Flat spring, 5160 vs. In my reading I find that 5160 is the usual spring steel, but comparing the numbers with 4140, there is not much difference at, say, a 1000F temper. And the Yield strength and elongation are specifically compared. AISI 5160 steel, also known as 5160 spring steel, is a high carbon chromium alloy (maximum carbon content 0.61%, chromium content 0.9%). AISI SAE 5160 high carbon steel has excellent toughness, ductility and fatigue resistance and is commonly used in industrial applications as well as in the automotive sector for many different heavy duty. 5160 SPRING STEEL. 5160 Spring Steel is a low Chromium alloy steel, with around 0.7 Chromium - which is not enough to make it stainless (which requires a minimum of 13% Chromium) - but combined with a small amount of silicon (0.2%) results in an extremely tough and durable sword and is favored by sword makers such as Angus Trim, Generation 2. General characteristics of Alloy Steel 6150. A similar alloy to 5150 with a small, but effective, vanadium addition. The alloy is used in the production of forged components of medium and large cross section, requiring high tensile strength and toughness, for automotive engineering and gear and engine construction, such as forged crankshafts, steering knuckles, connecting rods.

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The Lexicon of Blade Steel list common steels often used in knives. It is in no way all inclusive. All steels listed here also appear within the Lexicon of Knife Terminolgy. As I hear about other steels being used in knife making I will try to determine what they are and add them.

13C26 Sndvik Steel: A scandinavian steel similar to 440A Stainless but considered more corrosion resistant. (.68 Carbon, .13 Chromium)

3CR13: A Chinese Stainless steel that is similar in quality to 420J2 (AUS 4) stainless steel. The following formula is a break down in the steel: Around 13% chromium and 3% carbon. It has a HRC of 52-55 making it relatively soft.

5CR13: A Chinese Stainless steel that is similar in quality to 420HC (AUS 6) stainless steel. The following formula is a break down in the steel: Around 13% chromium and 5% carbon. It has a HRC of 54-57 making it relatively soft.

7CR17MoV: A Chinese Stainless steel that is similar in quality to AUS6 stainless steel. The follwoing formula is a break down in the steel: 7CR part means it is 7% chromium and the 17MoV means .17% molybdenum and .17% Vanadium

8cr13MoV: A Chinese Stainless steel that is similar in quality to AUS8 stainless steel. The follwoing formula is a break down in the steel: 8CR part means it is 8% chromium and the 17MoV means .17% molybdenum and .17% Vanadium

10 Series Carbon Steel: Also known as 10XX. 10 is an SAE designation for plain carbon steel. (1 means carbon, 0 denotes no other major element in the steel) The numbers following the ten give the amount of carbon added to the steel alloy. For instance 1070 would equal 0.70% or 7/10 of 1% of carbon added to the steel. 1050 equals ½ of 1% or 0.50%. More carbon produces a harder, tougher blade but increase the potential for staining (rust). See also 1095.

12C27: A Steel with .6% carbon that originated in Scandinavia. It is roughly equivalent to 440A. It is often called Norwegian Steel

154CM: Known as a crucible stainless steel, it is one of the newer stainless steels which, depending on manufacturer is as good or better than 440c or ATS 34 stainless steel. The Rockwell test is around HRC 58-61. A popular use for 154CM is in survival knives that may be exposed to salt water for long periods of time. 154CM stainless steel contains: Carbon 1.05%, Chromium 14.00%, Manganese 0.50%, Molybdenum 4.00%, and Silicon 0.30%

304 Stainless Steel: Grade 304 is the standard '18/8' stainless; it is the most versatile and most widely used stainless steel. The steel contains 18% chromium and 8 % nickel. The steel is austenitic (non-magnetic) due to the high chromium content but is used in surgical instruments due to it high stainless content. They use it mainly for pans and throw away blades. It would make an absolutely lousy knife blade due to the softness of the metal yet in theory it is a Surgical Steel. The steel is often used for dining sets.

316 Stainless Steel: Grade 316 is the standard molybdenum-bearing grade stainless steel, second in importance to 304 amongst the austenitic (non-magnetic) stainless steels. It is a surgical stainless steel. The molybdenum gives 316 better overall corrosion resistant properties than Grade 304, particularly higher resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion in chloride environments. The steel is non magnetic and makes a lousy knife blade. However, 316 is often used for other knife materials where edge retention is not required but corrosion resistance is highly valued. For this reason, it is a U.S. Military standard for marlin spikes on folding rigger knives used by the Navy and Coast Guard.

