in relation to hardness). Steels that are improperly heat treated have excess retained austenite which makes them extremely difficult to deburr. 14C28N steel holds good hardness. Some steel companies charge more than others. This is to keep the focus on the elements that are making the biggest difference. 14C28N steel is not very hard steel which makes it easier to sharpen. Note just because a blade is made from the premium or high-end steels listed above does not automatically mean its better than the lesser steels. Im looking forward to seeing if it does as well in full production. We should be suspicious of anyone who is claiming very high edge retention with a steel at low hardness and a small amount of carbide. Corrosion Resistance: D2 steel has a higher chromium content than 8Cr13MoV, which makes it better at resisting corrosion and wear. But which? You can see micrographs of different knife steels to compare their carbides in this article. Corrosion on knife steels most usually takes the form of rust, patina, and staining. More expensive powder metallurgy steels in this category include M390, CPM-S35VN, Elmax, CTS-XHP, CPM-S30V, and CPM-154. 440B Steels that can be high in edge retention and toughness are desirable for general use knives. What about K390? I feel like it sharpens as easy as D2. imo o lot depends on how the blade is sharpened. Oftentimes steels that are reported to be difficult to sharpen are in fact improperly heat treated and challenging to deburr. It is among the steel knives with exceptional toughness while maintaining excellent corrosion resistance. But it doesnt have great wear resistance and thus doesnt hold an edge particularly well. Notice that with the same edges on the same media, the 9Cr18Mov from Real Steel performs about as well as the average Chinese D2. MC66 Even people that are aware of your work still do knife rankings and pass them off as steel rankings. Vancron has a very fine microstructure so it would be tough to beat. I dipped each in lemon juice and left in open air and tested after 30, 100, and 300 minutes, dipping in lemon juice again each time. Fix-It Sticks Compact Ratcheting Multi-Tool Review, Toughness, Wear Resistance, Corrosion Resistance. I know it's much more stainless and corrosion resisitance, but what about wear resistance? The main downside is the steel is more difficult to heat treat and cant go harder than about 60 or perhaps 61 Rc. D2 has a relatively high amount of carbon in its composition (1.55%), more than twice as much as AEB-L (0.68%), but most of that carbon goes into making chromium carbides instead of into solution in the steel matrix, leaving D2 with only ~0.5% C in solution and very large carbides that are good for wear resistance but bad for toughness. Edge retention is the ability of a knife to maintain cutting ability during cutting. I have two quick questions, Each of these contributes to a knifes overall performance. Later, it gets heated and compressed into one ingot. It is among the best steel that will offer exceptional toughness while still maintaining excellent corrosion resistance. Although it should be noted that there doesnt seem to be a need for the stainlessness on a wood working tool. Its possible that there are steel manufacturers with better processing which would lead to an even carbide distribution but I cant say that without seeing it for myself. All of the experiments shown below are possible thanks to supporters. CPM 154 Deburring of edges often takes even longer than removing material to produce the edge. I have an article that lists off the major mistakes often made in heat treating. There are still a few things I dont know but we have enough information to make educated guesses where data isnt available. How long sharpen? Below shows approximate maximum hardness vs stainless rating for several stainless knife steels. Steel is a combination of iron and carbon with other elements. Been here before? 3) catra is (as far as i know) the only accredited (iso/en) testing method. Is it similar but worse or better at one of the 3 things? I wrote an article about knife steel ratings available online in 2018, where I concluded that none of them were very good. And below shows a chart of carbide hardness, the equation we created to predict edge retention based on edge angle, hardness, and carbide volumes, and then the chart showing the good correlation: TCC (mm) = -157 + 15.8*Hardness (Rc) 17.8*EdgeAngle() + 11.2*CrC(%) + 14.6*CrVC(%) + 26.2*MC(%) + 9.5*M6C(%) + 20.9*MN(%) + 19.4*CrN(%). Also many hardwoods will dull planer blades just because theyre more dense. So what is the best steel for knives? While some are into that type of thing, if youre familiar with a specific steel and want to compare it with another, you should definitely click on that button below. Therefore, ensure to wash and dry your knives after use to keep the rust away. This showed that XHP and ZDP-189 have significantly lower