Introduction

The original Lone Wolf Survival Knife Steel Guide covers the major steel families, common steels, premium steels, newer steels, and recommended survival knife choices.

This article serves as a supplement to the original 18-part Lone Wolf Survival Knife Steel Guide, expanding the series with additional steels that deserve consideration but were not covered in depth in the original articles.

The purpose of this article is to introduce you to additional survival knife steels you may encounter when researching, comparing, or buying knives. These steels extend beyond the most familiar choices and include older steels, newer powder-metallurgy steels, specialized stainless steels, proprietary steels, and high-performance tool steels used in survival, bushcraft, hunting, outdoor, tactical, camp, and hard-use knives.

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This article introduces additional survival knife steels that were not covered in depth in the original 18-part Survival Knife Steel Guide.

The steels are organized into the following groups:

• Additional Carbon and Low-Alloy Steels
• Tough and High-Performance Tool Steels
• High-Wear Tool Steels
• Extreme Edge-Retention Steels
• Additional Conventional Stainless Steels
• Modern and Less-Common Stainless Steels
• Extreme Corrosion-Resistance Steels
• High-Wear Stainless Steels
• Proprietary Hard-Use Steels

Each steel discussion explains the steel's important characteristics, strengths, limitations, sharpening and maintenance considerations, and the survival knife roles where it may be useful.

Use the article as a reference when you encounter an unfamiliar steel in a survival, bushcraft, hunting, outdoor, tactical, camp, or hard-use knife.

Jump To

• Why These Additional Steels Matter
• Understanding the Steel Characteristics
• Additional Carbon and Low-Alloy Steels
• Tough and High-Performance Tool Steels
• High-Wear Tool Steels
• Extreme Edge-Retention Steels
• Additional Conventional Stainless Steels
• Modern and Less-Common Stainless Steels
• Extreme Corrosion-Resistance Steels
• High-Wear Stainless Steels
• Proprietary Hard-Use Steels
• Matching These Steels to Survival Knife Roles
• Sharpening and Maintenance Considerations
• Key Takeaways
• Conclusion

Why These Additional Steels Matter

Survival knife discussions often center on familiar steels such as 1095, D2, CPM 3V, CPM MagnaCut, CPM S35VN, 14C28N, AUS-8, and 420HC. These steels represent many common and proven choices, but they are only part of the range of steels used in survival, bushcraft, hunting, outdoor, tactical, camp, and hard-use knives.

Other steels may appear less often, be associated with specific manufacturers, come from newer powder-metallurgy processes, or have characteristics suited to particular knife roles. Examples include 52100, A2, ApexUltra, CPM 4V, Z-Tuff, Sleipner, CPM 10V, CPM 15V, Maxamet, Niolox, CTS-XHP, H1, N680, M398, ZDP-189, INFI, SR-101, and Carbon V.

Knowing these additional steels gives you a broader understanding of the knife market and helps you recognize what you are looking at when you encounter an unfamiliar steel in a knife you are considering.

Understanding the Steel Characteristics

The steels in this article differ in how they balance toughness, edge retention, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, sharpening difficulty, and edge stability. These characteristics help explain how a steel may perform in different survival knife roles.

Toughness

Toughness is the steel's ability to resist chipping, cracking, or breaking when subjected to impact or lateral stress. Higher toughness is especially useful in hard-use fixed blades, chopping knives, and knives used for heavy wood processing.

Edge Retention

Edge retention describes how long a knife continues cutting effectively before the edge needs to be sharpened. Higher edge retention can be useful for repeated slicing and extended cutting.

Wear Resistance

Wear resistance is the steel's resistance to material being worn away during use. Higher wear resistance can contribute to longer edge life, but it can also make sharpening more difficult.

Corrosion Resistance

Corrosion resistance is the steel's ability to resist rust, staining, and pitting. It becomes especially important in wet, humid, coastal, marine, and tropical environments.

Sharpening Difficulty

Sharpening difficulty refers to how much time, effort, and abrasive capability may be required to restore the edge. Some steels can be maintained easily with basic field sharpeners, while high-wear steels may benefit from diamond or CBN abrasives.

Edge Stability

Edge stability is the steel's ability to support a useful cutting edge without rolling, chipping, or deforming. It is influenced by the steel, heat treatment, hardness, and edge geometry.

These characteristics will be discussed where they are important to understanding a particular steel and its potential use in a survival knife system.

Additional Carbon and Low-Alloy Steels

Carbon and low-alloy steels remain important choices for survival, bushcraft, hunting, camp, and hard-use knives. Many offer strong toughness, good edge stability, practical sharpening, and dependable performance in fixed blades.

These steels generally require more attention to corrosion prevention than stainless steels, but they can provide excellent cutting performance and durability when properly heat treated and maintained.

52100

52100 is a high-carbon chromium bearing steel that has also become well established in knives. It is known for a fine carbide structure, good toughness, strong edge stability, and good cutting performance.

In survival and outdoor knives, 52100 can work well in general-purpose fixed blades, bushcraft knives, hunting knives, and wood-processing knives. It also remains relatively practical to sharpen compared with many high-wear powder-metallurgy steels.

Its main limitation is corrosion resistance. Regular cleaning, drying, and light protective oiling are important in wet or humid conditions.

