All About Our Steel

The steel makes the knife, so here at Huntsman Knife Co., we only use the best of the best. This means our models are made from only a small handful of steels that have been time tested and proven to excel in their applications. Most of our steels are custom rolled to meet our standards. Below are all of the steels we use and where they fit into our lineup.

Machete and Chopper Steels

Z- Tuff

Country of origin: Sweeden

Toughness :10

Edge Holding: 3

Stain Resistance: 6

My personal favorite material. The absolute toughest PM knife steel on the planet. Z- Tuff is the primary steel for our machete and chopper lines which includes the Fell Beast, Tyrant Bowie, and True Grass Machete. It’s a high nickel content and moderate vanadium content creates a steel that’s in a league of its own.

When it comes to performance, the ability to take a thin edge without chipping, rolling, or deformation is king.

With over 45ft/lbs of impact strength at 61-62 RC, its combination of hardness and toughness is utterly unmatched by any steel on the planet. This means edges can be taken extra thin for maximum bite depth and edge retention.

As an added bonus, with our HT process, Z- Tuff is basically stainless due to its 7.5% Chromium content.

This steel was developed for use in coin dies where resistance to cracking was paramount. The formula was later improved with 3rd generation powder metallurgy processes to become Z Tuff.

CPM 3V

Country of origin: USA

Toughness :8.5

Edge Holding: 4

Stain Resistance: 6

Perhaps the most well known steel in the knife industry, 3V has a great balance of toughness, edge holding, and stain resistance.

52100

Country of origin: China

Toughness :8

Edge Holding: 1.5

Stain Resistance: 1

An all time classic steel that has proven itself to have a magic beyond what it’s chemical formula would suggest.

I’ve made more blades from 52100 than any steel and it will always hold a special place. This steel punches well beyond its weight class in terms of toughness and the ability to take a thin edge.

We use a proprietary differential tempering process to reach new levels of toughness.

AEB-L

Country of origin: Sweeden

Toughness :8

Edge Holding: 2

Stain Resistance: 8

AEB-L is a fantastic stainless steel that has great toughness and the ability to take a pretty thin edge without rolling or chipping.

Originally designed for razor blades, it has an ultra fine grain structure and no chromium carbide formation which makes it very durable.

Along with LC200N, its the only truly stainless steel that is tough enough for high impact blades like choppers.

AEB-L also can be heat treated to higher hardness and used in kitchen knives and slicers where ease of resharpening is paramount.