corrosion resistance than other stainless steels. the more complex fracture toughness at least lets you make some estimates in this sence. https://knifesteelnerds.com/2018/12/10/cryogenic-processing-of-steel-part-2/ Read more. If the steel is overheated in austenitizing, very large reductions in toughness are possible. What carbon/tool steel would you choose for a survival knife if a PM steel was too expensive? It has a lower hardness and edge retention as compared to the 9Cr knife. Im a woodworker and Im interested in making better performing plane irons and chisels. Rex 121 23.5% vanadium carbide, 4% molybdenum/tungsten carbide (M6C), Conventional Ingot vs Powder Metallurgy Carbide Structure. Note:Dont bother with anything less than 8Cr in this series. All rights reserved. 14C28N For instance, if a 35 edge in 1095 steel at 58 Rc provides appropriate toughness for planing hardwood, what edge angle in, say, AEB-L at 62 Rc might give us a comparable effective toughness? CPM 4V The most traditional models of pocket knives have different parts, such as the handle and cutting performance. Contact me if you have any questions or input! Steel with high wear resistance is more costly to manufacture, as the knife company goes through more abrasives to grind the knives. Socould you please clarify which steel is the outlier and which is the line>. There you said 7.6 for 420HC. The line is only in the neighborhood of 5 of the datapoints. The best knife for you should meet your needs and fit your budget. Who looking for latest, high carbon, then the Kershaw Natrix Copper Pocketknife. This is an American-made powder steel produced by Crucible and developed specifically for knives with the aid of the knife guru Chris Reeve (maker of the vaunted Sebenza, among other gems). There one of the best reason that he is highly regarded as a knife designer. Ruike Sandvik 14c28n vs D2 looking at getting a nice larger flipper for a little under 100 AUD. Rather than upgrade from D2 to M4 or S30V just drop the angle from 40 degrees to 30 degrees. A quick check shows the compositions of these steels are nearly identical, so based on that Id expect them to perform similarly (differences in heat treat and blade geometry aside). There is no single category that means that a steel is more premium or better than another. -> Maybe prequenched 14c28n could be a little tougher than AEB-L? When describing the characteristics of a steel, a few common attributes are commonly talked about. Between the assisted open, weird looking texture designs, and the stainless steel handle, the Cannonball has a lot of features I don't normally like, but even I have to admit it's a good design for the price. Here is the article by Larrin on 48 steels. I guess the question is whether toughness increases faster than edge retention decreases. 14C28N vs. D2. Its very tough and exceptionally corrosion-resistant. 14C28N steel is known to offer among the best if not the best toughness in knife steels out there. 52100 Edge retention often refers to the ability of a knifes edge to maintain its sharpness during use. This is a midprice steel with matching performance. 14C28N and D2 steel are not the same. I think you wrote an article a bit ago on CTS-XHP and concluded that like D2 and ZDP-189 it wasnt really stainless (although stainless is a somewhat arbitrary line). You showed some pictures in this article of the effect on what we might call "effective toughness" of thinner edge angles vs thicker edges in the same steel at the same hardness. Due to its higher Chromium content, S30v is a lot less likely to corrode/rust than the D2 Steel. This is the basis on which I do the ratings rather than a linear scale. Cool! great work, larrin. Rex 45 I did a large study of different knives with identical sharpening and edge geometry. This was not necessarily because of superior toughness but because of the superior strength of the MagnaCut from higher hardness. Stainless steels are another subset of high alloy tool steels that have enough chromium in them to have stainless levels of corrosion resistance. Its an anomaly in the knife world and quite puzzling to use. The stainless steel rating. Are you looking for 14c28n steel with other steel? Properties: 14C28N: D2: Edge retention: 4/10: 7/10: Ease of sharpening: 6/10: 3/10: Corrosion resistance: 4/10: 4/10: Toughness: 6/10: 6/10: CIVIVI Knives Elementum Folding Pocket Knife 2.96" D2 Satin Blade . https://i0.wp.com/knifesteelnerds.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/stainless-toughness-10-19-21.jpg?w=757&ssl=1 Around 61 Rc usually. The brand Bark River uses A2 in many models. So, it is quite harder than most other steel variants and retains its edge sharp for a long period. Most of the discussion of how the ratings were generated, various caveats and details, etc. There is a powder form, CPM-D2, and PSF27 is also very chemically similar. Moreover, the blades will serve you longer because they do not wear out faster with frequent use and sharpening. 