Best Steels for Your Budget

What’s the best steel for your budget? What’s the highest-value knife with that steel?

If those are your questions, you’ve come to the right place!

In this article, we’ll breakdown all the best steel types for high, medium, and low budgets, and present some of the highest-value knives on the market right now.

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In This Article

• Methodology
  • Comparison Table
  • Highlights
• Best "Premium" Steels ($$$)
  • Budget Knives with Premium Steels
• Best "Midrange" Steels ($$)
  • Why Choose Midrange
• Best "Budget" Steels ($)
  • WARNING!
  • Best Overall Highest-Value Budget Knife
• Frequently Asked Questions

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Methodology

We’ve broken down each steel type from our Knife Steel Guide into three price ranges:

• $$$ (Premium) – Usually found on knives between $250 and $500.
• $$ (Midrange) – Usually found on knives between $100 and $200.
• $ (Budget) – Usually found on knives between $50 and $100.

Next, we need to quantify how good each steel is so we can confidently call one the best for each category.

If you’re familiar with the guide, you’ll know we rank each steel out of ten on four different factors:

• Edge Retention – How long the edge stays sharp through normal use.
• Toughness – How resistant to chipping and breaking it is.
• Corrosion Resistance – How resistant it is to rust, pitting, and the like.
• Ease of Sharpening – How readily you can restore a sharp edge after the edge is dull.

To arrive at our overall score for each steel type, we totaled its rankings in each category.

Since edge retention is the most premium attribute (high edge retention drives the price up and tends to be a favorite among knife users), we doubled its weight in the overall score.

And because we wanted a whole number out of 100 for our rankings, we doubled everything after that.

That’s Edge Retention x2 + Toughness + Corrosion Resistance + Ease of Sharpening, then doubled.

As an example, let’s look at CPM MagnaCut. Here are its scores from the Knife Steel Guide:

• Edge Retention – 5
• Toughness – 7
• Corrosion Resistance – 9.5
• Ease of Sharpening – 6

Edge retention is doubled, so we have 10+7+9.5+6. Sum that up, and we get 32.5. Double it, and we get our overall score of 65.

"Hold up," you say. "65 seems kinda low. Isn’t MagnaCut supposed to be one of the best knife steels?"

The answer is yes across the board: It is low, and it is one of the best—tied for second, to be precise. The number is so low because of all the trade-offs in metallurgy: You can only raise some attributes so far before you tank the others.

With that context established, check out the table below. It lists each steel in our guide, complete with overall score and budget range.

Comprehensive Steel Stats

	CPM MagnaMax	CPM MagnaCut	LC200N	H1	Vanax	Bohler M398	CPM S110V	420	14C28N	H2	CPM S90V	12C27	CPM 20CV	CTS 204P	Bohler M390	CPM 3V	AEB-L	CPM CruWear	SPY27	CPM 10V	Bohler K390	CPM S30V	Elmax	CPM S35VN	CPM S45VN	CTS BD1N	CTS XHP	Nitro-V	CPM M4	CPM 154	Maxamet	CPM 4V	Bohler N690	8Cr13MoV	VG-10	AUS-8	440A	ZDP 189	CTS BD1	154CM	440C	D2	A2	52100	SK5	O1	1095
Edge Retention	7.5	5	3	1	5.5	9	8.5	2.5	3	1	9	2.5	6.5	6.5	6.5	4.5	3	5	5	8.5	8.5	6	5.5	5	5.5	4.5	5.5	3	6	4.5	10	5	4.5	3	4.5	3	3.5	8	3.5	4.5	4	5	2.5	2	1.5	2	2
Toughness	6	7	8.5	10	5	2.5	3	10	9	10	3.5	9.5	3.5	3.5	3.5	9	9	8	5	5	5	4	4	5	4	3.5	5	7.5	6.5	5	1.5	7	3.5	6	4	6	3.5	2	5	3.5	3.5	3.5	6.5	8.5	8	4.5	4.5
Corrosion Resistance	9.5	9.5	10	10	10	9	9	8	8.5	10	7.5	8	9	9	9	5.5	7	5.5	7.5	4	4	7.5	8	7.5	8	8.5	6.5	7	4	7	4.5	4	8	7	7.5	7	8.5	5	7	7	7.5	4.5	3	0.5	0	0.5	0.5
Ease of Sharpening	3.5	6	8	10	5.5	2	2.5	8.5	8	9	2	8.5	4.5	4.5	4.5	6.5	8	6	6	2.5	2.5	5	5.5	6	5.5	7.5	6	8	5	6.5	1	6	6.5	8	6.5	8	7.5	3	7	6.5	7	6	8.5	9	9.5	9	9
Score	68	65	65	64	63	63	63	63	63	62	62	62	60	60	60	60	60	59	57	57	57	57	57	57	57	57	57	57	55	55	54	54	54	54	54	54	53	52	52	52	52	48	46	44	41	36	36
Price	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$	$	$$	$$$	$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$	$$$	$$$	$$	$$	$	$$$	$$	$$$	$$$	$$	$	$$	$	$	$$$	$$	$$	$	$	$	$	$	$	$

