← Steels
Stainless steel
154CM
The classic American stainless before the powder era. Still good; simply outclassed by its own powder version.
- Typical hardness
- 58-61 HRC
- Edge retention
- 3/5
- Toughness
- 3/5
- Corrosion resistance
- 3/5
- Ease of sharpening
- 3/5
1-5 is a relative ranking drawn from published composition and hardness, not a lab measurement. Higher is better on every axis, and no steel is a 5 across the board — edge retention and toughness pull against each other.