1.4116 Another is that 8Cr13MoV is a generic name for a specific composition while AUS-8 is a name of a product by a specific company. We use a subsize, unnotched chapy test with 2.5 x 10 x 55 mm dimensions. This can turn the ultra corrosion resistant LC200N or Vanax into a normal stainless steel that will rust with only 1% saltwater. To choose the best knife for you between the 14C28N and the D2, look at the steel properties and ensure that they suit your knife needs and lifestyle. Powder metallurgy steels with low vanadium content like CPM-1V and Z-Tuff/CD#1 have extremely high toughness. Thanks to Bill Smutz, Alex Topfer, Florian Bachler, Brunhard, Art, Rod H, Sach, Jinny Koh, Jon Duda, Cory Henderson, and UPKnife for becoming Knife Steeel Nerds Patreon supporters! We can predict edge retention of a steel within a relatively narrow band based on hardness and carbide volume. Typically an increase in corrosion resistance means a reduction in potential hardness for a given steel. I also have meat cleaver 1,4116 ,58RC that I order and was looking up if its a good steel or did waist money and need to return it. Thank you for putting this together, incredibly useful! There are so many interactions between them that predictions are difficult without modeling software. It would be really useful to have the raw data that backs the charts that you produce. My test is for comparing different steels, not necessarily for a go/no go test for saltwater applications. Tough steel can handle impacts without gross chipping or a tip breaking off. In reality hardly difference. The edge retention and ease of sharpening have been what we expect with D2. Here, youll learn the different factors that go into each steel, ratings for a wide variety of steel alloys, and youll get some recommendations for types of knives different types of steel work well for. It is certainly possible for a knifemaker or heat treating company to do a heat treatment that will have suboptimal properties. Thanks to its very high hardness (64-66 HRc compared to the average of 58-62 HRc), ZDP-189 can be ground thinner and sharpened less often. Other factors that can be added in are corrosion resistance, hardness, and cost. The solid lockup and decent blade design make these two knives well suited for camping. Im a layman trying to understand what makes the best steel for my use. Read more. AEB-L To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Below shows Vanax tempered at 400F on the left and 1000F on the right after 1% saltwater for 24 hours: There are many other ways in which knife steel performance can be reduced through heat treatment but I cant cover them all in this article so hopefully these illustrative examples will be enough. D2 seems to run at high hrc. Pretty interesting that regrinding a knife you already have can seemingly take its performance to that of significantly better steels. Other factors include how thick your edge is, how dull your knife was at the start, the nature of the heat treatment, and what youre using to sharpen your knife. Note that corrosion is detrimental for the cutting edge. On the other hand the professional performing blade steels sharpen to a razor edge and hold the edge for an extended use. Obviously Ill let you check the manuscript prior to publication. In use, its very similar to 440C and VG-10. Also D2 is not stainless as at least 5% of its chromium is tied up in carbides where it doesnt help prevent corrosion. The ratings I have are for an optimal heat treatment. Steels with only vanadium carbides have the best balance of properties because the hardness of carbide matters for edge retention but doesnt for toughness. Diamond and CBN stones make sharpening those steels easier. Without any confusion, you can purchase this set that has a slim, versatile, modified drip-point blade with good slicing capabilities. MagnaCut has the lowest chromium of any of the below steels but all of its chromium is in solution (no chromium carbide) and the fact that it has no chromium carbide also gives it the maximum level of corrosion resistance for a given amount of chromium. But the true calling card of INFI is its insane toughness. Compared to the AUS10A, the D2 has a longer legacy since it's been around since 1918. Steels like CPM MagnaCut, CPM M4, CPM 4V, and CPM CruWear fit in this category. It was your original article on ratings that brought me to knifesteel nerds so its great to see your results put back into a form that will no doubt be distributed \ plagiarized widely, hopefully leading to more rational thought and better understanding by the knife consuming public (not that the misleading marketing will go away). By that I dont mean that a better heat treatment is not possible, but that major mistakes in heat treating are avoided. So we get back to my original question: if a D2 planer blade at 58 Rc and the associated level of toughness will perform acceptably with a 30 sharpening angle, is there some way to extrapolate at what sharpening angle another steel with higher toughness might perform equally well? Did you change the estimate based on more testing? Non-stainless steels can be heat treated to 66 Rc or even higher depending on the particular steel. 