uum. Spyderco is currently experimenting with this steel. Contains: 0.9% Carbon; 15.75% Chromium; 0.6% Manganese; 0.3% Molybdenum; 0.37% Silicon; 0.1% Vanadium.
CTS-BD30P (steel) - is a Carpenter Steel. This is very similar to that of the S30V. Contains: 1.5% Carbon; 0.9% Cobalt; 14% Chromium; 0.9% Manganese; 0.5% Molybdenum; 0.25% Nitrogen; 0.4% Silicon; 0.2% Tungsten; 4% Vanadium.
Cutting Edge - the sharpened edge of the blade.
D2 (Steel) - much tougher than most stainless steels, but not as tough as most of the other tool steels. This steel does have excellent wear resistance. It has great edge retention but can be very difficult to sharpen. This is also a tough material to mirror polish, so it you will almost never see it that way. Its carbon content is 1.50-1.60%.
Dagger (Blade) - see picture below
Damascus (Steel) - there are some reports that when the first Damascus steel was encountered it would cut through the sword blades that the Europeans were using. This is reportedly because the material was the perfect mixture of tough steel and hard steel. In the Middle East this type of steel had been made for thousands of years, but the knowledge of how to work this metal was lost at some point. Consequently, the type of Damascus made today is not produced the same way that it was made anciently. Today, pattern welded steel is made to reproduce the look of ancient Damascus steel. This type of steel is made by taking two (or more) layers of different types of steel and folding them together. As an example of how this might work, think of Play-doh that you played with when you were a kid. If you were to take two different pieces of Play-doh and fold them together over and over again, you have an idea of how this type of steel is made. After the two different steels are folded
together, the steel is acid etched. The color contrast and patterns on the blade comes from the fact that the two types of steel etch differently. Damascus steel is considered a precious metal, because it is difficult to make, and can result in very beautiful knife blades. This means that knife blades made with Damascus tend to be expensive and only used for custom blades.
Detent - a hole machined into the tang of a blade. A ball bearing drops into the hole when the knife is closed, holding the knife in the closed position.
DLC (Diamond Like Carbon Coating) - is a combination of diamond and graphite used for coating blades.
Drop Point (Blade) - see picture below
EDC - every day carry, or a knife that will be used everyday.
Elmax (Steel) - a high chromium-vanadium-molybdenum-alloyed steel. It contains 1.70% carbon, and it has excellent edge retention, corrosion resistance, and compressive strength.
False Edge - see Spine Swedge.
Filework - refers to the decoration cuts on the spine of a knife done by hand.
Fixed Blade Knife - a knife that is solid between the handle and the blade.
Flat Saber (Grind) - a blade edge that is ground completely flat without a radius that tapers from the cutting edge to a grind line down the center of the blade. Also, see picture below.
Folding Knife - refers to any knife that is not solid between the handle and the blade.
FRN (Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon) - a handle material similar to GFN, a nylon-based plastic that is reinforced with Glass Fiber.
Full Flat (Grind) - a flat edge, ground as a completely flat surface from the blade's edge to its spine. Also, see picture below.
G-10 - a handle material made with woven layers of fiberglass soaked in resin, then highly compressed and baked.
GFN (Glass Filled Nylon) - a handle material similar to FRN, a nylon-based plastic that is reinforced with Glass Fiber.
Gut Hook - a hook that is located on the spine of a knife. The hook makes it easier to field dress an animal.
Hamaguri (Grind) - A blade edge with a convex grind. Also, see picture below.
H1 (steel) - is extremely rust resistant. For use in salt water type situations. Contains: 0.15% Carbon; 14%-16% Chromium; 0.1% Copper; 2% Manganese; 0.5%-1.5% Molybdenum; 0.1% Nitrogen; 6%-8% Nickel; 0.04% Phosphorus; 3%-3.5% Silicon; 0.