If you’re trying to do research on Sk5 steel because you found a knife that uses it, that’s a good thing. You always want to check if the blade on an expensive knife will actually perform as you’d expect, given the cost.
Even if a knife is extremely affordable, you still want to make sure that your knife will do the job you want to do—anything else and you’re just wasting your money.
So, what about the Sk5 steel? Actually, this particular steel is quite versatile. You can find it used in a lot of cutting tools, and for stuff like scalpel blades and razor blades.
But it’s becoming more common among utility knives, especially fixed blades that you can rely on for heavy-duty, outdoor activities. In fact, you may find it in several excellent tactical knives, so you may want this for a knife you’d want for self-defense.
What is Sk5 Steel?
This is a modern Japan-made steel, notable for its high carbon content. Since it’s got comparatively high carbon levels, you can expect this to be quite hard. That naturally means longer edge retention with excellent resistance to wear.
The name of the steel derives from Steel Kuogu, which basically means “steel tool”. The 5 indicates the impurity level—the Sk2 and the Sk4 have fewer impurities. However, the Sk5 is purer than the Sk7.
Several brands have started shifting to Sk5 steel, especially for their utility knives. These include the Cold Steel brand, which has started to use the Sk5 steel to replace the Carbon 5 steel they’ve used before.
Because the Sk5 steel is rather harder than usual, it may be a bit brittle. That’s why you don’t really see Sk5 used for tools like machetes.
Instead, the hardness serves well for extreme outdoor environments, so its great for tactical knives and hunting knives.
Sk5 Steel Chemical Composition
You’ll better understand exactly how the Sk5 steel performs when you check out the precise recipe for it. The attributes of any type of steel will depend on which elements are included in the alloy, and how much of each element is used.
- Carbon, 0.8% to 0.9%
- Silicon, 0.15% to 0.35%
- Manganese, up to 0.5%
- Chromium, 0.3%
- Nickel, 0.25%
- Phosphorus, 0.03%
- Sulfur, 0.03%
Carbon, 0.8% to 0.9%: This is a lot of carbon, which makes the Sk5 steel quite hard compared to a lot of other steel out there. While the Sk2 and the Sk4 versions do have more carbon, with Sk5 at least you minimize the risk of brittleness. Also, the Sk5 will be easier to sharpen than the Sk2 and Sk4.
Silicon, 0.15% to 0.35%: This is another element that makes the steel stronger.
Manganese, up to 0.5%: This is another component that boosts the hardness of the steel. The manganese content here isn’t too much, and again that’s to reduce the risk of ending up with a brittle knife.
Chromium, 0.3%: Chromium is the most notable element in stainless steels, but to qualify as stainless steel it has to have at least 10% chromium. With this tiny amount, this isn’t exactly stainless steel. But the little bit here does help with its hardness too.
Nickel, 0.25%: It’s another element that contributes to the hardness of the steel. Yet somehow it also boosts the toughness, which is the opposite of being brittle.
Phosphorus, 0.03%: Just a little bit is enough to help the steel get even stronger.
Sulfur, 0.03%: A tiny amount here is enough to make the Sk5 steel easier to machine.
Sk5 Steel Hardness
The hardness of the Sk5 steel actually depends on several other factors, including the heat treatments used by a particular brand for the steel.
That’s why the hardness of the steel may vary, depending on the brand. Some brands keep the hardness level relatively low at about 55 HRC. This may be hard enough for most EDC knives, while keeping the blade less brittle and easier to sharpen.
On the other hand, many brands do boost the hardness a bit more, up to 65 HRC. You may need this type of hardness for heavy-duty knives you’d want to use while hunting or hiking in the bush. However, you may need more sophisticated sharpening systems for blades this hard.
Properties of Sk5 Steel
Exactly what attributes should you expect in a knife that uses Sk5 for the blade? With this Japanese carbon steel, you should expect the following properties:
Excellent Wear Resistance
This is one of the most notable advantages of going with Sk5 steel. The steel will last you for a very long while. They’re built to last, especially when combined with the virtually indestructible G10 handle.
With this, you don’t mind going into tough settings and tough situations. This can pretty much handle any cutting job you’d ever need from a knife. Years from now, this should still be part of your tool kit.
Terrific Edge Retention
This is another benefit of having such a hard steel for your blade. If you get a sharp edge for the blade right out of the box, it remains sharp for quite a while.
What that means is you won’t have to waste time resharpening the knife when you’re out on an extended camping trip or hunting adventure. When you use your regular knives to cut on tree limbs and various ropes, your sharp blade will probably need a lot of sharpening afterwards. But you won’t have to resharpen the edge here on a daily basis.
