Metals
1095 - Is a high carbon steel alloy very common in knife making. It is a great all around steel for beginners and pros alike. It is reasonably tough, easy to sharpen, affordable, and hones to an edge superior to most stainless steels. It is, however, susceptible to rust, should be cleaned and oiled. Can be heat treated by an amateur.
O1 - Is also a great steel for beginners. Excellent at taking and holding an edge and is popular with forgers. It is relatively easy to work with and can be one of the easiest metals to heat treat. Susceptible to rust, should be cleaned and oiled.
19C27 (AEB-H) - 19C27 is the Sandvik version of AEB-H. However, the two are identical in composition. It is a higher carbon version on the popular AEB-L. 19C27 is a popular knife steel seen in Japanese kitchen knife sets. This is an excellent steel for slicing and cutting, fantastic sharpness and edge durability. (A finer steel than is what is seen in many expensive high end sets.)
CPM S35VN - Was specially formulated for knives and is considered a top quality material for knife making. It's stainless steel, has great corrosion resistance, and can hold a sharp edge.
80CRV2 - One of our most popular steels and it is easy to see why. 80CRV2 is a go to for many knife makers with its simple and forgiving heat treat. It is a very tough steel but is also a high chrome steel to provide some corrosion resistance.
AEB-L - A stainless steel for beginners and experts alike! AEB-L stainless steel is famous for its ease of heat treat and it's incredibly even distributed carbide structure. This steel has grown in popularity in the modern-era and is predominant in the kitchen knife community.
14C28N - This steel is a stainless that is high in corrosion resistance. It also uses nitrogen instead of carbon to increase its hardness. This allows for extreme hardness without reducing the corrosion resistance. 14C28N is a great all around stainless and incredibly useful for kitchen knives.
W2 - A fantastic high carbon tool steel. It is known for incredible differential hardening effects and the "Hamon". The Hamon can be a difficult skill to learn but adds something special to the knife. Produces a very easy and reliable knife blade with good strength and toughness.
52100 - A very easy to work with high carbon steel. This steel is a favorite in forging and grinding as it is very easy to work with. Provides great toughness and great shock absorption. 52100 is very easy to to grind to an extremely fine edge and creating extremely sharp knives.
3V - A very high quality steel that compares well to S35VN. 3V is the non-stainless brother of S35VN; because it is not stainless, 3V is a tougher steel but lacks the corrosion resistance. Both steels have incredible edge retention and quality.
1075 - Great high carbon steel for at home forges. 1075 is known for having a more forgivable heat treat and achieving great toughness. 1075 can be used for nearly any knife from large swords to kitchen cutlery. Great option for at home knife makers and extreme toughness.
CPM 154 - This is an all around great stainless steel. A bit more on the pricey side but understandable given its attributes. CPM 154 has a finely distributed carbide structure that makes for great toughness, improved wear resistance, peak corrosion resistance, and able to be polished to a fine degree.
Annealing - All our steels are annealed to make shaping your knife easier. Once you are done shaping your knife, you will need to heat treat and temper the knife to ensure it keeps a sharp edge for longer.