400 Series Stainless: A term almost as misleading as “Surgical Steel” This can be any 400 series stainless from 403 or 440F. The smart consumer will assume it is alesser grade steel, typically 420 or 420J@

420 Stainless Steel: A low carbon content (less than .5%) stainless steel which is extremely stain resistant but soft, making it a poor choice for every day or rough use. It is, however a good choice for knives used around salt water (diving) and for decorative knives because of its rust resistant qualities. It is often used in cheap imports. This is probably the steel they are referring to when a company advertises “Surgical Steel.” It dulls quickly and is easily nicked, bent, blunted or broken due to being a soft steel. It is some times used as the liners on pocket knives instead of the more popular brass.

420F: A stainless Steel with 12-14 Chromium and .15% carbon, used mostly in dental instruments.

420HC: A 420 stainless modified with more carbon, and normally a better heat treatment. It is said to be roughly comparable to 440A. There is debate about this claim. Buck uses this in its Chinese imports as well as many of its USA made knives. It is also used by others.

420J Stainless Steel: Is a low carbon stainless steel which is used in lot of inexpensive imports, Some knife makers use it in the liners of their folding knives but not for blades. 420J is often called quality surgical steel or Japanese steel. (The J has nothing to do with Japanese made steel). 420J has a high chromium content that gives it great corrosion resistance but is has lousy edge retention. It is a very soft steel whcih means it will knick and dull quickly. It is often used in Novelty and Art/Decorative knives

420J2 Stainless Steel: 420J Stainless with a little more carbon. It is sometimes used in dive knives because for its corrosion resistance. It is used in surgical instruments due to ease of machining and corrosion resistance. With proper heat treating can achieve a Rockwell test of 56; which makes it comparable to 420HC. It is often used in scissors. It is not a true tool steel. However, because it is used on making certain surgical tools some people will call it 420J2 tool steel in a less than scrupulous sales pitch.

425M: A stainless steel used by Buck Knives with about .5% carbon, It is about the same as 440a Stainless Steel.

440 Razor Sharp Steel: A Rough Rider Trademark blade etch normally found on the reverse side of the main blade. While not specified, these knives usually have a Rockwell hardness rating of around 56-58HRC.

440 Stainless Steel: Any of the 440 series Stainless Steel. When not specified it should be considered 440 A.

440 Series Stainless Steel: A term used to specify any of the 440 Stainless Steels. (440A, 440B, 440C) Companies use the vague term for a number of reasons but it is probably used so that different types of 440 steel with varying heat treatments can be used on different blades without having to be specific. This can be good or bad. Assume that the steel will be 440A unless it is verified otherwise.

440 Tested Sharp (Anvil): Another Rough Rider Trademark blade etch used on their 440 series stainless steel. It is normally found on the obverse side of the main blade. While not specified, these knives usually have a Rockwell hardness rating of around 56-58HRC.
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440A Stainless Steel: A common stainless steel considered good acceptable for every day use. It has good rust resistance, and holds a reasonable edge and sharpens easily. Carbon content is around .65-.75% Chromium is 16-18% and is around Molidium .75%. When a knife is marketed as 440 Stainless, this is the steel they mean. 440A has a maximum hardness of 56HRC.

440BStainless Steel: Stainless Steel with a minimum of 0 .9% carbon. 440Bis tougher and will handle more abuse than 440A but will rust more easily. 440B has a maximum hardness of 58HRC. You normally do not see blades made with 440B steel. Most often they are made with the Japanese equivelent steel AUS8 steel.

440C Stainless Steel: Stainless Steel with a minimum of 1.2% carbon This is the hardest of the 440 series It takes more abuse however it also rusts more easily than the other 440 series stainless steels. 440C can achieve a 60 HRC. At one time it was considered a stainless 'Super Steel'

4116 Krupp Stainless Steel: 4116 is a fine grained, stainless steel made by ThyssenKrupp in Germany It was developed for the medical industry but is now used in food preperation. The balance of carbon and chromium content give it a high degree of corrosion resistance and also impressive physical characteristics of strength and edge holding. Edge retention is said to be on par with 440C Stainless Steel but corrosion resistance is much better. Carbon: 0.45-0.55; Si: 1.00 Mn: 1.00; P:0.040; Cr: 14.0-15.0, Mo: 0.50-0.80, V: 0.10-0.20

5160: A carbon-chromium steel alloy, often refered to as Spring Steel because it is used in car springs. It is a common sword steel, especially for European style swords but is also common among survival knives due its tougness. The compostion of 5160 is: Carbon - 0.56 - 0.64; Chromium - 0.7 - 0.9; Manganese - 0.75 - 1; Phosphorus - 0.035 max; Silicon - 0.15 - 0.35; and Sulphur - 0.04 max.