8670

8670 is a tough nickel-alloy steel that is particularly well suited to larger blades and knives expected to take impact.

Its strengths include high toughness, resistance to chipping and breaking, and relatively easy sharpening. These characteristics make it useful for chopping knives, large fixed blades, hard-use survival knives, and other tools intended for demanding wood processing.

Its edge retention is more moderate than that of high-wear tool steels, and it requires normal carbon-steel corrosion care.

A2

A2 is an air-hardening tool steel with a long history in outdoor and bushcraft knives.

It offers a useful balance of toughness, edge stability, wear resistance, and sharpening practicality. A2 can work well in bushcraft knives, camp knives, general-purpose fixed blades, and medium or large outdoor knives.

Its chromium content provides some resistance to staining compared with simple carbon steels, but it still requires corrosion prevention and maintenance.

ApexUltra

ApexUltra is a modern low-alloy steel developed specifically for high-performance knives.

It combines high hardness potential with strong toughness and fine edge stability. This makes it especially interesting for premium bushcraft knives, hunting knives, general-purpose fixed blades, and other knives where strong cutting performance and a stable edge are priorities.

Because it is a relatively specialized steel, it is encountered more often in premium and custom knives than in mass-market survival knives.

Other Carbon and Low-Alloy Steels

• 1065 - Tough simple carbon steel suited to larger blades and chopping tools.
• 1066 - Similar in character to other medium-high carbon steels, with good toughness and practical sharpening.
• 1080 - Simple carbon steel known for toughness, straightforward heat treatment, and easy maintenance of the edge.
• L6 - Nickel-alloy steel known for high toughness and impact resistance.
• O2 - Tool steel capable of a fine, stable edge with moderate wear resistance.
• A8 Mod - Tough tool steel used in larger outdoor and hard-use knives.
• C100S - Fine-grained high-carbon steel used in modern outdoor knives.
• CruForgeV - Carbon steel with added vanadium for improved wear resistance and edge stability.
• 1.2519 - High-carbon tool steel with good edge stability and useful wear resistance.
• 1.2562 - High-carbon tungsten-alloy tool steel capable of high hardness and strong wear resistance.

These steels cover a broad range of traditional and modern carbon and low-alloy options, with toughness, edge stability, and practical sharpening remaining common reasons they continue to be used in outdoor knives.

Tough and High-Performance Tool Steels

High-performance tool steels can provide a useful combination of toughness, wear resistance, edge retention, and edge stability. They are often used where greater cutting performance is desired without moving all the way into the extreme wear resistance and lower toughness of some specialized edge-retention steels.

These steels can be useful in hard-use fixed blades, bushcraft knives, general-purpose outdoor knives, and other knives expected to handle demanding cutting tasks.

CPM 4V

CPM 4V is a powder-metallurgy tool steel designed to combine high wear resistance with strong toughness.

It can support high hardness while retaining enough toughness for demanding knife use. Its wear resistance and edge retention are substantially higher than those of simple carbon steels, while its toughness makes it more suitable for hard-use knives than many extreme edge-retention steels.

CPM 4V can work well in:

• Hard-use fixed blades
• Bushcraft knives
• General-purpose outdoor knives
• Heavy cutting knives
• Knives expected to combine edge retention with toughness

Its limited corrosion resistance means it requires regular cleaning, drying, and corrosion protection.

Z-Wear

Z-Wear is a powder-metallurgy tool steel designed around high wear resistance and strong edge stability.

It can reach high hardness while maintaining a useful balance of toughness and wear resistance. That combination makes it suitable for knives that need longer edge life while still handling more demanding use than highly wear-resistant, low-toughness steels.

Z-Wear can work well in:

• General-purpose fixed blades
• Bushcraft knives
• Hard-use outdoor knives
• Knives requiring a balance of toughness and edge retention

Like other non-stainless tool steels, it requires corrosion prevention and maintenance.

Z-Tuff / CD#1

Z-Tuff is a powder-metallurgy tool steel developed with toughness and impact resistance as primary characteristics.

It sacrifices some wear resistance and edge retention compared with higher-carbide tool steels, but gains strong resistance to chipping, cracking, and breakage.

That makes Z-Tuff especially well suited to:

• Large fixed blades
• Heavy wood-processing knives
• Choppers
• Hard-use survival knives
• Knives expected to experience impact or lateral stress

Its lower wear resistance also makes it more practical to sharpen than many extreme edge-retention steels.

Sleipner

Sleipner is a tool steel that provides a useful balance of toughness, wear resistance, and edge retention.

It is used in a number of European outdoor, bushcraft, and fixed-blade knives and can provide stronger wear resistance than simpler carbon steels while retaining practical toughness.

Sleipner can work well in:

• Bushcraft knives
• Camp knives
• General-purpose survival knives
• Hunting knives
• Medium and large fixed blades

It provides some corrosion resistance from its alloy content, but it still requires normal maintenance and corrosion prevention.

Vanadis 4 Extra

Vanadis 4 Extra is a powder-metallurgy tool steel designed to combine high wear resistance with very good toughness and resistance to edge chipping.

This combination makes it well suited to knives that need more wear resistance and edge retention than simple carbon steels while still maintaining strong durability.

