Steel comparison
All 40 blade steels we have in stock, side by side. Heat treat values come from our heat treat guide.
| Steel | Type | Austenitize | Quench | Cryo | Thicknesses | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1075 | Carbon | 1,500°F | Medium oil quench. | — | 8 | $2.00 | Shop → |
| 1084 | Carbon | 1,500°F | Fast to medium oil quench. | — | 4 | $4.10 | Shop → |
| 1095 | Carbon | 1,475°F | Fast oil quench. | — | 6 | $3.40 | Shop → |
| 15N20 | Carbon | 1,480°F | Medium oil quench. | — | 5 | $2.40 | Shop → |
| 26C3 | Carbon | 1,475°F | The mill recommends quenching in water. We used Parks 50 with excellent results. The as quenched hardness we measured was a little under HRC 68. | — | 6 | $2.70 | Shop → |
| 52100 | Carbon | 1,545-1,615°F | Medium oil quench. | — | 8 | $4.90 | Shop → |
| 80CrV2 | Carbon | 1,545-1,615°F | Medium oil quench. | — | 6 | $4.10 | Shop → |
| 8670 | Carbon | 1,560-1,635°F | Medium oil quench. | — | 4 | $3.70 | Shop → |
| A11 | Carbon | 2,150°F | — | — | 1 | $27.20 | Shop → |
| A2 | Carbon | 1,750-1,800°F | Plate, air or positive pressure quench to below 125°F. | Recommended | 2 | $17.00 | Shop → |
| A8 Modified | Carbon | 1,750-1,900°F | Plate, air or medium oil quench. | — | 6 | $12.20 | Shop → |
| CPM 1V | Carbon | 1,950°F | Plate, air or medium oil quench and cool to below 125°F. | — | 2 | $49.20 | Shop → |
| CPM 4V | Carbon | 2,100°F | Plate, air or positive pressure quench (4 bar minimum), or medium oil quench to about 900°F, then air cool to below 125°F. | Recommended | 4 | $24.50 | Shop → |
| D2 | Carbon | 1,825-1,875°F | Plate, air or positive pressure quench to below 125°F. | Recommended | 8 | $6.90 | Shop → |
| K390 | Carbon | 2,150°F | Plate, air or medium oil quench to 125°F. | — | 1 | $32.10 | Shop → |
| L6 | Carbon | 1,500-1,550°F | Use medium speed quench oil. | — | 9 | $13.70 | Shop → |
| M2 | Carbon | 1,875-2,200°F | — | Recommended | 6 | $10.00 | Shop → |
| M4 | Carbon | 1,875-2,200°F | — | Recommended | 4 | $19.00 | Shop → |
| O1 | Carbon | 1,450-1,500°F | Medium oil quench | — | 7 | $5.50 | Shop → |
| Z-Tuff | Carbon | — | — | — | 1 | $21.90 | Shop → |
| Z-Wear | Carbon | — | — | — | 3 | $17.00 | Shop → |
| 14C28N | Stainless | — | — | — | 4 | $9.90 | Shop → |
| 154 | Stainless | — | — | — | 4 | $12.20 | Shop → |
| 416 | Stainless | — | — | — | 4 | $14.30 | Shop → |
| 440B | Stainless | 1,850-1,950°F | Plate, air or medium oil quench to below 125°F. | Recommended | 6 | $6.60 | Shop → |
| 440C | Stainless | 1850-1950°F | Plate, air or medium oil quench to below 125°F. | Recommended | 9 | $5.00 | Shop → |
| AEB-L | Stainless | 1,940-1,975°F | Plate, oil or air quench as quickly as possible. | Recommended | 8 | $2.50 | Shop → |
| CPM 20CV | Stainless | 2,150°F | Plate or air quench to 125°F. | Recommended | 1 | $37.30 | Shop → |
| CPM MagnaCut | Stainless | 1,950-2,200°F | Plate, air or positive pressure quench (2 bar minimum) to below 125°F, or interrupted oil quench to about 1,000°F, then air cool to below 125°F. | — | 4 | $18.00 | Shop → |
| CPM S110V | Stainless | 2,150°F | Plate, air or positive pressure quench (2 bar minimum) to below 125°F, or interrupted oil quench to about 1,000°F. Cool to below 125°F before tempering. | — | 2 | $53.50 | Shop → |
| CPM S125V | Stainless | 2,150°F | Plate, air or positive pressure quench (2 bar minimum) to below 125°F, or interrupted oil quench to about 1,000°F. Cool to below 125°F before tempering. | — | 1 | $80.10 | Shop → |
| CPM S30V | Stainless | — | — | — | 7 | $25.60 | Shop → |
| CPM S35VN | Stainless | — | — | — | 3 | $36.20 | Shop → |
| CPM S45VN | Stainless | 1,900-2,000°F | Plate, air or positive pressure quench (2 bar minimum) to below 125°F, or interrupted oil quench to about 1,000°F, then air cool to below 125°F. | — | 5 | $22.10 | Shop → |
| CPM S60V | Stainless | 1,950-2,050°F | Plate, air or positive pressure quench (2 bar minimum) to below 125°F, or interrupted oil quench to about 1,000°F, then air cool to below 125°F. | — | 6 | $24.10 | Shop → |
| CPM S90V | Stainless | — | — | — | 2 | $27.40 | Shop → |
| M398 | Stainless | — | — | — | 3 | $52.50 | Shop → |
| N690 | Stainless | — | — | — | 3 | $6.00 | Shop → |
| Stainless Steel Balls | Stainless | — | — | — | 1 | $4.00 | Shop → |
| Z-FiNit | Stainless | 1,800-1,900°F | Plate, air or medium oil quench. Cool to 100°F before tempering. | Recommended | 4 | $16.30 | Shop → |
No match
See heat treat info for full temper and cryo instructions.