2. Not impractical fantasy knives, but these two knives that have a col look to them. Must-Have Bowie Knives for Your Collection, What is Micarta and What Makes It a Great Knife Handle, Top 8 Reasons Why Knives Make the Best Gifts, Pocket Clips: Carry Safely and Comfortably, Make a Knife Your Own with Accessories & Customization. Nitro V vs 14C28N Last but not least, 14C28N contains comparatively more vanadium elements which makes the carbides more harder and strong, which gives 14C28N a better edge retention. This is an old high-carbon (non-stainless) steel. . I have a Spyderco K390 knife and I cut leather with it as it is only .090 thick and I seldom have to strop it on 1 micron diamond compound on leather. Ive found that most makers harden S30V too much, making it prone to chipping at the edge. Combination of knife steel properties. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. show very different and even inversed behaviour (e.g. Larrin, thank you for this. LC 200N is an elite performer, with high hardness, high toughness, and off-the-charts corrosion resistance. But SM100 is not widely available, hard to heat treat and grind, and exceptionally expensive. Anyway, astute comment, but edge retention does mean a lot in woodworking. High alloy tool steels are designed to be air hardening, so they can be cooled even slower than the oil hardening steels found above. But keep in mind that no steel is perfect for everything. For example, Bohler M390, CTS-204P, and CPM-20CV are all nearly identical and indistinguishable in practice. Why do you give a coin with a knife as a gift? It will take you more time and energy to get a sharp edge, but your efforts will pay off because the blades hold the edge longer. 52100 and CruForgeV are good for general purpose knives. Generally this is code for difficulty in abrading away steel. VG-10 steel also has the same level of toughness as 14C28N and the same level of corrosion resistance. CROMOVA BD1 is excellent budget steel, very similar in composition and performance to GIN-1, a Japanese steel used a decade ago by Spyderco. Below shows the results of MagnaCut testing vs other steels where it is labeled as New Steel.. High Alloy Tool Steel and High Speed Steel Ratings. Any thoughts how Sleipner might fare in the ratings? [Steel Knife Review], Best survival knife sword: 5160 steel Review, What is VG 10 pocket knife? You can read about my CATRA edge retention testing in this article. They lack the carbon necessary to hold an edge, even during mild use. Editors note: This article was first published in May 2015 and was most recently updated on May 25, 2020. Im writing a book about choosing a knife for EDC. GearJunkie Copyright 2013 2023. But unlike most high-end steels, SPY27 is an easily user-serviceable powder steel. These steels are perfect for thin edges and high hardness. It improves wear resistance and hardenability. 1095 There are a lot of different types of steel out there . Read about my tests in this article. But in use, Ive found nothing that withstands the abuse that 3V can take. This is a powder steel produced by American steel company Carpenter. A mirror finish is the best at resisting corrosion and a rough finish means rust and corrosion is more likely. I believe they are made of simple carbon steel. 14c28n is the most popular material for the knife: stainless steel and made by the Swedish company. D2 has been around for more than 20 years, an eternity in metallurgy terms. 2. For decades, different steels have been made to fit this category. Your email address will not be published. These steels are the good old hard-working steels. I was struggling to simplify all the Rockwell/Youngs Modulus stuff for readers when I came across your site. Stainless steels are more resistant to corrosion but remember that stainless steels stain less, and most of them will still rust in the right conditions. In many cases, the D2 edge sharpness may last a bit longer. 440C steel The 14C28N stainless steel from Swedish manufacturer Sandvik is considered an upgrade to their 13C26 steel (described below). Below shows pictures of a 61 Rc knife that was impacted with a 3/16 rod at different energy levels. The hardness of the carbides does not matter much unlike with edge retention. XHP is an exceptionally well-balanced steel with excellent all-around attributes. first there might have been some annealing going on (even if its was a microscopic level) and the steels might have reacted differently. But yes, I would assume that the general performance would still be relatively similar between them without evidence to the contrary. Note:There is a powder-metal version called CPM154 thats purer than the non-powder version, making it easier for knifemakers to grind. Very acute edges are more brittle but remain sharp for longer and cut very well. I havent tested Sleipner yet. