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10XX (Steel) - 1095 is the most common 10XX steel used for knife blades. 1045 steel has

less carbon (.45%), where 1095 has more (.95%), inversely 1095 has less Manganese and

1045 has more. So in essence, 1095 steel would have more wear resistance, but would also be

less tough. 1045 holds an okay edge, 1095 steel holds an edge great, and is easy to sharpen.

12C27 Sandvik (Steel)- A very pure alloy. Contains: 0.6% Carbon, 13.5% Chromium; 0.4%

Maganese, .03% Phosphorus, 0.01% Sulfur, and 0.4% Silcon.

13C26 Sandvik (Steel)- this steel is similar in composition to the 12c27 steel but with a

slight increase in Carbon and decrease in Chromium. This change in composition gives this

steel a better edge retention.

14C28 Sandvik (Steel)- has an increase in Chromium for better stainless attributes not as

much Carbon as 13c26 however what is unique is the added Nitrogen (.11%) which increases

corrosion resistance and hardness to provide exceptional edge retention.

154-CM (Steel) - high quality steel. It has a carbon content of 1.05%. Holds an edge well and

is a hard steel. It has pretty good toughness for how hard the steel is as well. It is tougher than

440C. This steel often gets compared to ATS-34 because the two are so similar.

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4116 Krupp (Steel) - is used in a number of entry level Cold Steel fixed blades. Similar in

composition to 420HC. However rumor has it that it has increased wear resistance. Contains:

0.45%-0.55% Carbon; 14%-15% Chromium; 0.5%-0.8% Molybdenum; 0.1%-0.2%

Vanadium.

420 (Steel) - has about .38% carbon. The low carbon content means that this steel is very

soft, and doesn't hold an edge well. It is low quality, low cost material. Many cheap knives

tend to be made of this material because of its cost. Blades made from this material need to

be sharpened frequently, and often chip. On the bright side, all 420 stainless steel is

extremely rust resistant. This means that one of the best uses for this material is to make

diving knives because of their constant contact with saltwater. Sometimes, you will also see

420J. 420J is the lowest quality 420 steel, but is also the most rust resistant.

420HC (Steel) - is used extensively in Buck knives. It has decent performance for

comparative cost and has a higher Carbon content than other 420 steels. Contains: 0.46%

Carbon; 0.3% Vanadium; 13% Chromium; 0.4% Manganese; 0.4% Silicon.

425M (Steel) - a material similar to the 400 series that has .5% carbon and is used by Buck

knives.

440 (Steel) - there are three different types of 440 steel, ranked A-C, C being the highest

quality. The hardest part of telling them apart is that often steel makers mark 440 on the tang

of the blade and not the letter grade. This is especially true when it is one of the lower grades.

This has led certain knife manufacturers to rename 440C as other things in order to

differentiate the quality of the product.

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5160 (Steel) - plain carbon steel (1060) that has been mixed with a little bit of chromium.

There is not enough chromium to make it a stainless steel, but the chromium has been added

to strengthen the material. This type of steel is known for its outstanding toughness.

52100 (Steel) - high carbon tool steel. It typically has .98-1.10% carbon. This steel is harder

than many others, and consequently it holds an edge well. This is one of the best steels to use

if you are worried about it holding an edge. This material is used often for hunting knives.

8Cr13MoV (Steel) - a steel containing .80% carbon with a typical hardness of 58-59. It also

contains 13.00% Chromium, which means it is a stainless steel, so it has good corrosion

resistance.

8Cr14MoV (Steel) - very similar to AUS-8. It is manufactured in China and has about .75%

carbon content.

9Cr13CoMoV (Steel) - 440 steel with extra cobalt mixed in to strengthen the blade. Has

about .85% carbon.

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A

A2 (Steel) - very tough tool steel. However, it has less wear resistance than other tool steels.

This steel is often used for custom made combat knives because of its toughness. It has a

carbon content range of 0.95-1.05%.

Abalone - a type of sea shell used to decorate knife scales, noted for its iridescent color.

ABS - a common thermoplastic used in sheaths for knives. It is a good material for use in

sheaths because of its high impact strength.

Appleseed (Grind) - see Hamaguri grind.

Almite - this is a type of electrolytic coating put on aluminum. This process protects the

material.

Aluminum (6061 T6) - 6061 T6 aluminum was developed as an aircraft grade version of

aluminum. It is often used in knives as a handle material and works really well when

anodized.

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Anodizing - an electrolytic process which coats the metal. Usually this is done on knives

with aluminum or titanium. The process protects the material.

