24 and 26 April was held in a large room of the Hotel Amura Alcobendas (Madrid) the 2nd Exhibition of Cutlery Handcrafted in to do several knife craftsmen and suppliers from Spain, France, Germany, Austria and Argentina showing all their products to hundreds of visitors who passed through this show and had to pay the modest figure of 3 euros for the entry. This new show has grown respect to the first edition in both quality and quantity, providing a unique setting for both passionate about handmade knives, and for collectors seeking the most exclusive pieces for their collections since some of the knives shown there are of the highest level. These steels are the most common wrought steels. Stainless steels can be forged, but it is very difficult. Furthermore, carbon steels can be differentially tuned to give a hard edge and a rear elastic and resistant. Stainless steels are tempered. Of course, carbon steels will rust faster than stainless steels. Carbon steels are also often a little less fragile than stainless steels. All steels are good when heat treatment is correct. In the system of steel AISI designation, 10xx is carbon steel, other steel is steel alloy. For example, the 50xx series are chromium steels. There is an ASM classification system as well, but not often seen in the discussion of cutlery steels. Often, the numbers in the name of a steel are quite close to the carbon content steel. So 1095 is ~ .95% carbon. 52100 is ~ 1.0% carbon. 5160 is ~ .60% carbon. A "high speed steel," can work very well in high temperatures, and as such is used in industry for high temperature work cutting. It is slightly more resistant, and is slightly more resistant to wear, that D-2. However, the M-2 is easily oxidized. benchmade knife sharpener has started using the M-2 in one of its variations AFCK 710. An excellent tool steel air-hardening, is stronger than D-2 and M-2, with less wear resistance. As steel air, do not expect to be differentially tempered. Its good toughness makes it a frequent choice for combat knives. Chris Reeve and Phil Hartsfield use A-2. This is a steel very popular with forgers, as it is reputed to forgive. Is an excellent steel takes an edge superbly, and is resistant (though not as tough as, for example, 5160). It rusts easily, however. Randall knives using O1. Reasonably tough and holds an edge well, due to the vanadium content of 2%. Most files are made of W-1, which is the same as W-2 with the exception of vanadium content (W-1 has no vanadium). 1095 (and 1084, 1070, 1060, 1050, etc..) Many of the 10-series steels for cutlery, though 1095 is the most popular for knives. When you go in order from 1095-1050, you generally go from more carbon to less, more resistant to wear at least wear resistance, and tough to tougher. As such, you will see 1060 and 1050, used often for swords. For knives, 1095 is carbon steel class "standard", not too expensive and performs well. It is reasonably tough and holds an edge well and is easy to sharpen. It rusts easily. This is a simple steel, which contains only two alloying elements: carbon manganese 95% and 4%. The various Kabars are usually 1095 with a black cape. Steel is very strong and get an edge well, but rusts easily. It is, as O-1, a forgiving steel for the forger. If you are willing to tolerate maintenance, this may be one of the very best steels available for cutlery, especially where toughness is desired. In a survey on the back of the mail list for knifemakers in the 90's, when asked what they would use the manufacturers for their personal knife, L-6 emerged as the top choice. A steel popular with forgers, it is now popular for a variety of knife styles, but usually bigger blades that need more toughness. It is essentially a simple spring steel with chromium added for hardenability. It has good wear resistance, but is especially known for its exceptional hardness. This steel performs well on a wide range of hardnesses, showing great strength when hardened in the low 50s Rc for swords, and hardened up near the 60s for knives needing more edge holding. Before a steel ball bearing, and as such previously only used by forgers, is now available in bar. Similar to 5160 (though it has around 1% coal against. 5160 ~ .60%), but holds an edge better. It is less resistant than 5160. It is used often for hunting knives and other knives where the user is willing to trade off a little of 5160's toughness for better wear resistance. However, with the continued improvement of 52100 heat treat, this steel is starting to show up in larger knives and showing excellent toughness. Modified 52100 is being used by Jerry Busse in your production of low-cost and high performance luminaries such as knife favor 52100 Ed Fowler strongly. Crucible steel provides incredible wear resistance with hardness of D-2. It is an outstanding choice when you want maximum wear resistance. 3V CPM's incredibly tough, excellent wear resistance and good resistance to rust too, but when oxidized, it is in the form of pit rather than surface rust. When you want the maximum hardness with good wear resistance, 3V is a great option. INFI is currently only used by Jerry Busse. Instead of some of the carbon (INFI contains .5% carbon), INFI has nitrogen. The result is a non-stainless steel that is nevertheless extremely stain resistant (as D-2, or even better), incredibly tough for a steel ingot of high-alloy, and with extremely good wear resistance. All steels can rust. But the following steels, by virtue of more than 13% chromium, have much more rust resistance than the above steels. I should point out that there appears to be consensus on what percent of chromium is required for a stainless steel to be considered. In the cutlery industry, the standard is 13%, but the manuals ASM Metals says "greater than 10%" and other books cite other numbers. It probably makes more sense to measure the amount of steel for free chromium (chromium carbides unbound), because free chromium is what forms the chromium oxide on the surface of the blade that offers resistance to rust. The alloying elements have a strong influence on the amount of chromium needed; lower chromium with the right alloying elements can have a performance of "steel". For any stainless steel is often heat treated about the same hardness (ie, 440C is usually around 57 Rc, ATS-34 is 59-61 Rc, S60V is getting about 58 Rc, etc..) Even by various manufacturers , is a bit easier to get a general feeling of performance you get from different kinds of stainless steels, without introducing too many inaccuracies. Although the act of grouping differing steels in classes definitely is simplified, and some of these steels might more properly between the class that is in and the next (or previous). Represents the lower end of stainless steels. They are just as resistant to rust, and are tough due to being very sweet. However, they are also very weak and not very resistant to wear. Generally speaking, expect these steels to lose their edge quickly through abrasion and impact. Knives are used in less-expensive due to their ease of machining. It's the next group. They can be hardened more than the previous group, for better strength, and they are more resistant to wear, but wear resistance is just the acceptability. 440A and 12C27 are the leaders of this group, with a good heat treat both perform very well. 12C27 is particularly pure and can perform very well when heat treatment is correct. 6A drag these two steels, but with its vanadium content, it can take an edge of barbera. It covers the following group. These steels are generally stronger than the previous group, and more resistant to rust. Generally speaking, they retain the excellent properties of resistance to rust, while the ATS-55 is not particularly resistant to rust. 8A is also worth a mention, with a vanadium content, it can take an extremely sharp edge very easily, but is also weaker and less resistant to rust in this group. Two steels conducting an upper edge, but can be difficult to sharpen the first time. These steels were made with the process of metallurgy particle from the crucible, and this process allows these steels to be packed with more alloying elements that manufacturing methods allow traditional steel. Both steels are very high in vanadium, which considers its incredible wear resistance. Spyderco offers at least one model in CPM S60V, a major user of S60V, has cut back to 55-56Rc hard to keep toughness acceptable, but this sacrifice of hardness affects the strength. S90V is a continuation of CPM 440V with less chromium and almost double the vanadium, is more wear-resistant and tougher than S60V and deecho, is probably more resistant to rust than any other stainless steel used in the cutlery industry. As such, S90V is on the level of BG42 steel as among the best general-purpose stainless steels, however, S90V is even more expensive and difficult work that BG-42, so it is in the realm of custom makers currently. Before Cold Steel switched to AUS-8, many of their stainless products were marketed as being of "400 Series Stainless". Other knife companies are beginning to use the same term.