Vanadis 4 Extra can work well in:

• Premium fixed blades
• Bushcraft knives
• Hard-use outdoor knives
• General-purpose survival knives
• Knives expected to perform repeated cutting

Its higher wear resistance makes sharpening more demanding than simpler carbon steels.

CPM 1V

CPM 1V is a toughness-focused powder-metallurgy tool steel.

Its primary advantage is very high toughness, making it useful where resistance to impact and breakage is more important than maximum edge retention.

It can be appropriate for:

• Large fixed blades
• Choppers
• Heavy-duty outdoor knives
• Hard-use survival knives

K490

K490 is a powder-metallurgy cold-work tool steel designed to provide a strong balance of wear resistance, toughness, compressive strength, and machinability.

In knives, that combination can make it useful where both durability and longer cutting performance are desired.

Potential roles include:

• Premium fixed blades
• Bushcraft knives
• General-purpose outdoor knives
• Hard-use knives
• Knives requiring a balance of toughness and wear resistance

These steels occupy the middle ground between traditional toughness-focused carbon steels and the much more wear-resistant steels covered in the next sections. They can provide a useful balance for survival knives that need both durability and extended cutting performance.

High-Wear Tool Steels

High-wear tool steels place greater emphasis on wear resistance and edge retention than the toughness-focused steels covered in the previous section.

These steels can be useful where a knife needs to continue cutting for long periods between sharpenings. Their higher wear resistance can also make sharpening slower and more demanding, especially when conventional field sharpeners are used.

CPM 10V

CPM 10V is a high-vanadium powder-metallurgy tool steel developed for very high wear resistance.

Its strengths include:

• Very high wear resistance
• Long edge retention
• High hardness potential
• Good cutting performance in abrasive materials

Its higher carbide content makes sharpening more demanding than simpler carbon and tool steels. Diamond or CBN abrasives can make maintenance considerably easier.

CPM 10V can be useful in:

• Secondary survival knives
• Folding knives
• Long-duration slicing
• Game processing
• Rope and cordage cutting
• Other controlled cutting tasks where long edge life is important

Its combination of high wear resistance and more limited toughness makes it better suited to controlled cutting than to heavy impact work.

Vanadis 8

Vanadis 8 is a powder-metallurgy tool steel designed for very high wear resistance. Uddeholm also emphasizes maintaining enough toughness to resist premature failure in demanding applications.

Its strengths include:

• Very high wear resistance
• Long edge retention
• High hardness potential
• Strong performance in abrasive cutting

Vanadis 8 requires more effort to sharpen than lower-wear steels, and diamond or CBN abrasives are useful for maintaining the edge.

Potential survival knife roles include:

• Secondary knives
• High-volume cutting knives
• Folding knives
• Game-processing knives
• Controlled slicing tasks

It is especially useful where extended cutting performance is more important than maximum impact toughness.

CPM M4

CPM M4 is a high-vanadium high-speed tool steel that combines high wear resistance with useful toughness. Crucible describes it as providing greater wear resistance and toughness than conventional M2 or M3 high-speed steels.

Its strengths include:

• High wear resistance
• Strong edge retention
• High hardness potential
• Useful toughness for a high-wear steel
• Good edge stability

CPM M4 is used in both fixed blades and folding knives where extended cutting performance is important.

Potential survival roles include:

• Folding survival knives
• Secondary knives
• Hunting knives
• Fine-cutting fixed blades
• Knives used for repeated slicing and utility cutting

CPM M4 has limited corrosion resistance and requires regular cleaning, drying, and corrosion protection.

These steels provide substantially longer cutting life than many traditional carbon and tool steels. Their advantages are strongest in knives used for repeated or abrasive cutting, while their sharpening requirements and reduced emphasis on impact toughness should be considered when deciding where they fit within a survival knife system.

Extreme Edge-Retention Steels

Extreme edge-retention steels are designed around very high wear resistance and the ability to continue cutting for long periods between sharpenings.

These steels can be useful in secondary knives, folding knives, and other controlled-cutting roles where long edge life is more important than maximum impact toughness. Their high carbide content and hardness also make sharpening more demanding.

CPM 15V

CPM 15V is a high-vanadium powder-metallurgy tool steel developed for exceptional wear resistance. It contains more vanadium carbides than CPM 10V and is designed to provide even greater wear resistance and longer cutting life.

Its strengths include:

• Exceptional wear resistance
• Very long edge retention
• High hardness potential
• Strong edge stability during controlled cutting

Its extremely high wear resistance also makes sharpening considerably more demanding than conventional survival knife steels. Diamond or CBN abrasives are the practical choice for maintaining the edge.

CPM 15V can be useful in:

• Secondary survival knives
• Folding knives
• Long-duration slicing
• Rope and cordage cutting
• Game processing
• Other controlled cutting tasks where long edge life is important

Its role in a survival knife system is strongest where prolonged cutting performance is the priority.

Maxamet

Maxamet is an ultra-hard powder-metallurgy tool steel originally developed by Carpenter Technology for demanding industrial applications. Spyderco uses it in production folding knives and describes it as an extremely hard high-speed powdered tool steel.

Its primary advantages are:

• Very high hardness
• Very high wear resistance
• Excellent edge retention
• Long cutting life

Maxamet requires more care than stainless steels because corrosion can occur, and its high wear resistance makes sharpening difficult. Diamond or CBN abrasives are well suited to maintaining it.

