Knife Steels

What blade steels and hardness numbers actually mean for a carving tool.

• Magnacut vs 26C3 vs carbon steel for carving tools

  CPM Magnacut is a super premium, high-tech tool steel specifically developed to be the best stainless knife steel, combining high toughness, good edge retention and excellent corrosion resistance. 26C3 is a fine-grained high-carbon steel, often called "Spicy White", that takes an extremely keen, easy-to-sharpen edge but does not stay sharp as long and can rust. Simple carbon steels are forgiving and easy to sharpen but need oiling.

• What HRC hardness means for a knife

  HRC is the Rockwell C hardness scale. Most good carving knives are hardened to roughly 58–64 HRC. Higher hardness holds a thin edge longer, while lower hardness is usually tougher and easier to sharpen. The right number depends on the steel.