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Understanding alloy properties is important when determining how a knife is used. Here's a breakdown of common alloys.

Carbon



Increases edge retention and raises tensile strength; also increases hardness and improves resistance to wear and abrasion.

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Chromium



Increases hardness, tensile strength and toughness; also provides resistance to wear and corrosion.

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Cobalt



Increases strength and hardness, and permits quenching in higher temperatures; also intensifies the individual effects of other alloys in more complex steels.

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Copper



Increases corrosion resistance.

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Manganese



Increases hardenability, wear resistance and tensile strength; deoxidizes and degasifies to remove oxygen from molten metal and, in larger quantities, increases hardness and brittleness.

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Molybdenum



Increases strength, hardness, hardenability and toughness. Also improves machinability and resistance to corrosion.

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Nickel



Adds strength and toughness.

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Nitrogen



Used in place of carbon for the steel matrix. The nitrogen atom will function in a similar manner to the carbon atom but offers unusual advantages in corrosion resistance.

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Phosphorous



Improves strength, machinability and hardness. Also creates brittleness in high concentrations.

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Silicon



Increases strength. Also deoxidizes and degasifies to remove oxygen from molten metal.

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Sulfur



When added in minute quantities, improves machinability.

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Tungsten



Adds strength, toughness and improves hardenability.

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Vanadium



Increases strength, wear resistance and toughness.

For more essential knife knowledge, turn to this 10-year collection of BLADE magazine.