Potential survival roles include:

• Secondary cutting knives
• Folding knives
• Fine slicing
• Extended utility cutting
• Situations where long edge life is more important than hard-use toughness

Maxamet is best suited to controlled cutting rather than chopping, batoning, or other high-impact work.

CPM REX 121

CPM REX 121 is a high-vanadium, cobalt-bearing high-speed tool steel developed to provide extremely high wear resistance and attainable hardness. Crucible describes it as one of its most wear-resistant and highest-hardness high-speed steels.

Its strengths include:

• Extreme wear resistance
• Exceptional edge retention
• Very high hardness
• Strong resistance to abrasive wear

Those same characteristics make sharpening difficult and place it firmly in the specialized cutting category rather than the hard-use fixed-blade category.

Potential survival roles include:

• Specialized secondary knives
• Folding knives
• High-volume slicing
• Fine cutting
• Extended cutting where sharpening opportunities are limited

CPM REX 121 is an example of how a specialized steel can still serve a useful role within a broader survival knife system when paired with a tougher primary knife.

Other Extreme Edge-Retention Steels

• CPM REX 45 - High-speed tool steel with strong wear resistance, high hardness, and more balanced performance than the most extreme steels in this category.
• REX 76 - High-speed steel with very high wear resistance and high hardness.
• REX 86 - High-alloy high-speed steel intended for demanding wear applications.
• CPM T15 - High-speed tool steel with very high wear resistance and strong edge-holding potential.
• Z-Max - High-wear powder-metallurgy tool steel intended for extreme cutting and wear resistance.

These steels represent the far end of the edge-retention spectrum. Their strongest advantage is prolonged cutting performance, while their sharpening requirements and lower emphasis on impact toughness make them most appropriate for specialized or secondary knife roles.

Additional Conventional Stainless Steels

Some conventional stainless steels appear in survival, outdoor, hunting, utility, and budget knives even though they receive less attention than newer powder-metallurgy steels.

The original Survival Knife Steel Guide already covers 1.4116 / 4116. This supplemental section focuses on additional conventional stainless steels readers may still encounter.

4034

4034 is a conventional stainless steel used in utility, outdoor, and general-purpose knives.

Its practical characteristics include:

• Good corrosion resistance
• Practical toughness
• Easy sharpening
• Moderate edge retention

4034 can make sense in knives where corrosion resistance, toughness, and simple field maintenance are more important than long edge retention.

5Cr14MoV

5Cr14MoV is a conventional stainless steel used in affordable outdoor, tactical, utility, and bushcraft knives.

Its characteristics include:

• Good corrosion resistance
• Practical toughness
• Easy sharpening
• Moderate edge retention

It can be useful in budget survival and backup knives where simple maintenance and corrosion resistance are priorities.

5Cr15MoV

5Cr15MoV is another conventional stainless steel commonly used in affordable production knives.

It offers:

• Good corrosion resistance
• Easy sharpening
• Useful toughness
• Moderate edge retention

Its practical sharpening and corrosion resistance can make it suitable for general utility, backup, camp, and food preparation knives.

7Cr17MoV

7Cr17MoV is a higher-carbon conventional stainless steel used in many affordable outdoor, hunting, and utility knives.

It generally offers:

• Good corrosion resistance
• Better edge retention than lower-carbon 5Cr stainless steels
• Practical sharpening
• General-purpose cutting performance

Potential survival roles include hunting knives, backup knives, folding knives, and general outdoor utility knives.

AUS-6

AUS-6 is an older Japanese stainless knife steel that may still be encountered in older production knives.

Its characteristics include:

• Good corrosion resistance
• Practical toughness
• Easy sharpening
• Moderate edge retention

AUS-6 can still provide dependable performance in general-purpose outdoor and utility knives when paired with suitable heat treatment and blade geometry.

N695

N695 is a conventional stainless knife steel used in outdoor, hunting, tactical, and fixed-blade knives.

It offers:

• Good corrosion resistance
• Good hardness potential
• Useful wear resistance
• Good edge retention
• Practical general-purpose performance

N695 can fit hunting knives, camp knives, general-purpose fixed blades, and other outdoor knives where stainless performance and conventional sharpening requirements are desirable.

These conventional stainless steels remain worth recognizing because they continue to appear in practical knives across a wide range of prices. They generally emphasize corrosion resistance, manageable sharpening, and dependable everyday cutting performance rather than the extreme wear resistance of newer powder-metallurgy steels.

Modern and Less-Common Stainless Steels

A number of stainless steels fall outside the most familiar survival knife choices while still offering useful combinations of corrosion resistance, edge retention, toughness, and sharpening characteristics.

Some are established steels that appear only occasionally in current production knives. Others are proprietary or newer steels developed for particular manufacturers or price ranges.

Niolox

Niolox is a stainless knife steel used in outdoor, camp, hunting, and fixed-blade knives. It is especially associated with European knife manufacturers and remains available in current production models.