This means this is a great option for holiday seasons when you’re opening a lot of packages, or if your work involves opening such packages on a regular basis.
Acceptable Corrosion Resistance
This isn’t really stainless steel, so its corrosion resistance doesn’t exactly match how stainless-steel utensils and kitchen knives can prevent corrosion.
But there’s a bit of chromium here that still helps, so that you’re able to use this knife outdoors even if it rains. Of course, the more reputable brands reinforce the chromium with some corrosion-resistance coating on the blade to help out here.
Decent Toughness
The main problem with super-hard steel is that they’re not tough. They’re brittle. The harder a steel is, the less tough they become.
But somehow, the hard carbon steel here can be less susceptible to chipping. The rule of thumb in the knife industry is that a knife cannot be hard, tough, and corrosion-resistant all at the same time. So, while the Sk5 steel isn’t stainless steel, it’s hard yet reasonably tough too.
Challenging to Sharpen
This is probably the main drawback to the hardness of the steel. Sure, it takes a bit of time before you’ll need to sharpen the edge. But when you do need to sharpen it (as eventually you will), it won’t be that easy.
With conventional sharpening tools, you may need a lot more time and effort to get back the razor’s edge you want for the blade. You may have to spend some money on a more sophisticated sharpening system, to make it easier for yourself.
Sk5 Equivalent Steels or Alternative
Let’s directly compare the Sk5 steel to other somewhat comparable steels commonly used in the knife industry these days. Doing this also gives you a better idea of how the Sk5 performs.
You can then find alternatives to Sk5, depending on the attributes you value the most (and the disadvantages you don’t really mind). Or, you may just confirm that Sk5 is your best bet, in light of how it compares with the others.
sk5 steel vs 1095
True, these 2 steels are similar. They have similar amounts of carbon (1095 steel has 0.95% carbon), but they’re both not too hard so that they offer decent toughness. The 1095 steel may be a bit harder, but the Sk5 may be somewhat tougher.
Also, 1095 steel has low corrosion-resistance as well. You’ll need some special rustproofing coating on the blade to compensate for this drawback.
sk5 steel vs vg10
In many ways, VG10 is better than Sk5. On the other hand, VG10 knives are usually more expensive because of these advantages.
VG10 can be quite hard, but the vanadium in its makeup adds to the toughness. It also has a bit of chromium for corrosion resistance. On the other hand, it’s not really super-easy to sharpen because of the hardness.
sk5 vs sk7 steel
The Sk7 and Sk5 steels belong in the same steel group, though in general the Sk5 has fewer impurities. The Sk5 has more carbon so it does better at wear resistance and edge retention. The Sk7 steel, however, should be easier to sharpen and less prone to chipping.
sk5 vs sk4 steel
The lower number in the Sk4 indicates that it has fewer impurities than the Sk5. With the Sk4, you may get up to 1% carbon so it’s a bit harder. That means better resistance to wear and it takes longer for the sharp edge to dull. But the Sk5 is easier to sharpen, and tougher too.
sk5 vs o1 steel
The o1 steel is quite old, and it’s been used for knives since the 1940s. A lot of newer steels are better than this, since the o1 steel comes with a few drawbacks.
While it can be hard as it can reach up to 64 HRC, somehow this doesn’t lead to better edge retention. In addition, the hardness of the steel also means you get poor toughness.
Is Sk5 Steel Good for Knives?
Yes. That’s the short version of the answer, though a more accurate assessment is that it depends greatly on the brand.
With the right brand, the Sk5 steel can be very good. It can offer great wear resistance and edge retention, without proving to be too difficult to sharpen. It can still be tough enough so that it won’t easily chip out in the field.
The main problem is still corrosion resistance, though this contains some chromium to combat this. With the addition of some rustproof coating, then the knife should stand up for extended outdoor work with the proper care.
Keep in mind that all knife makers have to balance 3 crucial components for their blades: hardness, toughness, and corrosion resistance. There’s really no such thing as steel that’s excellent in all 3 areas.
But the makers of Sk5 sure made a proper go at it, offering decent performance for all these 3 areas instead.
Pros & Cons of Sk5 Steel
- Harder than many steels
- Great wear resistance
- Good edge retention
- Decent resistance to chipping
- Has some chromium for corrosion resistance
- Easy enough to sharpen
- Reasonably affordable
- Some steels are harder
- Some steels last longer against wear and tear
- Other steels keep the edge longer
- Some steels are much tougher
- You still need rustproof coating on the blade
Best Sk5 Steel Knives
To make sure you get the performance you deserve from the SK5 knife, you really should make sure you get the knife from a reputable brand. Here are some of the Sk5 knives that should be worth a long look:
#1: CRKT SIWI Fixed Blade Knife
- Blade Length: 3.34″ (84.86 mm)
- Blade Edge: Plain
- Blade Thickness: 0.20″ (5.08 mm)
- Overall Length: 7.44″ (188.93 mm)
- Weight: 5.60 oz. (158.76g)
- Handle: G10
- Sheath Material: Glass Reinforced Nylon
- Sheath Weight: 3.40 oz. (96.39g)
The Columbia River Knife and Tool brand is quite known for its use of Sk5 steel, which is why 2 of the 3 knives on this list come from this brand. The CRKT brand has been around for about a quarter of a century now, and it has built a reputation you can trust.