ATS-34 (Steel) - very similar to 154 CM. It has 1.05% carbon. It is also one of those

classified in the super category. There are lots of high-end custom knives that use this steel.

ATS-55 (Steel) - does not have the vanadium that is present in both ATS-34 and 154-CM.

This means that it does hold an edge as well, and has also been reported to be less rust

resistant than ATS-34. It has a carbon content of 1.00%.

AUS-6 (Steel) - has .65% carbon. This is a low quality steel, comparable to 420.

AUS-8 (Steel) - has .75% carbon. Cold Steel has made popular use of this steel. This is tough

steel, and holds an edge well.

AUS-8A (Steel) - is a slight upgrade from typical AUS-8 steel. It is found in a number of

Cold Steel knives. Contains: 0.7%-0.75% Carbon; 13%-14% Chromium; 0.5% Manganese;

0.1%-0.3% Molybdenum; 0.49% Nitrogen; 0.04% Phosphorus; 1% Silcon; 0.03% Sulfur.

AUS-10 (Steel) - has 1.1% carbon. This steel is comparable to 440C. It has more vanadium

and less chromium than 440C so it is slightly tougher, but also a little less rust resistant.

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B

Balisong (Butterfly) Knife - a type of knife with two handles that rotate around a blade

pivot. This type of knife is often used in Filipino martial arts.

Belly (Blade) - the steeply curved portion of the blade.

Bolster - metal between the blade and handle, strengthens the knife at critical stress points.

Bowie (Blade) - see picture below

Butt - the rear of the handle of a knife.

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C

Carbide - a mixture of carbon and a less electronegative element (iron, tungsten, boron,

calcium...) that is a very hard material. It is often used in knife sharpeners and on knives that

feature glass breakers.

Carbon Fiber - a handle type made with thin strands of carbon (thin as a human hair) woven

into patterns, then set in resin.

Ceramic (Blade) - does not rust, so they are popular for use in scuba knives. This material is

really, really hard so it almost never needs to be sharpened. It can be almost impossible to

sharpen them, but as a trade off ceramic blades are often very brittle.

Chamfer - a beveled edge that connects two surfaces. This is often done a knife handle

where two different materials meet.

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Chisel (Grind) - see Single Bevel grind.

Choil - the area between the cutting edge and the tang of the knife. This is where your index

finger would sit when you hold the knife open.

Clip Point (Blade) - see picture below

CPM 10V (Steel) - one of the most wear resistant tool steels. It also has decent toughness for

a tool steel. This is a great choice if you are looking for something with lots of wear

resistance, but is not a really tough material.

CPM 154 (Steel) - contains 1.05% carbon. The CPM manufacturing process makes this steel

different than Crucible’s standard 154-CM; the carbides are distributed evenly throughout the

steel, which makes it tougher than 154-CM. CPM-154 also has good edge retention.

CPM 3V (Steel) - designed to be tough while also being a high wear resistance steel. For the

most part it succeeds.

CPM M4 (Steel) - has excellent wear resistance and toughness. Has about 1.42% carbon.

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Cocobolo - a type of tropical hardwood that is often used in handle scales. It is often orange,

or reddish-brown in color.

Cordura® - a fabric that is often used on backpacks and sheaths. It is even used on apparel.

It is very durable and doesn't tear easily.

CTS-BD1 (steel) - is a Carpenter Steel. This steel is unique because it is melted in a vacuum.

Spyderco is currently experimenting with this steel. Contains: 0.9% Carbon; 15.75%

Chromium; 0.6% Manganese; 0.3% Molybdenum; 0.37% Silicon; 0.1% Vanadium.

CTS-BD30P (steel) - is a Carpenter Steel. This is very similar to that of the S30V. Contains:

1.5% Carbon; 0.9% Cobalt; 14% Chromium; 0.9% Manganese; 0.5% Molybdenum; 0.25%

Nitrogen; 0.4% Silicon; 0.2% Tungsten; 4% Vanadium.

Cutting Edge - the sharpened edge of the blade.

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D

D2 (Steel) - much tougher than most stainless steels, but not as tough as most of the other

tool steels. This steel does have excellent wear resistance. It has great edge retention but can

be very difficult to sharpen. This is also a tough material to mirror polish, so it you will

almost never see it that way. Its carbon content is 1.50-1.60%.