Highlights

• CPM MagnaMax is at the very top with a score of 68/100.
• 1095 and O1 are at the very bottom with a score of 36/100 each.
• 14C28N and 420, both budget steels, each score 63/100—only two points behind MagnaCut!
• CPM S30V, S35VN, and S45VN all have identical scores despite notable performance differences.
• ZDP 189 has the lowest overall score among premium steels.
• H1 scores highest among midrange steels thanks to its perfect 10 in all stats besides edge retention.
• Many budget steels score higher than most midrange steels and even several premium steels.

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Best "Premium" Steels ($$$)

	CPM MagnaMax	CPM MagnaCut	LC200N	Vanax	Bohler M398	CPM S110V	CPM S90V	CPM 20CV	CTS 204P	Bohler M390	CPM 3V	CPM CruWear	SPY27	CPM 10V	Bohler K390	CPM S30V	CPM S35VN	CPM S45VN	CPM M4	Maxamet	CPM 4V	ZDP 189
Edge Retention	7.5	5	3	5.5	9	8.5	9	6.5	6.5	6.5	4.5	5	5	8.5	8.5	6	5	5.5	6	10	5	8
Toughness	6	7	8.5	5	2.5	3	3.5	3.5	3.5	3.5	9	8	5	5	5	4	5	4	6.5	1.5	7	2
Corrosion Resistance	9.5	9.5	10	10	9	9	7.5	9	9	9	5.5	5.5	7.5	4	4	7.5	7.5	8	4	4.5	4	5
Ease of Sharpening	3.5	6	8	5.5	2	2.5	2	4.5	4.5	4.5	6.5	6	6	2.5	2.5	5	6	5.5	5	1	6	3
Score	68	65	65	63	63	63	62	60	60	60	60	59	57	57	57	57	57	57	55	54	54	52
Price	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$

The Best Premium Steels Explained

1. CPM MagnaMax – It delivers exceptional edge retention with relatively small trade-offs in toughness, corrosion resistance, and ease of sharpening. It offers remarkably well-rounded performance for such a wear-resistant steel.
2. CPM MagnaCut – It’s one of the most balanced premium steels available. It performs well across edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistance, and ease of sharpening without sacrificing one attribute to maximize another.
3. LC200N – It trades modest edge retention for excellent toughness, easy sharpening, and exceptional stainlessness. Its high nitrogen content helps it resist corrosion without requiring the large volume of chromium carbides found in other premium steels.
4. Vanax – It pairs good edge retention with near-perfect corrosion resistance. Its nitrogen-rich composition forms hard vanadium nitrides while leaving more chromium available to protect the steel from rust. Its rare combination of lasting cutting performance and stainlessness makes it especially valuable in wet, humid, and saltwater environments.
5. Bohler M398 – It uses high amounts of carbon, chromium, and vanadium to produce a large volume of extremely hard carbides. The result is outstanding wear resistance and edge retention, though at the expense of some toughness and easy sharpening.

Premium Knives with Premium Steels

If money’s not an object and you want the coolest and the best, consider the following options:

Budget Knives with Premium Steels

These days, it’s not impossible to find super steels on more affordable knives. If you want top-of-the-line steel but are on a budget, there are more options than you might think!

Our Pick for the Highest-Value Premium Steel Knife

If you want premium, it’s hard to beat the Kershaw Bel-Air for the price. It costs only $160—well below the average price range of knives with top-tier steels!

Let’s see what all we get:

• USA-Made – The Bel-Air is designed, prototyped, manufactured, and quality checked at Kershaw’s facility in Tualatin, Oregon—a rare find at this price.
• CPM MagnaCut Steel – Its MagnaCut blade offers premium edge retention, toughness, and corrosion resistance without the usual compromises. Kershaw also runs it at a capable 62–64 HRC.
• Full-Metal Construction – Aluminum scales and steel liners give the Bel-Air a sturdy, premium feel while keeping it slim and lightweight at only 2.9 ounces.
• Buttery-Smooth Action – KVT ball bearings make the thumb-stud deployment quick and effortless. Pull back the ambidextrous DuraLock, and the blade drops shut just as smoothly.

