It’s a question that comes up all the time: What’s the best pocket knife steel?

There is no single best pocket knife steel. Rather, steels are assessed according to their relative virtues, chiefly hardness (edge retention), toughness, and corrosion resistance, as well as price, which indicates value.

This short post will break down some of the more common options, especially among popular pocket knives.

The Holy Trinity of Knife Steel Attributes

The best pocket knife steels are generally valued according to how well they hold an edge, how well they resist corrosion, and how tough they are.

The more carbon there is in a steel, the harder it can be made through heat treatment. However, too much carbon can make a steel brittle, so there’s a double edge here, if you can excuse the pun.

Chromium and sometimes nickel are added to steel to make it more corrosion resistant, but since chromium is a soft metal, it can harm the edge retention of an alloy.

In terms of toughness, this metric indicates how effectively an alloy resists wear. Alloys often contain molybdenum and vanadium, which make a steel much stronger and more resistant to chipping, snapping, rolling or shattering when struck.

So let’s take a more granular look at some of the more common knife steels used to make pocket knives

1095

This alloy, which has just a smidge less than 1% carbon, is a common tool steel alloy commonly used to make pocket knives. This is the alloy from which most ESEE knives are made.

It is a tough alloy and resistant to chipping and shattering, and tolerates abuse well, but it is fairly soft. It won’t hold an edge for long, but it’s also very easy to resharpen, which is a plus. The real downside of 1095 is that it rusts very easily.

D2

This is another tool steel alloy that is a lot like 1095 in terms of ability to take an edge, and it is roughly the same in terms of toughness. The differences between it and 1095 are that it will hold an edge longer (though it is also fairly easy to resharpen) and that it is less likely to rust. It will still rust if you are not careful, though.

AUS-8

This is the steel alloy used in the OKC RAT I and II knives, two of the most popular pocket knives of all time, and which have both been universally lauded for both quality and value. AUS-8 is highly corrosion resistant and unlikely to rust. It’s also fairly tough and not likely to chip or snap. It can also take a very fine, sharp edge, and has slightly better edge retention than 1095, most of the time. Think of it like 1095, but more corrosion resistant.

AR-RPM9

AR-RPM9 is the steel that is commonly used by CJRB in many of its popular knife models like the Maileah and Mica. It’s a cheap steel, and it takes a nice edge, but it won’t hold it long. The one benefit here is that it’s easy to resharpen. It’s also tough, but not as tough as some of the other, better powder metallurgy steels - and it’s also pretty good in terms of corrosion resistance. Plus, the low price is attractive.

8Cr13MoV

This is one of the most common cheap knife steels of all time, and is used by tons of brands, thanks mostly to its very low price. It is one of the cheapest alloys on this list. It’s also comparable in performance to AUS-8, perhaps a little better. It can take a fine edge, will hold it decently, and is relatively easy to resharpen. It’s also very corrosion resistant.

14C28N

This might be the single best pocket knife steel in terms of overall value. It performs similarly to some super steels but is a small fraction of the price. It can take a wickedly sharp edge, and though it won’t hold it forever, is easy to resharpen. It’s also pretty tough and resists chipping, rolling and shattering. That said, its best attribute is perhaps its exceptional corrosion resistance - probably the best on this list.

VG-10

VG-10 lies on the boundary of what might be considered a super steel, but it’s not overly expensive. It offers reasonably good edge retention and toughness paired with much better than average corrosion resistance. This one is popular among kitchen knives.

S30V

We’re included S30V here among the best pocket knife steels because, despite the relatively high price, it’s one of the most affordable entries often considered a true super steel. It’s corrosion resistant and very tough, but its real selling point is edge retention. It will take and hold an edge for a long time without needing to be sharpened - but there’s the tradeoff. It’s hard to resharpen.

Shop the Best Pocket Knife Brands and Models Here

Want to discover more of the best pocket knife brands and models on the market? Take a closer look through our brand collection here and get in touch with us if you have any questions or are looking for a specific model you don’t see listed. If you’re here for a specific model we can probably get it for you.