1. 440c has excellent corrosion resistance, strength and toughness. It contains 17% chromium, which exceeds 15% and requires deep cooling treatment. It's not very wear-resistant, but it's great for everyday use.
2. 420j2 has low carbon content and low hardness. However, it has strong corrosion resistance, which makes it suitable for making diving knives.
3. 420HC is a high value steel with hardness up to 58HRC and contains vanadium, which provides good edge retention. It is the best choice for low-cost steel.
4. N690 is similar to 440C, but has added about 0.1% vanadium, making it more wear resistant.
5. S30V has excellent rust and wear resistance with strong edge retention. However, it lacks strength, as can be seen in the example of the Green Beret survival knife. The steel used has now been changed to CPM S35VN.
6. AUS8 has excellent overall performance and strong endurance, making it a great choice for daily use. It contains vanadium which refines the crystal structure and allows for sharp edges.
7. VG10 is an excellent all-round steel with balanced performance. The steel produced by Spyderco is fantastic, containing vanadium which allows for an extremely sharp edge.
8. ATS34 is a high-quality Japanese steel, highly resistant to corrosion and strong toughness. However, it's not as sharp as other options.
9. ZDP189 is a high hardness powder steel that can reach 65-67HRC. However, it lacks strength and is hard and brittle.
10. 154CM is on par with the ATS34 in terms of overall performance, but has controversial reviews.
11. 12C27 is similar to the domestic 425M and has average performance.
12. D2 is a high-quality tool steel with high hardness and wear resistance as well as strong toughness and edge retention. However, its resistance to rust is only average.
13. CPM3V is considered by famous knife maker JERRY HOSSOM to be the best knife-making steel available today. It has the best microstructure, which gives it extremely strong toughness and better edge retention.
14. Infi is not a stainless steel and is on the same level as CPM3V in terms of performance, each with its own strengths.
15. M390 is a powdered stainless steel with good rust and wear resistance and exceptional edge retention (about four times that of 440C). This information comes from the bladeforums forum.
16. CPM M4HC is a high speed tool steel with high vanadium and high hardness (up to 67HRC) and strong toughness. It is extremely wear resistant and has excellent edge retention (like M390).
Overall, for medium to high grade steel, AUS8 and VG10 are great options with balanced performance. Both contain about 0.2% vanadium, which refines the crystal structure and increases wear resistance, allowing for sharp edges. AUS8 also contains 0.49% nickel, which provides better strength and toughness.
VG10 contains 1.4% cobalt and a slightly higher carbon content, resulting in slightly higher hardness. Both have similar edge retention, with the VG10 possibly being slightly better.
