Types of Steel



Damascus of Damasteel, Sweden Damasteel is originates in the famous Valloon area in Sweden. This area has been well-known for its excellent steel quality since 1700. Erasteel, Damasteel and some other companies are carrying this tradition still further. Damasteel has different damascus steel types: Round and Flat dimensions. We use only ‘Flat dimensions’. It has many patterns such as Vinland, Twist, Hakkapella, Rose, Odin's eye, Heimskringla, Ladder and Grosse Rosen. You can get more information at www.damasteel.biz. Alabama Damascus, US. Alabama Damascus Steel is hand forged in Jacksonville, AL with the aid of large air hammers.They use (3) layers of 52100, (4) layers of 5160, (3) layers of 203E, and (3) layers of 15N20. The steel is forged out and folded 5 times to give you 416 layers and billet is guaranteed to be free from defects. You can see more information at www.alabamadamascussteel.com Tunderforged Damascus Steel, US Blue Springs Forge Damascus, US 440C 440C was the first generally accepted knife makers' stainless and remains quite popular. The carbon content (and hardenability) of this stainless steel goes up in order from A (.75%) to B (.9%) to C (1.2%). 440C is an excellent, high-end stainless steel, usually hardened to around 56-58 Rc. All three resist rust well, with 440A being the most rust resistant, and 440C the least. The SOG Seal 2000 is 440A, and Randall uses 440B for their stainless knives. 440C is fairly ubiquitous, and is generally considered the penultimate general-use stainless (with ATS-34 being the ultimate). If your knife is marked with just "440", it is probably the less expensive 440A; if a manufacturer had used the more expensive 440C, he'd want to advertise that. The general feeling is that 440A (and similar steels, see below) is just good enough for everyday use, especially with a good heat treat (we've heard good reports on SOG's 440A heat treat). 440-B is a very solid performer and 440-C is excellent. ATS 34 ATS-34 - 154-CM: The hottest high-end stainless right now. 154-CM is the original American version, but for a long time was not manufactured to the high quality standards knifemakers expect, and so is not used often anymore. Late-breaking news is that high-quality 154-CM may again be available. ATS-34 is a Hitachi product that is very, very similar to 154-CM, and is the premier high quality stainless. Normally hardened to around 60 Rc, it holds an edge very well and is tough enough even at that high hardness. Not quite as rust resistant as the 400 series above. Many custom makers use ATS-34, and Spyderco (in their high-end knives) and Benchmade are among the production companies that use it. D2 D-2: D-2 is sometimes called a "semi-stainless". It has a fairly high chrome content (12%), but not high enough to classify it as stainless. It is more stain resistant than the carbon steels mentioned above, however. It has excellent edge holding, but may be a little less tough than some of the steels mentioned above.
And it does not take a beautiful finish. Bob Dozier uses D-2. Titanium Titanium: Newer titanium alloys can be hardened near 50 Rc, and at that hardness seem to take something approaching a useful edge. It is extremely rust-resistant, and is non-magnetic. Popular as expensive dive knives these days, because the SEALs use it as their knife when working around magnetic-detonated mines. Mission knives uses titanium. Tygrys makes a knife with a steel edge sandwiched by titanium.