“Stainless steels have high chromium, forming chromium carbide with the high carbon necessary for high-hardness knife steels,” explains Thomas. “The best non-stainless powder metallurgy tool ...

This constitutes a knife steel’s resistance to deformation, measured by how much stress it can withstand before breaking. Strength is closely related to hardness, which knifemakers measure using the ...

In a perfect world, a knife would be affordable, impervious to corrosion, and tough enough to serve as a crowbar if necessary. However, all blade steels are a compromise of hardness, durability ...