6150: A CV steel with a medium to high carbon content (.50%) used in making automobile springs

6195: A CV steel steel with a high carbon content (.95% )used in making ball bearing.

1060: A steel commonly used for Swords. It is often compared to 5160 steel with 5160 normally being considered the better of the two As this is a series 10XX steel, its carbon conten is around .60% giving it great toughness but poor edge retention something normally not considered important when doing major hacking..

1070, 1075: 1070 and 1075 are common carbon steels used in machetes and large cutting blades such as Kukris. the 70 and 75 refers to the amount of carbon (.70 or .75%) used in the blade construction. The steel will dull faster than 1095. On the other hand, it is tougher and thus can absorb more hacking punishment than 1095.

1080, A carbon steel blade used on survival combat knives and some of the better quality Kukris.

1095: 1095 is the steel used in many US Military fighting knives and is the de-facto industry standard for combat knives. It is one of the 10-series steels. The 95 stands for .95% carbon content in the steel.

A2 Tool Steel (carbon steel): A2 is the most common air hardening grade of tool steel currently used. It contains 1.0% carbon, 5.0% chromium, and 1.0% molybdenum. It is not a stainless steel.

Assisted Opening: A knife that uses a spring or other device to assist in the opening of the blade. Unlike switchblades, assisted opening knives require the operator to touch the blade in order for it to open. This is usually done with the aid of thumb stud that is an integral part of the blade.

ATS-34: A stainless steel considered superior to 440C Stainless Steel in most aspects but may not be as tough.

AUS-6: Japanese stainless steel, roughly comparable to, if not slightly better than 440A (AUS-6, .65% carbon)

AUS-8: Japanese stainless steel, roughly comparable to, if not slightly better than 440B (AUS-6, .75% carbon)

AUS-10: Japanese stainless steel, roughly comparable to, if not slightly better than 440C (AUS-1.1% carbon)

Austentic Stainless Steel. Stainless steel with at least 7% nickel added, making the steel virtually useless for a knife blade. Austentic stainless steel is normally non magnetic and is sometimes used for knife handles or liners due to its softeness.

BG-42. A stainless steel with 1.15% Carbon, .50 Magnesium, .30 Silicon, 14.5 Chromium, 4.0 Molydium, and 1.5 Vanadium. It is consdiered a a forerunner to S30V. It is considered hard to work but has exellent edge retention but somewhat brittle.. HRC 61-63. It is better than 440C but not as good as S30V

C45 Steel: A carbon steel .45 Carbon, .4 Si, .65 Mn, .10 Mo, .40 Ni used in hand tools such as Hammers and Axes. Also known as 1045 tool steel.

Carbon Steel: Steel with at least 0.4% carbon. Other trace elements do not need to be specified. Also known as W Steel or Plain Carbon Steel

Cro-Van :1095 Steel with added Chromium (1%) and Vanadium (.18%) to improve hardening and strength. The term usually refers to knives made by Ka-Bar. It is sometimes refered to as semi-stainless carbons steel due to the added Chromium.

CV Steel:1095 Steel with added Chromium (1%) and Vanadium (.18%) to improve hardening and strength. The term usually refers to knives made by W.R. Case & Son but others also use the steel. It is sometimes referred to as a semi-stainless carbon steel due to the added chromium.

D2 Tool Steel (semi-stainless / carbon steel):D2 is a wear resistant steel used for various cutting tools such a shears and planers. It was first developed around the time of World War II It contains 1.5% carbon and 11.0 – 12.0% chromium; additionally it is composed of 0.45% manganese, 0.030% max phosphorus, 0.030% max sulfur, 1.0% vanadium, 0.7% molybdenum, and 0.30% silicon. It is a popular knife steel due to its edge retention. Its major draw back is that when it becomes dull, it is harder to sharpen. Dues to its high chromium content it is often considered a semi-stainless steel.

Damascus Steel: Two or more types of steel of differing grades are heated and forge welded to create patterns in the blade. The blades are then acid etched to further bring out the varying patterns of light and dark steels. There is a myth that this somehow make the steel stronger and more resilient. In fact the steel is going to possess the weakest qualities of both steels. Damasscus Steel is more correctly termed Pattern Welded Steel and alsmost always is made with carbon steel and is prone to rusting. Many high-end custom knife makers use damascus steel because of the ability to fold a varity 'patterns' in the steel.

Ferritic Stainless Steel: Ferritic stainless steels have approximately of 17% chromium. Ferritic steel is less ductile than austenitic steel and is not hardenable by heat treatment. It makes lousy knife blade but is a type of surgical stainless steel.