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I tested its edge wear resistance but not its toughness yet. We did the research to help you find the best hunting knife for your needs and budget. The definition of a quality knife differs among users because of varied needs, but there are basic properties that every quality knife must have. D2 steel offers better edge retention and wear resistance than 14C28N. I would like to see the rating and performance on test of the Chinese Steels, that some people use to say its cheap garbage, like 3Cr13MoV, 4Cr13, 4Cr13Mo, 4Cr14MoV, 5Cr15MoV, 6Cr13MoV, 7Cr17MoV, 8Cr13MoV, 9Cr13MoVCo, 9Cr18MoV, 9Cr19MoV, and the 14cr14MovNB to see if they are similar, worse or better than the steels that they copyi believe we gonna have some good unexpected results. Also I notice 1095 looks like another underperformer as there doesnt look to be any reason to use it over 5160 which I cant imagine is any more expensive than 1095. have extremely high edge retention. One important concept I want to hammer home is that there isnt one property that is most important. But if you want to know what the coolest blade material is, for my money, SM100is it. 8Cr13MoV is comparable to the Japanese AUS-8 but containing slightly higher carbon content. Its probably in between Vanadis 8 and 10V. 14C28N VS D2 Attributes: 14c28n: D2 . Hammering through hickory, digging at roots in sandy soil, and cutting around bone did nothing to chip, dent, or roll the edge of my 3V knives. And Ive done a lot of experimental work on knife steels where I feel more confident in my own ratings. High toughness steels can be produced without powder metallurgy and also have low wear resistance for lower manufacturing costs. In other words, heat treating a steel to its maximum hardness does not necessarily mean reduced corrosion resistance. Several factors arent related to the steel you choose but seriously affect the nature of your knifes performance. Flashlights run the gamut of price and quality. 14C28N is a type of high-performance stainless steel used in knife-making. So you can estimate how much a change in hardness would affect edge retention by following the slope of those lines. It has an HRc over 70, usually even harder than Maxamet. worldwide, even the chinese have an equivalent (8cr13mov). Distilled water can separate steels that are stainless vs those that are not. If you are a newbie, sharpening D2 knives will be a struggle, but it is doable with practice and the right sharpening tools. S45VN S110V has improved corrosion resistance at the cost of some toughness compared to S90V. It mainly made for knife and it high in Chromium for excellent corrosion resistance. Alloying elements are an important ingredient vital in getting the best steel for the job. I did a test with knives in 440A (stainless), D2 (high alloy steel with some corrosion resistance), and 1095 (no corrosion resistance). CTS-204P and CPM-20CV are nearly identical steels made by other manufacturers. Is there a reason SG2/R2 are not included in the lineup, despite being one of the most popular ones? Ah ok that wasnt mentioned. 12C27 steel is extremely popular in the US knife market for its high hardness, high wear resistance, and great corrosion resistance. In fact, its not technically a steel at all, as it uses titanium and nickel. CRKT and Spyderco use BD1. GiantMouse Vox/Anso ACE Iona Liner Lock Knife, Muley Freaks Erik Van Woerkom Charged With Felony Possession of Trophy Mule Deer, The Biggest Improvement to My Camp Kitchen Is a Mini Pizza Oven (But Not for Pizza), Propane Traeger, Moosejaw Coolers, Hybrid HOKAs, Adventure Chess, and More Emerging Gear, Avalanche Outside British Columbia Resort Buries 10, Kills 3 Heli-Skiers, Netflix Unveils First Trailer for Tour de France Series. Knives are one of our oldest tools, so it makes sense that they have evolved into thousands of styles since the first person chipped one out of stone. So hard vanadium carbides means you get more edge retention for a given amount of carbide. Give it a couple of weeks, and feedback will start pouring in. It's like the difference between average 420HC and Buck's 420HC with the Bos heat treatment, only from a better starting point. Ease of Sharpening: One advantage of 8Cr13MoV is that it is easier to sharpen than D2 steel. And while it can be hard depending on the heat treat, I have found it easily chips, causing microscopic dings in the edge when hardened to a high level on a thin blade. Have you tested K390 sufficiently to be able to rate it? 8cr13mov if proper slicing geometry its good budget steel if you dont rust it and no prying or screwing its ok cutting steel. Spyderco offers this as the high-end steel for many of its evergreen blades, like the Paramilitary 2, Paramilitary 3, Manix 2, and Native 5. This is a bit of a guess because I cant find un-notched Charpy data on it. It richly deserves its reputation for high-quality gained over the years by Sandvik, a Swedish manufacturer of world-renowned steel. 