Various Manufacturers / USA / Europe / Global

1095

High Carbon Steel (Non-Stainless)55–62 HRCConventional Ingot Steel Process

Composition

Core alloying elements define the baseline trade-off between wear resistance, corrosion behavior, and toughness.

Material Overview

1095 carbon steel is one of the most widely used traditional knife steels, valued for its simplicity, toughness, and ease of maintenance in the field. It has a high carbon content that allows it to achieve good hardness and sharpness, but it lacks chromium, making it highly prone to rust. Because of this, it is typically used in outdoor and survival knives where performance and ease of sharpening matter more than corrosion resistance. It is especially popular in budget to mid-range fixed blades.

Performance Radar

Use four core metrics to understand the usable operating envelope of this steel at a glance.

Edge Retention

Toughness

Corrosion Resistance

Sharpenability

Edge Retention

7.0

Toughness

8.0

Corrosion Resistance

2.0

Sharpenability

9.0

Advantages

Very easy to sharpen
Good toughness and impact resistance
Strong slicing performance
Widely available and affordable
Easy field maintenance with basic tools

Disadvantages

Extremely low corrosion resistance
Requires constant maintenance/oiling
Rusts quickly in humid environments
Not suitable for kitchen or marine use

At A Glance

1095 is a classic high carbon steel known for excellent toughness, easy sharpening, and strong cutting ability, but very low corrosion resistance.