File Steel: A tool steel used in the manufacturing of files. It is also known as the ASTM standard W1 Steel. When .2% vanadium is added it to W1 Steel it is known as W2 steel. This is a type of steel is sometimes used when making Damascus steel.

Frozen Heat: A proceess developed by Robeson in which knife blades are heat treated, cooled to room temperature in an oil bath then placed in a deep freeze of around -170° F (-112° C) and then given another heat reatment to relieve stress before receiving a final tempering heat.

German Marine Steel: Another name for Krupp 4116 Stainless Steel. It is called German Marine because it used in many nautical knives. edge retention and strength is said to be on par with 440C but corrosion resistance is much higher.

H-1 Super Steel: A precipitation-hardened steel containing nitrogen and designed to be rust proof. The steels composition is: Carbon-0.15%, Chromium-14.00-16.00%, Manganese-2.00%, Molybdenum-0.50-1.50%, Nickel-6.00-8.00%, Nitrogen-0.10%, Phosphorus-0.04%, Silicon-3.00-4.50%, Sulfur-0.03%. Spyderco uses the steel for dive and rescue knives that are expected to be used in high corrosion environments such as salt water. The HRC is said to be in the high 50s but Spyderco does not perform Rockwell testing on the steel. Most consider it to be on par with AUS6 or AUS 8 steel in edge retention and durability.

High Carbon: A term meaning a blade has more carbon than is normally found in the particular grade of steel. Unless you know the grade of the steel, the term is meaningless.

High Carbon Tool Steel: Steel in which the carbon content exceeds 0.6%. but is less than 1%.

Inox: The French term for Stainless Steel and as such a common term for stainless steel in many European countries where French is spoken. As the term Inox was was adopted by the Victoria Knife Company (now Victorinox) for its stainless steel blades, many consider it to mean a certain type of stainless steel. This really is not the case. In fact the term is just as generic as Rostfrei and Surgical Steel. (See also Rostfrei and Surgical Steel)

J2 Tool steel: A non-sensical term often applied to 420J2 Stainless Steel to make a person think they are buying a better quality knife. There is no such thing as J2 Tool Steel, the seller is refering to 420J2 stainless steel. While it is used to make some tools, it is not truly a 'Tool Steel'

Japanese Steel: A non-descriptive term for stainless steel manufactured in Japan. Unless specified it could mean anything. The dealer is hoping you think it is at least AUS 6 Stainless steel. A steel manufactured in Japan that is equivalent to 440 A Stainless steel. Unless specified it is meaningless. There are many types of Japanese steels.

L6 Tool Steel (carbon steel): L6 is an oil-hardening tool steel that is characterized by very good toughness. It contains approximately 1.25-2.0% Nickel, 0.65-0.75 % Carbon, 0.6 - 1.2% Chromium and 0.25 - 0.8% Manganese. It has a maximum of 0.5% Molybdenum.

Martensitic Stainless Steel: Martensitic steels are low carbon steels built around the Type 410 compostion It normally contains 12% chromium, and 0.12% carbon. While Martensite gives great hardeness to the steel it also casue the steel to be brittle so few steels are fully hardened.

Norwegian Steel: The term normally refers to a stainless steel with .6% carbon. It originated in Scandinavia. It is roughly equivalent to 440A. Also known as 12C27 Stainless Steel.

O-1 Tool Steel (carbon steel): O-1 is a carbon steel used by the Randall Knife Company. It is proven superior to 1095 Carbon Steel. It contains 0.90% carbon 1.0%–1.4% manganese, 0.50% chromium, 0.50% nickel, and 0.50% tungsten.. It can be hardened to about 57-61 HRC.

Pattern Welding: See Damascus Steel

Plain Carbon Steel: See Carbon Steel

Pot Metal: See Zamak

S30V: A registered trademarked steel of Crucible Industries LLC. It is more correctly called CPM S30V. It is a stainless steel with a compostion of Carbon 1.45%, Chromium 14.00%, Vanadium 4.00%, Molybdenum 2.00%. The Steel was developed by Dick Barber of Crucible Materials Corporation in collaboration with knifemaker Chris Reeve. CPM S30V is considered one of the Super Steel and is normally found in high-end tactical knives.

Sandvik Steel: Stainless steel of Scandinavian origin. Sandivk 13C26 is similar to 440A Stainless

SK-5: A Japanese high-carbon and also includes manganese. It is said to be a tough steel with good edge retention Carbon: 0.80%; Si: 0.15-0.35% ; Mn 0.15-0.50%

Spring Steel : 5160 Steel is often called spring steel because it was often used in the making of leaf springs for automobiles. It is aslo called Studebaker Steel because many knife makers used the steel specifically from the leaf springs of old Studebakers for knife blades. It is a carbon-chromium steel alloy, . It is a common sword steel, especially for European style swords but is also common among survival knives due its tougness. The compostion of 5160 is: Carbon - 0.56 - 0.64; Chromium - 0.7 - 0.9; Manganese - 0.75 - 1; Phosphorus - 0.035 max; Silicon - 0.15 - 0.35; and Sulphur - 0.04 max.