Niolox offers a useful combination of:

• Good corrosion resistance
• Good edge retention
• Useful toughness
• Good edge stability
• Practical sharpening compared with more wear-resistant powder steels

Its combination of properties makes it suitable for:

• General-purpose survival knives
• Bushcraft knives
• Camp knives
• Hunting knives
• Medium fixed blades

Niolox is particularly worth recognizing because it can appear in capable outdoor knives even though it receives much less attention than many newer powder-metallurgy stainless steels.

CTS-XHP

CTS-XHP is a powder-metallurgy stainless steel produced by Carpenter Technology. Carpenter describes it as a high-carbon, high-chromium, corrosion-resistant alloy that combines high hardness with strong edge retention.

CTS-XHP offers:

• High hardness potential
• Strong wear resistance
• Good edge retention
• Good corrosion resistance
• Good cutting performance

Its higher wear resistance makes sharpening more demanding than simpler stainless steels, although it remains more manageable than the extreme edge-retention steels covered earlier.

Potential survival roles include:

• Folding survival knives
• Secondary knives
• Hunting knives
• General-purpose cutting knives
• Knives used for repeated slicing

AR-RPM9

AR-RPM9 is a proprietary steel developed by Artisan Cutlery and used extensively in CJRB knives.

It was developed as an affordable steel offering a balanced combination of:

• Corrosion resistance
• Edge retention
• Toughness
• Ease of sharpening
• General cutting performance

AR-RPM9 appears primarily in folding knives, although the manufacturer has also identified it for fixed-blade use.

Potential survival roles include:

• EDC knives
• Folding survival knives
• Backup knives
• Secondary cutting knives
• General outdoor utility knives

AR-RPM9 is also a useful example of why proprietary steel claims should be considered carefully. Manufacturer descriptions provide one source of information, while composition analysis and independent testing can provide additional context about how the steel compares with established alloys.

ATS-34

ATS-34 is an older premium stainless steel that played an important role in high-quality production and custom knives before newer powder-metallurgy steels became common.

It offers:

• Good edge retention
• Useful wear resistance
• Good hardness
• Moderate corrosion resistance

ATS-34 may still be encountered in older knives, custom knives, and discontinued outdoor models.

CTS-BD1

CTS-BD1 is a stainless blade steel developed for practical cutting performance and corrosion resistance.

It offers:

• Good corrosion resistance
• Moderate edge retention
• Practical sharpening
• General-purpose cutting performance

It is most commonly encountered in folding and utility knives.

CTS-BD1N

CTS-BD1N is a nitrogen-enriched development of CTS-BD1. Current production knives use it for its balance of hardness, edge retention, corrosion resistance, and practical everyday cutting performance.

Potential survival roles include:

• EDC knives
• Folding survival knives
• Backup knives
• General-purpose utility knives

AR-SFII

AR-SFII is a newer proprietary steel associated with Artisan Cutlery and CJRB.

Because it is newer and has a shorter performance history than many established knife steels, its discussion should focus on verified composition, production use, manufacturer information, and reliable independent testing as those become available.

Its inclusion is useful because readers may increasingly encounter the steel in newer production knives.

Cronidur 30

Cronidur 30 is a nitrogen-alloy stainless steel originally developed for demanding bearing applications and later used in knives.

Its strengths include:

• Strong corrosion resistance
• Good hardness
• Useful wear resistance
• Good edge performance

Its corrosion resistance makes it especially interesting for outdoor knives used in wet or humid environments.

Cronidur 30 will also appear in the Extreme Corrosion-Resistance Steels section because corrosion resistance is one of its most important characteristics.

These steels broaden the range of stainless options readers may encounter beyond the better-known mainstream choices. Some provide balanced general-purpose performance, while others stand out because of corrosion resistance, edge retention, production history, or use in particular knife brands.

Extreme Corrosion-Resistance Steels

Some knife steels are chosen primarily because they can tolerate prolonged exposure to water, humidity, sweat, and salt far better than ordinary carbon steels and many conventional stainless steels.

These steels are especially useful in:

• Marine environments
• Coastal environments
• Fishing
• Boating
• Tropical climates
• Wet-weather survival
• Long-term exposure to humidity
• Situations where frequent drying and maintenance may be difficult

H1

H1 is a nitrogen-based corrosion-resistant knife steel that became closely associated with Spyderco's Salt Series.

Its primary strength is extreme resistance to corrosion, including saltwater exposure. Spyderco historically used H1 specifically in marine-oriented knives because of that corrosion resistance.

H1 can be useful in:

• Marine survival knives
• Fishing knives
• Boating knives
• Coastal survival kits
• Tropical environments
• Backup knives stored in wet locations

Its edge retention is more modest than that of many modern high-wear steels, so its strongest advantage is reliability in environments where corrosion is a major concern.

H2

H2 is the current successor to H1 in many Spyderco Salt Series knives.

Spyderco describes H2 as an ultra-corrosion-resistant steel and currently uses it in marine-oriented models such as the Atlantic Salt, Pacific Salt 2, and Salt 2.

H2 can be useful in:

• Marine survival knives
• Fishing knives
• Boating knives
• Coastal environments
• Tropical environments
• Wet-weather kits
• Knives carried where exposure to sweat and moisture is constant

Like H1, its main appeal is corrosion resistance rather than maximum edge retention.

N680

N680 is a nitrogen-alloy stainless steel produced for applications where corrosion resistance is especially important.

