The Beginner’s Guide To EDC Knife Blade Steels

Last updated: May 25, 2026 · Originally published: February 1, 2018

One can never be too sure of the pocket knife they are buying.

Choosing the perfect one requires more research than many of your other purchases. You need to pay attention to several factors and features when buying one. And for those who don’t want to make the extra efforts of learning more about the different qualities they must seek in a knife, the guide below shall help many first-time knife buyers in purchasing the right item for them.

Important Characteristics

One of the most important things to notice is the quality of steel used in EDC knife blade. The steel is mainly answerable for the knife’s performance. Apart from checking the material’s quality one must also research about the attributes given below in order to make a wise purchase.

Hardness

The most important thing to check in a knife is its hardness. Hardness is defined as the ability of blade steel to withstand stress and high pressure forces. The hardness of a knife suggests its strength everyone wants a durable and strong knife.

Hard structured knives are rarely seen with a bend as the steel is so efficiently coated. The knife is produced with a hard steel material that prevents all sorts of deformations resulting from the knife chipping off over time.

Wear Resistance

It is the ability of the EDC knife blade steels to bear water damage. This water damage can be both adhesive and abrasive damage. Abrasive wearing happens when the hard particles are passed over a softer plane. Similarly, adhesive wear and tear takes place when any debris is dislocated from one surface and joins another.

It is generally known that water resistance is directly related to the hardness of the steel but it is also subjected a strong chemistry in the steel arrangement.

Corrosion Resistance

Every buyer must ensure that the knife guarantees a long-lasting resistance to corrosion. A strong knife should be able to endure and prevent rusting originated from external particles like moisture, salt and humidity. From the two types of knife blades, stainless steel knives require the least maintenance to maintain its resistance to rust while non-stainless ones need regularly oiling for the same.

Why Do You Need One?

A knife is a valuable tool that has several uses ranging from simply opening boxes to more emergency uses. Having a high quality steel blade knife handy can help you in cutting tape, paper, strings and opening letters. It also aids you in urgent situations such as cutting a piece of cloth to bandage a wound. Knives are also a must-have tool for your camping trips as you will need them to cut small pieces of wood to produce fire among other common uses. There are several professionals that are seen carrying pocket knives with them all the time. This includes mechanics, paramedics, electricians and roofers as they need the tool for many of their routine tasks.

Types of Steel Blade Knives

Below are a few common types of EDC Knife Blades you will find when browsing the market.

1095 Carbon Steel

1095 carbon steel is one of the most unique EDC knife blade steels. It is known for its non-stainless surface coated with around 0.90% of carbon. This unique combination allows the knife a have a superior quality edge and hardened structure. The 1095 blades are also thicker than other knives.

To take care of the 1095 carbon steel knife, it is recommended to frequently lubricate it and ensure appropriately storing it too. Bartender Defender is the most popular example of the knife which displays everything that the 1095 carbon steel stands for that is sharpness and easy storage.

AUS-8

This type of EDC knife blade steels is similar to another 440C stainless steel knife. However, there’s a much higher quantity of vanadium used in its manufacturing. Due to the high chemical use, the final quality of the blade steel greatly depends on how well it was treated and forged.

440C

440C is again a stainless steel knife blade that boasts its unmatchable durability. The steel blade uses a strong crystalline structure in combination with a high chromium substance. The 440 usually has more of carbon than the 1095 carbon steel but is highly corrosion resistant because of the large chromium quantity. This is because chromium is a steel alloy which allows the blade to less fragile and more durable.