Stainless Steel: A steel chromium alloy with approximately 10% to 18% chromium added to the steel. Stainless steel will still rust or stain. It is just less prone to rusting and staining. A lower chromium level is normally ideal for blade steel but will be more prone to rusting.

Surgical Steel: Almost any type of stainless steel can be classified as “surgical steel” making the term surgical steel virtually meaningless. Surgical steels includes the 300 series or 18-8 Stainless which have a make up 18% chromium and 8% nickel. These steels are used in surgery for prosthetics, as well as surgical trays. They are also used for making dinner wear because they are very stain/rust resistant. 18-8 Stainless is virtually useless as a knife blade because edge retention is virtually non-existent. You can't sharpen it!

A quick test is a magnet test. 18-8 steel is so full of nickel, chromium or other alloys that it isn't even magnetic! However, there are some surgical steel that is magnetic and the quality is worse than the worst 420 Stainless, at least for knife blades.

The novice knife collector should assume that any knife passed off as surgical steel is no better than 420 even if it passes the magnet test. A better quality steel would be listed by an actual grade. The exception to this rule is if you already familiar with other knives of the same brand and know them to be of good quality.

The problem is some knife manufacturers will use varying grades of steel from year to year or even pattern to pattern and thus lump all of their blades under the generic and meaningless terms of “surgical steel” for easy of advertising. This is disservice to consumer and as a knife buyer you should complain to distributors and ask for a more accurate description of the steel used in production.

Tool Steel: Varying grades of carbon steel used in the making of tools. Tool steel tends to be harder and have greater edge retention. Tool steel is more prone to rusting than stainless steel. It is used by high-end custom knife makers, and in some Damascus blades. Unfortunately unless the person says what type of tool steel is being used, it becomes a somewhat innocuous term that is meaningless. Assume that if the type of tool steel is not mentioned, it is just plain-carbon steel, the lowest grade of tool steel.

Tru-Sharp Surgical Steel: Steel used in the manufacturing of many Case knives. It is believed to be 425M or 420HC stainless. They tend to have an HRC of around 56-58.

VG-10: A cutlery quality steel made by Takefu Special Steel co of Japan. Its prpoerties are Carbon:1.0% Chromium:15.0% Molybdenum:1.0% Vanadium:0.2% Cobalt:1.5% The steel is used by Spyderco and Kershaw. Itwas orginally designed for kitchen cutlery but quickly was adopted for sport and survival cutlery. It is often referred to a 'Super Steel' due to its quality.

W Grade Tool Steel: Carbon steel that is quenched with water. It is also called carbon steel or plain carbon steel. Carbon content should be at a minimum of 0.4% to qualify as plain carbon steel. Other elements such as molybdenum and nickel are not specified. It is considered a “high” carbon tool steel if the carbon content exceeds 0.6%.

X55CrMo14: A type of stainless steel. Composition is: 15% chromium 0.60% silicon 0.52% carbon 0.50% molybdenum. It is similar to a 420HC or 440A in quality. It is most commonly used by Victorinox in its cutting blades on their pocket knives.

Zamak (Zamack) : A trademark name for any variety of Zinc alloys sometimes used in the production of knife scales. Zamak is zinc alloy with around 3-5% aluminum added as well as a small percentage of Copper and magnesium. It is disparagingly called “pot metal”. Despite the claims I have never seen it used for blade steel. When it comes to knives, zamak is often used for knife handles, cross-bars hilts, etc. instead of more expensive metals such as brass, aluminum or 420 stainless steel. It has the dull luster of pewter but is sometimes electroplated with brass to give it a brass finish. It is a soft, brittle metal which does not stand up to harsh use.

What is the best type of steel for a sword?

This is a common question asked by beginners, but it is somewhat akin to asking 'how long is a piece of string' - mostly because 'best' depends on what type of sword we are talking about and what its intended usage is...

Not to mention that there are other factors that are actually more important than just the type of steel it is made from (for example, heat treatment and the quality of the forging is more important than the steel itself - a properly heat treated piece of the cheapest plain carbon steel is much better than than the best quality L6 tool steel if the blade is not tempered properly!).

BUT LET'S TRY TO KEEP IT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE!

So let's ask instead 'what are the different types of steel commonly used to make a sword - and what are their strengths and weaknesses' (when tempered properly of course!).