Benchmade describes N680 as a high-nitrogen steel intended for maximum corrosion resistance and specifically identifies it as suitable for saltwater use.

N680 offers a useful combination of:

• Strong corrosion resistance
• Practical edge retention
• Useful toughness
• Manageable sharpening
• Good performance in wet environments

Potential survival roles include:

• Marine knives
• Fishing knives
• Wet-environment survival knives
• Coastal survival kits
• General outdoor knives used in humid or wet conditions

N680 provides a more balanced option for readers who want very strong corrosion resistance while still retaining practical general-purpose knife performance.

Cronidur 30

Cronidur 30 also belongs in this discussion because corrosion resistance is one of its defining characteristics.

It is a nitrogen-alloy stainless steel developed for demanding applications where corrosion resistance, hardness, and wear resistance are important. In knives, those characteristics make it relevant to wet-environment and outdoor use.

Potential survival roles include:

• Wet-environment knives
• Coastal knives
• Fishing knives
• General-purpose outdoor knives where corrosion exposure is significant

Its role overlaps with the modern and less-common stainless steels discussed earlier, which is why it appears in both contexts.

Extreme corrosion resistance becomes especially valuable when a knife may remain wet, be exposed to salt, or go for extended periods without ideal maintenance. In those conditions, steels such as H1, H2, N680, and Cronidur 30 can offer advantages that have little to do with maximizing wear resistance or edge retention and everything to do with keeping the knife serviceable in a harsh environment.

High-Wear Stainless Steels

High-wear stainless steels combine corrosion resistance with very high wear resistance and long edge life.

These steels can be useful in secondary knives, folding knives, hunting knives, and other cutting tools where extended edge retention is more important than maximum impact toughness. Their higher carbide content can also make sharpening significantly more demanding.

M398

M398 is a powder metallurgy stainless steel developed for very high wear resistance and strong corrosion resistance.

Its strengths include:

• Very high wear resistance
• Long edge retention
• High hardness potential
• Strong corrosion resistance
• Good cutting performance in abrasive materials

Its higher carbide volume makes sharpening more difficult than with simpler stainless steels. Diamond or CBN abrasives are well suited to maintaining the edge.

Potential survival roles include:

• Secondary survival knives
• Folding knives
• Hunting knives
• Long-duration slicing
• Controlled cutting tasks

M398 is better suited to cutting-focused roles than to heavy impact use.

ZDP 189

ZDP 189 is a high-carbon stainless steel known for very high hardness and long edge retention.

Its strengths include:

• Very high hardness
• Strong wear resistance
• Long edge retention
• Fine cutting performance

Its limitations include:

• More demanding sharpening
• Lower toughness than hard-use steels
• Greater corrosion care than some modern stainless steels

Potential survival roles include:

• Secondary knives
• Folding knives
• Fine slicing
• Hunting knives
• Controlled utility cutting

ZDP 189 is best suited to knives where cutting performance and edge life are the priorities.

CPM S110V

CPM S110V is a powder metallurgy stainless steel designed for very high wear resistance and strong corrosion resistance.

Its strengths include:

• Very high wear resistance
• Long edge retention
• Strong corrosion resistance
• High hardness potential
• Excellent performance in repeated slicing

Its high carbide content makes sharpening more demanding, and diamond or CBN abrasives can make maintenance much easier.

Potential survival roles include:

• Folding survival knives
• Secondary knives
• EDC knives
• Hunting knives
• Long-duration slicing
• Controlled utility cutting

CPM S125V

CPM S125V is an extremely high-vanadium powder metallurgy stainless steel designed for exceptional wear resistance and edge retention.

Its strengths include:

• Extremely high wear resistance
• Very long edge retention
• High hardness potential
• Strong resistance to abrasive wear

Its limitations include:

• Difficult sharpening
• Lower toughness than general-purpose survival steels
• Greater sensitivity to impact and edge damage

Potential survival roles include:

• Specialized secondary knives
• Folding knives
• High-volume slicing
• Fine cutting
• Controlled utility work

CPM S60V / CPM 440V

CPM S60V, originally known as CPM 440V, is an older powder metallurgy stainless steel developed for high wear resistance.

It was an important early example of a stainless knife steel designed to provide substantially greater edge retention than conventional stainless steels.

Its strengths include:

• High wear resistance
• Long edge retention
• Good corrosion resistance

Its limitations include:

• More difficult sharpening
• Lower toughness than many balanced modern steels

It may still be encountered in older premium knives.

SG2 / R2

SG2, also known as R2, is a powder metallurgy stainless steel used in high-performance cutting knives.

It offers:

• High hardness
• Strong edge retention
• Good corrosion resistance
• Fine cutting performance

It is more commonly associated with fine cutting and slicing than with heavy hard-use knives.

Potential survival roles include:

• Secondary knives
• Hunting knives
• Food preparation knives
• Fine slicing knives

CPM MagnaMax

CPM MagnaMax is a newer powder metallurgy stainless steel developed to provide greater wear resistance and edge retention than CPM MagnaCut while retaining useful corrosion resistance and toughness.

It belongs in this section because it moves farther toward edge retention and wear resistance than MagnaCut.