Dagger (Blade) - see picture below

Damascus (Steel) - there are some reports that when the first Damascus steel was

encountered it would cut through the sword blades that the Europeans were using. This is

reportedly because the material was the perfect mixture of tough steel and hard steel. In the

Middle East this type of steel had been made for thousands of years, but the knowledge of

how to work this metal was lost at some point. Consequently, the type of Damascus made

today is not produced the same way that it was made anciently. Today, pattern welded steel is

made to reproduce the look of ancient Damascus steel. This type of steel is made by taking

two (or more) layers of different types of steel and folding them together. As an example of

how this might work, think of Play-doh that you played with when you were a kid. If you

were to take two different pieces of Play-doh and fold them together over and over again, you

have an idea of how this type of steel is made. After the two different steels are folded

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together, the steel is acid etched. The color contrast and patterns on the blade comes from the

fact that the two types of steel etch differently. Damascus steel is considered a precious

metal, because it is difficult to make, and can result in very beautiful knife blades. This

means that knife blades made with Damascus tend to be expensive and only used for custom

blades.

Detent - a hole machined into the tang of a blade. A ball bearing drops into the hole when the

knife is closed, holding the knife in the closed position.

DLC (Diamond Like Carbon Coating) - is a combination of diamond and graphite used for

coating blades.

Drop Point (Blade) - see picture below

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E

EDC - every day carry, or a knife that will be used everyday.

Elmax (Steel) - a high chromium-vanadium-molybdenum-alloyed steel. It contains 1.70%

carbon, and it has excellent edge retention, corrosion resistance, and compressive strength.

F

False Edge - see Spine Swedge.

Filework - refers to the decoration cuts on the spine of a knife done by hand.

Fixed Blade Knife - a knife that is solid between the handle and the blade.

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Flat Saber (Grind) - a blade edge that is ground completely flat without a radius that tapers

from the cutting edge to a grind line down the center of the blade. Also, see picture below.

Folding Knife - refers to any knife that is not solid between the handle and the blade.

FRN (Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon) - a handle material similar to GFN, a nylon-based

plastic that is reinforced with Glass Fiber.

Full Flat (Grind) - a flat edge, ground as a completely flat surface from the blade's edge to

its spine. Also, see picture below.

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G

G-10 - a handle material made with woven layers of fiberglass soaked in resin, then highly

compressed and baked.

GFN (Glass Filled Nylon) - a handle material similar to FRN, a nylon-based plastic that is

reinforced with Glass Fiber.

Gut Hook - a hook that is located on the spine of a knife. The hook makes it easier to field

dress an animal.

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H

Hamaguri (Grind) - A blade edge with a convex grind. Also, see picture below.

H1 (steel) - is extremely rust resistant. For use in salt water type situations. Contains: 0.15%

Carbon; 14%-16% Chromium; 0.1% Copper; 2% Manganese; 0.5%-1.5% Molybdenum;

0.1% Nitrogen; 6%-8% Nickel; 0.04% Phosphorus; 3%-3.5% Silicon; 0.03% Sulfur.

Hollow (Grind) - A blade edge ground with a radius, leaving a concave shape above the

cutting surface. Also, see picture below.

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I

Integral Pocket Clip - a pocket clip that is molded as part of the handle, rather than being

attached with screws.

J

Jigged Bone - this is bone that has been machined (jigged) in a pattern.

Jimping - refers to machined cuts or cross-hatched patterns on the back of the spine of the

knife designed to increase traction of fingers on the knife.

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K

Karambit (Blade) - see picture below

Kraton - a handle material made of thermoplastic polymer.

Kydex - a sheath material made with PVC and acrylic. Fire retardant.

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L

L6 (Steel) - tough and holds an edge well. However, like other non-stainless steel it rusts

easily. Some consider this to be one of the best steels available for cutlery. It is also used

frequently in saw blades, but any knife made from this material needs consistent

maintenance.

Lanyard Hole - this one is pretty self-explanatory. It is a hole in the handle of the knife for a

lanyard.

M

M2 (Steel) - extremely heat resistant. It has about .85% carbon. It holds an edge really, really

well, but it can be brittle on large knives.

M390 (Steel) - a high performance blade steel with superior cutting ability and wear

resistance due to its high concentration of vanadium and chromium carbides. This is a

popular steel used in surgical cutting instruments and in applications requiring a high finish.

It features 1.9% carbon.

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Mammoth Bone (also molar, and ivory)- Used rarely in custom knives. Found during

mining operations in the far north, in areas with lots of glacial activity. The distinctive look is

made from erosion.

Micarta - a handle material made by taking layers of linen cloths soaked in resin and

pressuring them together. Can be colored several different ways.

Mirror Polish - a blade polished to the point that you can see yourself in the blade.

MOLLE - MOdular Lighweight Load carrying Equipment, typically knives with have sheath

attachments compatible with this system.