In this article, we will attempt to answer THIS question - and let you make up your own mind on what types of steel best suit YOUR preference (and budget) in a sword.

Stainless Steel

It used to be that just about every sword on the market was made from Stainless Steel. Now, it is almost only relegated to cheap decorative swords - and for good reason!

Stainless steel swords (or any blade over 12' long) is considered to be TOO brittle for serious usage and can shatter relatively easily (as demonstrated by the infamous 'home shopping video' below).

VIDEO: The Infamous Home Shopping Network Vid

'A piece of that tip just got me O'Dell...'

To get just a little technical with it - Stainless steel is 'stainless' because it has a high Chromium content (over 11%) - and when a blade gets over 12' long (such as a sword..) the grain boundaries between the chromium and the rest of the steel start to weaken, creating stress points. So the purpose of a sword made from stainless steel is to put it on the wall: and just keep it there to admire from a distance!

NOTE: There are a few exceptions to this rule. Stainless steel swords can be used for NON CONTACT forms practice. And there have been a few smiths who have been able to use more sophisticated techniques to make it suitable for cutting - but these techniques come at a price, and are never found on the 'surgical grade 440 stainless steel' blades being sold on the Internet and marketed as battle ready because they are sharp... (Yikes!).

(High) Carbon Steel

At the very least, for a functional sword it has to be a (properly tempered) 'High Carbon steel sword'. But what exactly does this mean?

Generally, The American society of automotive engineers (SAE) scale is the one most commonly used by sword manufacturers. And the most commonly used steel for functional swords is plain carbon steel, which is designated by the first two digits 10 - and a number from 01 to 99 afterwards, with each point signifies that .01% of that steel is carbon.

For example, steel classified as AISI 1045 has 0.45% carbon content, 1060 is 0.60 carbon, etc.

Steels with a carbon content between 0.05 to 0.15 are considered to be LOW CARBON STEEL, and 0.16 to 0.29 MILD STEEL - neither of which are suitable for a functional sword (as any sword with a carbon content of less than 0.40% can't really be hardened and given a decent heat treatment - so is unsuitable for a functional blade, but perfectly fine for fittings).

The most popular three types of carbon steel used in swords are 1045, 1060 and 1095, starting with the most inexpensive to purchase and to shape (1045 carbon steel). Unfortunately, many unscrupulous types claim a sword to be made from a higher end steel but actually make it from 1045 assuming the buyer won't know the difference (especially prominent practice on eBay, Alibaba and other direct from China sword sellers as explained in our article here).

Generally speaking, most sword experts agree that the ideal range for a durable yet sharp sword that will hold a decent edge is somewhere between 0.5 and 0.7 carbon content.

1045 CARBON STEEL

As noted previously, be especially wary of unknown sword brands or vendors on eBay claiming exotic steels at prices that seem too good to be true. More often than not, they are using 1045 carbon steel and hoping that you won't notice the difference.

1045 Carbon Steel swords are quite cheap to make because, being relatively soft, they are easy to make (either by hand forging, pressing or machine milling). Because the minimum carbon content starts at 0.40% - and 1045 carbon steel is 0.45% - it is effectively the MINIMUM acceptable steel for a functional blade.

If properly tempered and hardened however, 1045 carbon steel swords can be surprisingly strong, and when you look at a sword under or around US$100, if it just says 'high carbon steel' - it is probably 1045... (and at this price, it is almost certainly machine milled).

While by modern standards it is the lowest level of steel quality, the difference in purity of modern steel to medieval or even Japanese Tamahagane is such that a properly tempered 1045 carbon steel sword will outperform historical originals.

A fair price for 1045 carbon steel swords is typically under US$100.

1060 CARBON STEEL

1060 Carbon Steel is a great compromise between hardness (edge holding ability) and pliability (strength) - and many swords famous for their DURABILITY, such as those by Ronin Katana, Cold Steel and Darksword Armory, are made from 1060 carbon steel.

Consequentially, 1060 Carbon Steel swords are very popular, though because the steel is harder than 1045 - 1060 Carbon steel swords are more difficult and tume consuming to forge, shape and polish. And thus almost always has a higher price tag that 1045 - typically between $150 to $500 depending on fittings, type of tempering, polish, etc.

VIDEO: COLD STEEL DURABILITY TESTS

Cold Steel show just how TOUGH properly tempered 1060 Carbon Steel can be...

Definitely a great all round steel that is hard enough to take and keep a good edge but focused primarily on it's durability.

1095 CARBON STEEL

1095 Carbon steel is very HARD - and unless it is properly heat treated, this hardness can sometimes be problematic when used on hard targets (either intentionally, or unintentionally - such as accidentally hitting a wooden stand).