Potential survival roles include:

• Secondary knives
• Folding knives
• Hunting knives
• High-volume cutting
• General-purpose knives where longer edge life is a priority

Because it is a newer steel, its discussion should remain grounded in verified production use and reliable performance data as more knives become available.

These steels occupy the high-wear-resistant end of the stainless spectrum. Their greatest advantage is extended cutting performance, while their sharpening requirements and lower emphasis on impact toughness make them especially useful in cutting-focused or secondary knife roles.

Proprietary Hard-Use Steels

Some knife manufacturers use proprietary steel names or proprietary heat treatment methods to produce steels intended for demanding outdoor and hard-use knives.

These steels can be difficult to compare directly with standardized commercial alloys because the exact composition, processing, or heat treatment may be controlled by the manufacturer. Their practical value comes from how they perform in finished knives.

INFI

INFI is the proprietary steel associated with Busse Combat knives.

It is best known for:

• Very high toughness
• Strong resistance to chipping and breakage
• Good edge stability
• Useful corrosion resistance
• Practical sharpening for a hard-use steel

INFI has been used extensively in large fixed blades and knives intended for chopping, batoning, heavy wood processing, and other demanding outdoor tasks.

Potential survival roles include:

• Primary survival knives
• Large fixed blades
• Choppers
• Hard-use camp knives
• Heavy wood-processing knives

Its strongest appeal is durability under demanding use rather than maximum edge retention.

SR 101

SR 101 is the proprietary steel designation used by Swamp Rat Knife Works for a specially heat-treated high-carbon steel.

Its strengths include:

• High toughness
• Good edge retention
• Strong edge stability
• Practical sharpening
• Good performance in demanding fixed-blade use

SR 101 has been used in survival, camp, chopping, and hard-use knives.

Potential survival roles include:

• Primary survival knives
• Bushcraft knives
• Camp knives
• Choppers
• Hard-use fixed blades
• Wood-processing knives

Because it is a carbon-based steel, corrosion prevention remains important.

SR 77

SR 77 is another proprietary steel used in hard-use knives associated with the Busse family of brands.

It is generally associated with:

• Very high toughness
• Strong impact resistance
• Resistance to chipping and breakage
• Large blade applications

Its emphasis is more heavily placed on toughness than on long edge retention.

Potential survival roles include:

• Large fixed blades
• Choppers
• Heavy wood-processing knives
• Hard-use survival knives

SR 77 can be especially useful where impact resistance and durability are more important than maintaining an edge through long periods of abrasive cutting.

Carbon V

Carbon V was a proprietary steel designation historically used by Cold Steel in a wide range of outdoor, hunting, survival, and hard-use knives.

The Carbon V name represented a combination of steel selection, heat treatment, and manufacturing rather than a single universally fixed alloy specification.

Its reputation was built around:

• Good toughness
• Strong edge performance
• Practical sharpening
• Good durability
• Suitability for outdoor fixed blades

Potential survival roles include:

• Camp knives
• Survival knives
• Hunting knives
• Large fixed blades
• Chopping knives
• General-purpose outdoor knives

Carbon V remains worth knowing because many older Cold Steel knives using it are still in circulation and continue to be used as survival and outdoor knives.

Proprietary steels should be judged by the performance of the finished knife, the manufacturer's heat treatment, the blade geometry, and the steel's demonstrated characteristics. The proprietary name alone provides only part of the information needed to understand how the knife will perform.

Matching These Steels to Survival Knife Roles

The steels in this article cover a wide range of performance characteristics. Their usefulness depends on the role of the knife, the tasks it must perform, the environment in which it will be used, and the level of maintenance and sharpening the user is prepared to provide.

General-Purpose Fixed Blades

Steels that can work well in general-purpose fixed blades include:

• 52100
• A2
• ApexUltra
• CPM 4V
• Sleipner
• Vanadis 4 Extra
• Niolox

These steels offer useful combinations of toughness, edge stability, wear resistance, sharpening practicality, and cutting performance.

They can fit knives used for:

• General camp work
• Bushcraft
• Wood processing
• Food preparation
• Hunting
• Utility cutting
• Everyday survival tasks

Hard-Use Fixed Blades

Steels that place greater emphasis on toughness and resistance to chipping or breakage include:

• 8670
• Z-Tuff
• CPM 1V
• CPM 4V
• INFI
• SR 101
• SR 77

These steels can fit knives intended for:

• Batoning
• Chopping
• Heavy wood processing
• Large fixed-blade use
• Repeated impact
• Other demanding outdoor work

Secondary High Edge-Retention Knives

Some steels are better suited to cutting-focused secondary knives than to primary hard-use fixed blades.

Examples include:

• CPM 10V
• Vanadis 8
• CPM 15V
• Maxamet
• CPM REX 121
• M398
• CPM S110V
• CPM S125V
• ZDP 189

These steels can provide long cutting life for:

• Slicing
• Rope and cordage
• Game processing
• Food preparation
• Cardboard and packaging
• Fine utility cutting
• Other controlled cutting tasks

A high edge-retention secondary knife can complement a tougher primary survival knife.

Wet and Marine Knives

Steels that place strong emphasis on corrosion resistance include:

• H1
• H2
• N680
• Cronidur 30

These steels can be useful for:

• Marine survival
• Fishing
• Boating
• Coastal environments
• Tropical environments
• Wet weather
• High humidity
• Long-term exposure to moisture

Other corrosion-resistant steels already covered in the original guide, including LC200N, Vanax, and MagnaCut, may also serve these roles.

