Chromium Steel

XW-42 (Sweden ASSAB)

60-62

Superior hardenability and thermal stability; excellent tempering resistance

Precision dies, high-accuracy tools

Oil-Hardening Steel

K460 (Austria Böhler)

58-60

High strength with minimal heat treatment distortion

Metal stamping dies, blanking tools

Air-Hardening Cold Work Steel

XW-10 (Sweden ASSAB)

57-59

High toughness and wear resistance; minimal distortion for complex geometries

Combat knives, precision stamping dies

High-Purity Cold Work Steel

GSW-2379 (Germany Deutsche Edelstahl)

60-62

Ultra-clean microstructure for crack resistance in viscous materials

Cold extrusion dies, plastic molds

Hot Work Tool Steel

H13 (USA AISI)

48-52

Excellent thermal fatigue resistance; used in high-temperature cutting

Die-casting molds, hot shear blades

High-Precision Cold Work Steel

STD11 (Korea STC)

58-60

Uniform hardness and balanced wear/strength for precision machining

Precision blades, wear-resistant punches

Impact-Resistant Tool Steel

DF-2 (Sweden ASSAB)

54-56

High impact resistance with minimal heat treatment distortion

Paper cutters, small stamping dies