The main advantage to swords made from 1095 carbon steel is that when they are well tempered, they can take and keep a much keener edge than swords with a lower carbon content. When properly tempered, their reputation for fragility becomes undeserved. Below is and example of what a properly heat treated 1095 carbon steel blade can do to an untempered 440 carbon steel wallhager.

The results speak for themselves, totally ruined, bent and savaged stainless steel sword and nary a mark on the 1095 carbon steel blade.

1095 carbon steel is usually slightly more expensive than 1060 but not signficantly so (typically between $200 to $600).

Spring Steels

For our purposes, there are basically two types of spring steel swords - 5160 and 9260. As with the plain carbon steel swords, the last two digits represent the carbon content - so both have .60% carbon and therefore, are like the 1060 carbon steel swords (a great compromise between hardness and durability) - and when properly heat treated, allows objects made of spring steel to return to their original shape despite significant bending or twisting, thus giving 1060 spring steel a special kind of 'twist'.

So let's take a look at these two different steel types:

65MN SPRING STEEL

It is a Chinese steel that is known for being cheap, tough - and especially good for items that will be spring tempered (such as - swords). Equivalent to US 1065 carbon steel but with some manganese and other elements, it is used for truck springs in China and the former soviet block countries as well as the bayonets for AK47s. In swords, it is not much different and performs in much the same way as 5160 Spring Steel.. Used by Dragon King and Hanwei primarily for differentially hardened Katana. Basically a more affordable version of 1060 carbon steel.

5160 SPRING STEEL

5160 Spring Steel is a low Chromium alloy steel, with around 0.7 Chromium - which is not enough to make it stainless (which requires a minimum of 13% Chromium) - but combined with a small amount of silicon (0.2%) results in an extremely tough and durable sword and is favored by sword makers such as Angus Trim, Generation 2 and the blades designed by Michael Tinker Pearce and made by the Hanwei Forge.

5160 Spring Steel was also the steel of choice for the famous Nepalese Khurki - blades so tough and so sharp they are reportedly able to cut off a buffalos head with a single strike!

Again, what is critically important is the heat treatment - if it is applied wrong, even the best 5160 Spring Steel sword will take a set (Generation 2 had some issues with this way back in 2007), but when done properly - the end result is spectacular.

5160 Spring Steel Blades are most typically used on medieval style swords and monotempered Katana. It can be differentially hardened, but as it is a deep hardening steel, hamon need to be subtle and simple (suguha, straight line) but holds a hard edge and makes for a good cutter.

At the lowest price point, 5160 is around $250 and can go way up depending on who made the sword, the style, fittings, etc.

5166 SPRING STEEL

With a similar carbon content and similar properties to 5160 Spring Steel, 5166 Spring Steel has a manganese alloying agent giving it some additional strength and flexibility beyond 5160, but for all practical intents and purposes, it is only slightly more wear resistant than 5160 (which is, as we know, very durable to begin with). Kind of in the middle between 5160 and 9260 Spring Steel.

9260 SPRING STEEL

Made famous by Cheness Cutleryand also used by Australian Custom Sword Maker Brendon Olszowy from Fableblades - 9260 Spring Steel (also called Silicon Manganese Steel) consists of 2% silicon content, giving it an even more dramatic resilience against lateral bends and allowing it to spring back to true even after being bent almost to 90 degrees.

VIDEO: 9260 Flex Testing

Yours truly flex testing a Cheness 9260 Spring Steel Oniyuri Ninjato.

Swords made from 9260 Spring Steel have a reputation for durability -and while rare, they can be broken or damaged. I've tested quite a few myself very hard and never had this happen, but I have heard of it occurring - and there is this video on YouTube showing a 'Konron forge' 9260 blade breaking against a thick bone (thicker than any human bone would be) - which would happen to almost any blade striking it - so they don't have magical powers that defy metallurgy or physics..! ;-)

VIDEO: 9260 (gasp) Breaking!

A bad cut on a hard target = a broken sword, regardless of the steel..

The moral of the story is that no blade is indestructible - and because of the nature of what swords were originally designed to do, it is never a good idea to put yourself in a situation where you expose yourself to the potential of a blade snapping off and flying through the air anywhere near you...

9260 Swords are hard to heat treat - every sword comes out of heat treat with many twists and bends, but because 9260 is so resistant to returning to its original shape, they are rarely perfectly straight.

Be wary of sellers claiming 9260 blades under $200. The only exception is the A.P.O.C. line designed by Gus Trim - othewise, currently the only company that makes genuine 9260 blades is Cheness Cutlery.