Bushcraft and Woodcraft Knives

Steels that can provide a useful balance of toughness, edge stability, and cutting performance for bushcraft and woodcraft include:

• 52100
• A2
• ApexUltra
• CPM 4V
• Sleipner
• Vanadis 4 Extra

These steels can fit knives used for:

• Carving
• Feather sticks
• Notching
• Controlled wood cutting
• General camp work
• Moderate wood processing

Folding Survival and Backup Knives

Folding knives can serve as EDC knives, backup knives, secondary cutting tools, or companions to a larger fixed blade.

Steels that may fit these roles include:

• CTS-XHP
• AR-RPM9
• CTS-BD1N
• CPM M4
• CPM 10V
• CPM 15V
• Maxamet
• CPM S110V
• ZDP 189

The best steel for a folding survival knife depends on whether the priority is toughness, corrosion resistance, ease of sharpening, or long edge life.

Hunting and Game Processing Knives

Steels that can work well for hunting and game processing include:

• 52100
• ApexUltra
• Niolox
• CTS-XHP
• CPM M4
• CPM 10V
• Vanadis 8
• M398
• SG2 / R2

These knives may benefit from good slicing performance, edge stability, and the ability to maintain a working edge through repeated cuts.

No single steel is ideal for every survival knife role. A steel that excels in a large hard-use fixed blade may be poorly suited to a fine slicing knife, while a high-wear-resistant steel may provide excellent edge life in a secondary knife but give up toughness needed for heavy impact work.

Matching the steel to the role of the knife allows each knife in a survival system to contribute a different capability.

Sharpening and Maintenance Considerations

The steels in this article vary considerably in how easy they are to sharpen and how much corrosion protection they require.

Steels such as 8670, A2, 52100, 1065, 1066, 1080, and L6 are generally easier to maintain with conventional field sharpening equipment.

Higher wear-resistant steels such as CPM 10V, Vanadis 8, CPM 15V, Maxamet, CPM REX 121, M398, CPM S110V, and CPM S125V can take much longer to sharpen. Diamond or CBN abrasives are especially useful with these steels.

Carbon and tool steels such as 52100, 8670, A2, CPM M4, Maxamet, SR 101, and Carbon V also require more attention to corrosion prevention. Cleaning, drying, inspection, and light protective oiling can help prevent rust and staining.

Highly corrosion-resistant steels such as H1, H2, N680, and Cronidur 30 require much less corrosion maintenance and can be especially useful where knives are frequently exposed to water, humidity, sweat, or salt.

Sharpening equipment and maintenance requirements should be considered when deciding where a steel fits within a survival knife system.

Key Takeaways

The additional steels covered in this article expand the range of options you may encounter beyond the steels discussed in the original 18-part Survival Knife Steel Guide.

• Carbon and low-alloy steels such as 52100, 8670, A2, and ApexUltra can provide strong toughness, edge stability, and practical sharpening for fixed-blade survival and outdoor knives.
• High-performance tool steels such as CPM 4V, Z-Tuff, Sleipner, and Vanadis 4 Extra can provide useful combinations of toughness, wear resistance, and edge retention.
• High-wear and extreme edge-retention steels such as CPM 10V, CPM 15V, Maxamet, CPM REX 121, M398, and CPM S125V can provide very long cutting life, especially in secondary or controlled-cutting knives.
• Stainless steels such as Niolox, CTS-XHP, H1, H2, N680, and Cronidur 30 provide different balances of corrosion resistance, cutting performance, edge retention, and maintenance requirements.
• Proprietary steels such as INFI, SR 101, SR 77, and Carbon V have established roles in hard-use outdoor knives and should be considered in the context of the manufacturer's heat treatment, knife design, and demonstrated performance.
• Sharpening requirements vary considerably. High wear-resistant steels may benefit from diamond or CBN abrasives, while many carbon and lower-alloy steels can be maintained more easily with conventional field sharpening equipment.
• The role of the knife remains one of the most important considerations. A steel suited to a hard-use primary fixed blade may serve a very different purpose from a steel chosen for a folding knife, wet-environment knife, hunting knife, or high edge-retention secondary knife.

Understanding these additional steels gives you a broader base of knowledge when you encounter unfamiliar steel names while researching or selecting survival knives.

Conclusion

The original 18-part Lone Wolf Survival Knife Steel Guide covers many of the steels most commonly encountered in survival knives. This supplemental article expands that foundation by introducing additional steels you may find in survival, bushcraft, hunting, outdoor, tactical, camp, and hard-use knives.

These additional steels range from traditional carbon and low-alloy steels to high-performance tool steels, extreme edge-retention steels, specialized stainless steels, corrosion-resistant steels, and proprietary hard-use steels.

Understanding what these steels offer can help you recognize unfamiliar steel names, understand their general strengths and limitations, and determine where they may fit within your survival knife system.

The steel is one part of the knife. The role of the knife, the tasks it must perform, the environment in which it will be used, its sharpening and maintenance requirements, and the overall design of the knife should all be considered when choosing a survival knife.