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Best "Midrange" Steels ($$)

	H1	H2	Elmax	CTS BD1N	CTS XHP	CPM 154	Bohler N690	VG-10	CTS BD1	154CM
Edge Retention	1	1	5.5	4.5	5.5	4.5	4.5	4.5	3.5	4.5
Toughness	10	10	4	3.5	5	5	3.5	4	5	3.5
Corrosion Resistance	10	10	8	8.5	6.5	7	8	7.5	7	7
Ease of Sharpening	10	9	5.5	7.5	6	6.5	6.5	6.5	7	6.5
Score	64	62	57	57	57	55	54	54	52	52
Price	$$	$$	$$	$$	$$	$$	$$	$$	$$	$$

The Best Midrange Steels Explained

1. H1/H2 – H1 and H2 score almost perfectly in toughness, corrosion resistance, and ease of sharpening, but their edge retention is very low. They’re both incredibly forgiving and virtually worry-free—so long as you’re willing to sharpen them regularly.
2. Elmax – It Elmax is a capable all-purpose powder steel with no glaring weaknesses. It holds an edge well, resists rust, and remains tough and manageable enough for everyday use.
3. CTS BD1N – It CTS BD1N is easy to own and maintain, offering good corrosion resistance, dependable toughness, and straightforward sharpening. Added nitrogen helps it achieve better hardness and cutting performance than its simple upkeep might suggest.
4. CTS XHP – It leans toward edge retention while remaining easier to sharpen than many wear-resistant steels. Its corrosion resistance is less impressive, but it rewards basic maintenance with long-lasting cutting performance.
5. CPM 154 – It’s a refined, user-friendly steel that performs reliably across a wide range of knives. Powder metallurgy gives it a fine, uniform structure that improves consistency and toughness over conventional 154CM.

Why Choose Midrange

Mid-tier knives often offer the best balance of price, performance, and build quality.

Compared to budget models, they generally provide better steel, smoother action, improved fit and finish, and more durable materials.

They do all this without the steep prices or diminishing returns of premium knives.

For many users, the middle tier delivers everything they need in a dependable everyday knife.

Our Pick for the Highest-Value Midrange Steel Knife

The Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight brings one of Spyderco’s most celebrated designs down to less than $140. It trims the price and weight of the standard Para 3 without cutting the features that make the model so popular.

Let’s see what you get:

• USA-Made – The Para 3 Lightweight is manufactured at Spyderco’s facility in Golden, Colorado.
• Ultra-Lightweight Construction – The linerless FRN handle reduces the knife to only 2.4 ounces without making it feel flimsy. Bi-directional texturing also provides a secure grip.
• Compression Lock – Spyderco’s Compression Lock is strong, easy to operate, and keeps your fingers out of the blade’s path while closing. It also gives the Para 3 Lightweight the quick, satisfying action enthusiasts expect from the design.
• Proven Para 3 Design – You still get the Para 3’s comfortable ergonomics, full-flat-ground three-inch blade, and ambidextrous thumb hole. It’s a smaller, lighter take on the legendary Paramilitary 2. How can you go wrong with that?

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Best "Budget" Steels ($)

	420	14C28N	12C27	AEB-L	Nitro-V	8Cr13MoV	AUS-8	440A	440C	D2	A2	52100	SK5	O1	1095
Edge Retention	2.5	3	2.5	3	3	3	3	3.5	4	5	2.5	2	1.5	2	2
Toughness	10	9	9.5	9	7.5	6	6	3.5	3.5	3.5	6.5	8.5	8	4.5	4.5
Corrosion Resistance	8	8.5	8	7	7	7	7	8.5	7.5	4.5	3	0.5	0	0.5	0.5
Ease of Sharpening	8.5	8	8.5	8	8	8	8	7.5	7	6	8.5	9	9.5	9	9
Score	63	63	62	60	57	54	54	53	52	48	46	44	41	36	36
Price	$	$	$	$	$	$	$	$	$	$	$	$	$	$	$