Tool Steels

Tool steel swords have been quite popular in recent years, mostly because swords made from these steels are hard yet quite tough and tend to hold and keep a good edge.While there are several types on the market, there are two that everyone tends to be talking about - and those two are T-10 tool steel and the legendary L6 Bainite.

T-10 TOOL STEEL

T10 Tool Steel is a Tungsten alloy steel with a very high carbon content (around 0.9 to 1.0%) with a little bit of silicon (around .35% maximum) and is often referred to as 'High Speed Steel'.

This stuff tends to be very hard (above HRC60 when properly tempered) and the Tungsten means that it is also more resistant to scratches and abrasions than most other types of steels, plus considerably tougher than other swords with a similar level of carbon content.

VIDEO: Hard Testing of T10

A hard steel, but also very durable. One of my personal favorites.

While these swords are generally only seen on higher end production swords, the SBG Custom Katana and Ryujin Custom Katana series swords are made from T10 steel and as seen in the video above, hold their own quite well.

L6 BAINITE

L6 Bainite is also a tool steel (band saw steel actually), with the L designating it is a low alloy steel and - when properly heat treated, has a reputation as the TOUGHEST type of sword steel currently on the market - mostly due to the innovative custom sword work of Howard Clark, a smith for the Bugei Trading company who started producing this steel in the late 1990s.

While when properly heat treated (and it is a VERY hard steel to work with) there is little argument that it is one of the toughest steels commercially available for swords, though it can sometimes be prone to rust so needs plenty of maintenance, and of course, is quite expensive to make (no decently made L6 sword has ever had a price tag of under US$1,000 - if you see it under this price point, run screaming - it's probably a con and you are looking at 1045 carbon steel!).

S7 SHOCK STEEL

As the name suggests, S7 Shock Steel is shock resistant and has many of the characteristics of L6 tool steel when properly heat treated - that is to say it is extremely tough, damage resistant and tough.

It is also comparatively rare and not commonly found on production swords, making it one of the most desirable sword steels around.

Again, it is not magical, nor is it indestructible, but it certainly outperforms most other sword steels.

'Damascus' Steel/FOLDED STEEL

Many people often have questions about Damascus Steel, or folded steel, thinking that it is the best steel for swords - but in reality, what we currently call 'Damascus Steel' is just any of the steel types above that has been folded several times..

But even knowing this, many people are under the impression that layered or folded steel is somehow better than non folded steel and somehow makes the blade a better cutter or more durable...

However it simply isn't true!!

When referring to Japanese swords (as almost all questions about Damascus steel swords are referring to the Katana) - historically this technique was done to try and make Japanese iron ore (which was actually pretty poor quality) homogenous - something which, with the quality of modern steel, is no longer required.

In fact, folding when done quickly and without serious attention to detail actually WEAKENS a blade, sometimes fatally! This is especially true on swords sold under the $500 price point, and ALL the cheap eBay blades - most are riddled with air pockets, weak points and inclusions to the point that what could have been a decent sword if it was NOT folded is reduced to something even worse than a stainless steel sword..

Yes, you can get quiet functional ones - but they tend to be in the $800 plus price range. One of the better ones is made by the Imperial Forge and reviewed here - the review is insightful and shows the limits of what a folded steel sword can handle as well as discusses common folded sword steel myths and misnomers..

6150 Vs 5160 Steel Suppliers

And even then they are still not quite as durable as a simple unfolded blade made from pure modern steel.. (but they look nicer - and are more traditional, so it just depends on what you like and your intended usage).

How to tell the difference between the different sword steels

Here are some pictures of 4 different types of steel swords. Visually, there are subtle differences between the steel types that an experienced sword collector will recognize. But in many cases, the true steel type is revealed when used - 1045 carbon steel blades for example bend or chip fairly easily.

The best way to personally check a given sword is with Rockwell hardness files. These files are used to scrtach a section of the blade, starting with the softest steel to the hardest. When a mark is left, it gives you an indication of the swords hardness.

6150 Vs 5160 Steel Vs

However, the easiest way to ensure you get what you pay for is avoid unsrupulous or questionable vendors or unknown brands by using the SBG Sword Buyers Directory (recommended vendors) or check out the major sword brand listings in the SBG Sword Manufacturers Dossier.

Other, less common sword steels

While the sword steels listed above cover the vast majority of steels used for making modern functional swords, there are many others used less frequently.

One of the best guides to these lesser known and less common sword steels can be found here at the Cas Iberia website - with short, but to the point listings of over 30 different steel types.

hope this information on Sword Steels has been helpful. To return to WARNING: Do not Buy Swords Online until you read this from Sword Steels 101 Click here

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