Moran (Grind) - see Hamaguri grind.

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Mother of Pearl - used often in custom knives, has an iridescent, cream color.

N

N680 (Steel) - a hard steel that contains .54% carbon. It has good corrosion resistance,

especially in salt water.

N690BO (Steel) - an Austrian made stainless steel, which is comparable to 440C in

performance. This steel has about 1.07% carbon.

Noryl GTX - a handle plastic that is high-strength and very lightweight.

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O

O1 (Steel) - has good edge retention, because it is hard material. Its major problem is that it

rusts rather quickly if it isn't maintained. It has a carbon content range of .85-1.00%.

O6 (Steel) - a much tougher metal than O1. This is one of the absolute best edge retention

steels.

Orange Peel - refers to the grain polish of some steels, which gives a slightly rougher finish

similar to an orange peel.

P

Plain (Edge) - sometimes called a straight edge. This is an edge on the blade that has no teeth

or serrations.

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Q

Quillion - this is a handguard that protrudes from both sides of the handle where the blade

meets the handle.

S

S30V (Steel) - very tough, and yet still has great wear resistance. For how tough the steel is,

it actually has very good hardness also, which is why many consider it to be one of the best

choices for knife making. It has a carbon content of 1.45%.

S35VN (Steel) - considered an upgrade from S30V due to its toughness and chip resistance.

However S30V will still hold a better edge. The addition of Niobium and Nitrogen increases

corrosion resistance and hardness. Contains: 1.34% Carbon; 14% Chromium; 0%-0.5%

Cobalt; 0.5% Manganese; 2% Molybdenum; 0.1%-0.4% Niobium; 0%-13% Nitrogen; 0%-

0.3% Phosphorus; 0%-0.3% Sulfur; 0.5% Silicon; 0.4% Tungsten; 3% Vanadium.

S90V (Steel) - has superior edge retention. However, it can be almost impossible to sharpen.

Right now custom makers are the only ones using this type of steel. Its carbon content is

around 2.30%.

Scale - the handle material that is mounted to the tang of a knife.

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Serrated (Blade) - see picture below

Sheepsfoot (Blade) - see picture below

Single Bevel (Grind) - Also called a chisel grind. The edge is either flat or hollow ground,

but only on one side. Also, see picture below.

Sleipner (Steel) - is a non-stainless tool steel. Contains: 0.9% Carbon; 7.8% Chromium;

0.5% Manganese; 2.5% Molybdenum; 0.9% Silicon; 0.9% Vanadium.

Slip Joint - a folding knife that has a non-locking blade.

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Spear Point (Blade) - see picture below

Spine Swedge - Also called a false edge. An edge on the back of the blade that is not

sharpened. Also, see picture below.

Stag - a material used to decorate knife scales, typically made from male deer horn.

Stainless Steel - this is steel that has at least 13 percent Chromium so that it is resistant to

rust.

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T

Tang - the metal piece of the knife on which handle is mounted, it extends into the handle.

Tanto (Blade) - see picture below

Titanium - is popular because it is lightweight and very tough. It does not hold an edge very

well so it doesn't usually make a really good blade, but it has been used in diving knives and

some custom knives.

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V

Valox - a handle material made from reinforced resin.

VG 1 (Steel) - is a San Mai premium stainless steel and is considered an upgrade of the more

common VG10. Contains: 0.95%-1.05% Carbon; 13%-15% Chromium; 0.2%-0.4%

Molybdenum; 0.25% Nitrogen.

VG 10 (Steel) - another type of steel that gets referred to as super steel. It is a very high end

stainless steel. It has vanadium which gives it extra toughness. This steel holds an edge really

well. It is also very rust resistant. It has a carbon content of 0.95-1.05%.

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W

W2 (Steel) - plain carbon steel with extra carbon. It is very hard and holds an edge well.

Wharncliffe (Blade) - see picture below

X

X15 (Steel) - has .40% carbon. This is a French steel that was developed for the airplane

industry. It was developed to resist corrosion in the worst possible conditions. It is the most

stain resistant steel on the market, and is a hard material. It is not very tough, but is especially

good material for diving knives.

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Z

ZDP-189 (Steel) - a Japanese powdered metal. It contains 3% carbon, and it has excellent

edge retention. Hardness is between 64-66 Rc.

Zero (Grind) - Similar to a full flat grind without the secondary grind for the edge. Also, see

picture below.

Zero Saber (Grind) - Similar to a flat saber grind without the secondary grind for the edge.

Also, see picture below.

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Zytel - a handle material made from glass filled nylon.