This particular fixed blade knife is great for tactical missions. It’s been designed by a retired US sergeant-major, with 25 years of active duty under his belt. The first priority when he made this knife is that it must last.
The blade here is about 3.34 inches long, with an overall length of 7.44 inches. The blade has a plain edge, with a thickness of just 0.2 inches. You’ve got powder coating on the finish to prevent rust, and the whole thing is lightweight at 5.6 ounces.
The G10 handle is extremely ergonomic, and it’s a pleasure to hold however you want to hold it. You can even use a reverse grip without any trouble.
It’s a simple knife that you can use every day, and it won’t have any trouble cutting and opening packages all day long.
Perhaps the only problem with it is that lots of buyers complain that it’s not really all that sharp right out of the box. Because of the hardness, it’s not super-easy to sharpen, either.
Still, with some time and effort you can get a razor’s edge that can keep for a long while.
- Compact for EDC
- Lightweight, but with a nice heft to it
- Has powder coating for rustproofing
- Extremely comfy to grasp
- Comes with a sheath
- Usually not sharp enough right out of the box
- Takes a bit of time and effort to sharpen
#2: Ontario Black Bird SK-5 Knife w/ Sheath
- Overall Length: 10.00″
- Blade Length: 5.00″
- Cutting Edge: 4.875″
- Blade Thickness: 0.138″ (0.351 cm)
- Hardness: 58-60 HRC
- Weight: 1 (Lbs)
- Country of origin: USA
- Handle material: G10
At first glance, this is a very simple knife. Yet this was made with bushcraft in mind, with a full tang design, plain edge, and a spear point to make it useful in a variety of ways.
The whole thing is 10 inches long, with the blade at 5 inches. It’s actually a bit hefty at 8.4 ounces, so it feels solid in your hand.
With the thick scaled G10 handle, it’s quietly effective for everything you use it for. The hard steel (it reaches 60 HRC here) works in many situations, yet it’s still tough enough that it doesn’t chip easily at all.
The contours on the handle fit nicely in your hand so you get a firm grip. The grooves keep your fingers from slipping off the handle and sliding onto the blade.
This also comes with a very nice MOLLE-compatible sheath. The knife itself is made in the US, so you can rely on its quality build.
- US-made
- Simple yet effective design
- Hard and tough
- Acceptable rust resistance
- May be too big for EDC
- Some may find it too heavy
#3: CRKT Clever Girl Fixed Blade Knife with Sheath
- Blade Length: 4.60″ (116.84 mm)
- Blade Edge: Plain
- Blade Thickness: 0.16″ (4.01 mm)
- Overall Length: 10.13″ (257.18 mm)
- Weight: 6.30 oz. (178.60g)
- Handle: G10
- Sheath Weight: 1.60 oz. (45.36g)
At first, you may think that the rather dramatic design of the knife is for some Tolkien movie, and that the knife is meant for an assassin.
Actually, it was designed that way because the designer wanted it to act as a psychological deterrent. Use this for self-defense, and its very look might scare off your attacker.
Yet it’s not just about the looks. The upswept blade design isn’t just there to make the knife look dangerous, but it also helps you use it better for slicing.
The tough G10 handle works hand in hand with the blade, as you can grasp it easily and comfortably. You can draw this knife quickly from its sheath and get to work—which may save your life.
The blade length here is 4.6 inches, while the knife itself is 10.2 inches long. The powder coating fights off rust, while the knife fights off attackers.
- Easy to draw from the sheath
- The intimidating design can scare off attackers
- Slices easily
- Can be held firmly and comfortably
- May be a bit too large for some
Conclusion
This is a great steel for a utility knife, since it can be hard yet it offers a decent level of toughness. It’s not too hard, which means it won’t be too brittle, either.
Maybe the main problem is the lack of chromium to be considered stainless steel, but it’s a problem with a readymade solution. As long as you get some reliable powder coating on the blade and you wipe it dry often, rust shouldn’t be an issue.
Try this steel for knives you plan on using extensively, and it won’t fail you. The Sk5 is hard enough for most tasks, and it can last for a good long while.