14c28n vs. D2 Steel D2 is as rigid as 14c28n, thus has almost equal edge retention abilities. As of November 2020, this is Spyderco-exclusive steel. It gets exceptionally sharp, a nod to its origins as a razorblade steel. The hardness level of steel is determined using a universal scale called the "Rockwell C Test", commonly called the Rockwell hardness scale (HRC). Toughness and edge retention are generally opposing properties and it is difficult to improve both of them at the same time. 1.4116 got a 2.5 for toughness and edge retention where as 420HC got a 9 for toughness and a 2.5 for edge retention. They represent the absolute best performers on the market in terms of their specific attributes. Great for tensile strength and Edge retention. Here its 8. The ESEE had significant edge damage while the MagnaCut knife did not. These steels favor edge retention over all else. 14c28n steel and D2 steel are both high-quality knife steels. With steels that have a small amount of carbide the size of the carbides can be kept small through processing (see the AEB-L micrograph earlier in the article). The unique process used to make LC 200N results in a fine-grain structure. The knives can be used in humid and wet environments without rusting. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. When it debuted, Sal Glesser described XHP as a combination of D2s hardness and 440Cs corrosion resistance. Hi Larrin Your estimate of 420HCs corrosion resistance is different here than in your October, 2019 post on corrosion resistance testing: https://knifesteelnerds.com/2019/10/14/corrosion-resistance-testing/ Its actually quite good, low-cost steel that performs like midprice steel. In thick forms, like a fixed blade, 1095 isa tough, low-cost steel. They tend to be relatively expensive and difficult to sharpen, as they have high wear resistance. The knife does dull faster. 14C28N is stainless steel, and its knives offer excellent rust resistance and toughness than D2 steel. Though technically not a stainless steel due to its composition, in use it performs exactly like one. Also, if you want a fishing knife, 14c28n steel will survive better in wet areas than D2. If I made some plane irons from AEB-L at 63 Rc (where its still tougher than 1095 at 59-60 Rc, the standard vintage steel in plane irons), could I drop my sharpening angle from 30-35 to 25? Heat treatment refers to the heating and cooling steps employed to achieve your knifes proper balance of attributes. Many custom makers enjoy AEB-L, as its easy to machine but still has a high hardness, around 62 HRc. Id like to quote some of your toughness, edge retention and corrosion resistance for balanced midfield steels, including yours, in some data tables. Or even a 7 in both categories. CN Vs VG-10 The Japanese steel, VG10 offers slightly higher edge retention but has the same level of hardness as 14C28N. Both steel types don't chip easily, but 14c28n steel is easier to sharpen. The table shows combinations of knife steel properties for different classes of steel. Using 10 dps sharpening (20 degrees inclusive on the chart) leads to about 5x the edge retention of 25 dps. High wear resistance steels are more expensive to buy and to process, especially since many require powder metallurgy. Even premium steels can have poor performance with poor heat treatment. Spyderco has their own salt spray test setup to determine the corrosion resistance and they determined that MagnaCut is sufficiently corrosion resistant for their salt series of knives. It mainly made for knife and it high in Chromium for excellent corrosion resistance. What is pulling that line high and to the right? It has excellent edge retention, corrosion resistance, and ease of sharpening. D2 is mainly considered decent budget steel that comes with better edge retention than the 14C28N. 14c28n vs. AUS-8 Steel Chris Reeves version, which is about two points less hard than others, is quite good. . This does not predict which knife will cut longer or be more resistant to chipping. But its very cheap, and, when ground appropriately, it can be a real winner from a value standpoint. And only Vanax and LC200N have been free from corrosion with a 3.5% saltwater solution, though MagnaCut was close. Yes its very easy to sharpen but it doesnt hold an edge at all. D2 steel is more durable than 14C28N, but it scores lower in terms of ease of sharpening and corrosion resistance. Where the black-finished 1.4116 version has a simple, full flat grind, the D2 version has a compound flat grind that ends halfway up the blade's height. 440A D2 is carbon steel that has high toughness and durability.