Short answer: there is no single best knife steel, only the right trade-off. Every steel balances four things that fight each other: edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance and ease of sharpening. Improve one and you usually give up another.
The four properties
Edge retention. How long it stays sharp. Driven by hardness and by hard carbides in the steel.
Toughness. Resistance to chipping and breaking. The direct opposite of hardness. Harder steel holds longer and chips sooner.
Corrosion resistance. Mostly a function of chromium. Above roughly 11 per cent the steel is called stainless.
Ease of sharpening. How quickly you get the edge back with normal stones. Usually the inverse of edge retention.
Anyone claiming a steel is best at all four is selling something.
The steels we work with
| Edge | Tough | Rust | Sharpen | |
| 1095 carbon | Good | Very good | Poor | Excellent |
| 15N20 | Good | Excellent | Poor | Excellent |
| Damascus (1095+15N20) | Good | Very good | Poor | Excellent |
| D2 tool steel | Very good | Fair | Good | Fair |
| 440C stainless | Good | Good | Very good | Good |
| VG10 | Very good | Fair | Very good | Good |
What the numbers mean
1095 is a plain high carbon steel: roughly 0.95 per cent carbon, almost no chromium. Simple, fine grained, takes a superb edge, rusts if you look at it wrong.
15N20 is 1075 carbon steel with about two per cent nickel. The nickel resists acid etching, which is precisely why it is the bright layer in Damascus. It is also unusually tough.
D2 carries around 12 per cent chromium, which puts it just at the edge of stainless. Excellent wear resistance from large chromium carbides, and those same carbides make it slower to sharpen.
440C has about 17 per cent chromium and high carbon. The classic properly hardenable stainless, and the sensible choice for wet work.
VG10 is a Japanese stainless with cobalt and vanadium. Fine grain, takes a very keen edge, holds it well, and is more brittle than the carbon steels.
Hardness, and why we stop at 58 to 60
HRC is the Rockwell hardness scale. Kitchen knives commonly run 56 to 62; ours run 58 to 60 across the range.
That is a deliberate choice, not a default. Push past 61 and the edge lasts longer but chips when it meets bone or a hidden staple. Drop below 57 and it rolls under ordinary use. Fifty-eight to sixty is where a working knife belongs, and we would rather a knife came back for sharpening than came back broken.
Choosing by what you do
Wet, salty or neglected: 440C. Heavy cutting volume, dry conditions: D2. Best edge and easiest field maintenance: Damascus or 1095. Kitchen, very keen edge, stainless: VG10.
Questions people ask
Is Damascus stronger than a single steel?
No, and anyone who says so is repeating a myth. Modern Damascus is chosen for the pattern and for a good balance of properties. Historically forge welding was a way to even out inconsistent steel; with modern steel that problem is solved.
Does more layers mean better steel?
No. Layer count controls the pattern only. Full explanation in what 352 layers actually means.
What about the super steels?
Powder steels like MagnaCut and S35VN hold an edge remarkably well. They are also expensive, harder to sharpen without diamond stones, and not forge weldable into Damascus, which is what we make.
Which should I buy?
Side by side by use case in our steel comparison guide.
More from the workshop
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Why federal law rarely applies, and how to check your own state properly.
How to Store Knives Properly
Contact and moisture are what ruin stored knives. Both are easy to avoid.
Skinning Knife Guide
Wide belly, low point, three to four inches. Why the shape looks the way it does.