High Carbon Steels
A steel frequently used regularly in everything from bowies to kitchen knives, 1075 is tough, durable, and hypo-eutectic, which means it is very forgiving during heat treatment.
Whether you want to make a kitchen knife, small every day carry, or camp chopper, 1084’s ability to harden, offer good abrasion resistance, and solid edge retention makes it an excellent choice for all knives.
An excellent knife steel with high carbon properties making it suitable for producing beautiful hamons. It is a little tricky in heat treat processes due to its hyper-eutectoid state and best used with an accurate means of reading temperature and a fast quench oil.
15N20 is a high nickel alloy steel is most commonly used with 1084 or 1095 to create pattern welded or “Damascus” steel.
Stainless Steels
The steel used by industry in the manufacture of razor blades, AEB-L produces a blade that is very corrosion resistant and excellent choice for all knives, especially kitchen cutlery. It involves a demanding heat treat process requiring exact temperatures in an air tight tool foil pouch and plate quench and a follow-up cryogenic procedure to complete the hardening process.