The Best Budget Steels Explained

1. 420/420HC – 420 has poor edge retention, but it’s extremely tough, highly corrosion resistant, and exceptionally easy to sharpen. 420HC adds more carbon for greater hardness and edge retention while preserving the original steel’s toughness, stainlessness, and easy maintenance.
2. 14C28N – Sometimes called a "budget MagnaCut," 14C28N offers a similarly well-rounded mix of toughness, corrosion resistance, and easy sharpening at a much lower price. It can’t match MagnaCut’s edge retention, but it delivers excellent everyday performance for the money.
3. 12C27 – It’s a clean, fine-grained steel known for toughness, corrosion resistance, and easy sharpening. Its edge retention is modest, but it takes a keen edge and is highly forgiving in everyday use.
4. AEB-L – Originally developed for razor blades, AEB-L has an exceptionally fine structure that supports sharp edges and outstanding toughness. It prioritizes edge stability and easy maintenance over prolonged wear resistance.
5. Nitro-V – Developed as a hybrid of AEB-L and 14C28N, Nitro-V adds nitrogen and vanadium to a fine-grained stainless formula. It retains AEB-L’s toughness and easy sharpening while offering excellent corrosion resistance and dependable edge performance.

Extremely High Value Knives

The natural next question is what happens when you combine a budget knife with one of those high-scoring budget steels like 14C28N or 420?

You get some of the highest value knives money can buy.

Value, of course, being the "most bang for your buck," the "most juice for your squeeze," the "most wiggle for your wobble," or what have you.

It’s about spending the least to get the most in proportion to how much you spent (that last part is the key).

WARNING!

Steel type alone doesn’t make a good knife, nor does a steel with a high score in a specific attribute grantee a knife will perform well in that same attribute.

Steel type goes a long way, but it must be heat-treated properly and ground right or it will underperform.

The lower you go price-wise, the more likely you are to encounter bad heat treatments, poorly-ground edges, loosely assembled handles, and so on.

Maybe it says M390, but if you spend $20 on it, you can expect cutting results to disappoint.

All that to say it’s extremely important that you buy knives produced by companies known for their quality. Yes, maybe you’re paying for the brand a little bit, but you’re also paying for a quality heat treat. Trust us—it will show when you put the knife to work!

Our Pick for the Highest-Value Budget Knife (Best Overall!)

The Buck 112 Slim Select is awesome. To start, it costs less than $40.

Let’s see what we get for that small sum:

• USA-Made – This little knife is 100% made in America. It’s not something that matters to everyone, but for those who do care, it’s a huge upside.
• 420HC Steel – We know that 420 is one of the best budget steels. 420HC (high carbon) trades some corrosion resistance for greater edge retention, addressing baseline 420s greatest weakness.
• Renowned Heat Treat – Buck is known for its outstanding heat treatment process, turning even mundane steels into high performers.
• Reputation & Legacy – Buck began selling knives in 1947. The company’s founder, Hoyt Buck, forged his first knife in 1902 at the age of thirteen. Over a century later, Buck is producing some of the highest-value knives on the market, with a virtually unblemished reputation.

That’s a lot of value! With a reputable brand like Buck, you can confidently buy its cheapest offerings without fear of encountering anything mentioned in our warning above.

If you can afford to spend a little more but still want to keep it budget, look at the Buck 110 Hunter or the Vosteed Porcupine. Both are outstanding folders for a fantastic price!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Should beginners avoid premium knife steels?

Not necessarily, but an affordable steel that sharpens easily is often better for learning. It allows beginners to practice maintenance without worrying about damaging an expensive knife.

Can a budget steel outperform a premium steel?

Yes, depending on the job. A tough, easy-to-sharpen budget steel may work better for hard use, while a premium steel may excel at edge retention or corrosion resistance.

What’s the main difference between budget and premium steel?

Premium steels generally offer better edge retention or a stronger combination of several attributes. Budget steels cost less and are often tougher and easier to sharpen.

Is premium knife steel worth the extra money?

Premium steel is worth it if you want longer edge retention or specialized performance. Most everyday users, however, will be well served by a good budget or mid-tier steel.

What’s the best premium knife steel?

MagnaMax offers exceptional edge retention with fewer compromises than most highly wear-resistant steels. MagnaCut remains one of the best choices for balanced performance.

What’s the best mid-range knife steel?

CTS BD1N is a strong all-purpose option with good toughness, corrosion resistance, edge retention, and sharpenability. H1 and H2 are better for buyers who prioritize stainlessness, toughness, and easy sharpening over edge retention.

What’s the best budget knife steel?

420 and 420HC are excellent budget steels because they’re tough, highly corrosion-resistant, and easy to sharpen. For more balanced performance, 14C28N is another top choice.

What’s the best knife steel for the money?

14C28N is one of the best values, offering excellent toughness, corrosion resistance, and easy sharpening at a budget-friendly price.

What does "super steel" mean?

"Super steel" refers to a knife blade steel that excels in many attributes, especially in edge retention. Steels that are commonly called "super steels" include: CPM MagnaCut, Bohler M390, CPM 20CV, and others.