Saltwater is known to be the enemy of knife steel. It is extremely taxing for a knife to be exposed to saltwater and it can ruin your knife’s edge or even the knife itself in a matter or days. Because of this, it would make sense you would want a knife steel that could withstand the heavy corrosion that saltwater has. So in this article, we will dive deep into the best knife steels for saltwater and why they are the best.
Here is the short answer:
The best knife steels for saltwater applications are LC200N, H-2, CPM MagnaCut, H-1, and N680. All of these steels have ultra corrosion resistant qualities that make them ideal for saltwater applications.
Now that we have taken a brief look at the best knife steels to use when dealing with saltwater activities, we can look in-depth at each steel, the best knives in each steel, and what the best overall saltwater steel is.
LC200N
LC200N is a super corrosion resistant steel that is lesser known. It is not the toughest steel or the hardest and it isn’t the best at holding an edge, however, if you need a steel that will resist staining, rusting, or other forms of corrosion thrown at it, this is the steel you need. This is all not to mention it doesn’t come with too high of a price tag.
Here is the composition of LC200N:
- 0.3% Carbon
- 15% Chromium
- 0.5% Nitrogen
- 0.95% Molybdenum
- 0.5% Nickel
- 1.00% Manganese
LC200N is low in carbon which does harm its edge retention and overall toughness. However, its high chromium content is the main reason it has such high corrosion resistance.
H-2
H-2 is a very corrosion resistant steel and it has good edge retention as well as very good hardness. However, it is lacking in terms of toughness and should only be used for lighter cutting tasks.
The composition of H-2 includes:
- Carbon (C): 1.10%
- Chromium (Cr): 4.0%
- Molybdenum (Mo): 4.0%
- Tungsten (W): 1.0%
- Vanadium (V): 1.0%
- Cobalt (Co): Trace amounts
H-2 steel has excellent corrosion resistance, it is not a stainless steel. Regular maintenance, such as wiping the blade after use and drying it thoroughly, is recommended to prevent any rusting.
CPM-Magnacut
Out of all the steels mentioned, Magnacut is the highest quality. It is a steel that is great all around whether that be hardness, toughness, edge retention, wear resistance, or, most importantly for saltwater, corrosion resistance.
Here is what CPM-Magnacut is made of:
- 1.35% carbon
- 20% chromium
- 3% molybdenum
- 3.75% tungsten
- 1.5% vanadium
- 0.3% nitrogen
There are two main disadvantages to Magnacut. The first is that it has a high price tag. The second is that it is hard to resharpen. So compared to other steels mentioned, this will hold an edge the best but will be the hardest to resharpen and will be far more expensive.
H-1
H-1 is an extremely corrosion resistant steel that has good toughness but is lacking in terms of edge retention, wear resistance, and hardness. Overall, H-1 is good at resisting corrosion, but is not good for constant cutting tasks, but rather use on harder materials less often.
Here is the composition of H-1:
- Carbon: 0.15 %
- Chromium: 16%
- Molybdenum: 1.5%
- Nitrogen: 0.1%
- Nickel: 8%
- Manganese: 2 %
- Silicon: 4.5%
- Copper: 0.1%
- Phosphorus: 0.04%
- Sulfur: 0.03%
The biggest downside to H-1 is that it does not have very good wear resistance and not very good edge retention. This means that it is not going to be good for repeated use such as EDC.
N680
N680 is one of the more comparable steels to lower end steels such as 420HC, VG-10, or 154CM. However, compared to these other steels, it is far more corrosion resistant. It is an okay overall steel when it comes to other factors such as hardness, wear resistance, toughness, or edge retention, but nothing crazy compared to higher quality steels like S30V or S35VN.
Here is the composition of N680:
- 0.5% Carbon
- 17.3% Chromium
- 0.40% Cobalt
- 1.1% Manganese
- 0.2% Molybdenum
- 0.1% Vanadium
There are really no issues with N680. It is not the best steel, but it doesn’t have any flaws. It is a very well rounded steel.
The best saltwater steel
Now that we have looked at the best saltwater steels, we can look at what the best overall saltwater steel is.
If price isn’t an issue, then CPM-Magnacut would be the best option. It is the best overall steel in regards to a balance of edge retention, toughness, wear resistance, hardness, and corrosion resistance.
However, if price is a deal breaker, then N680 if the best choice. It comes in at a lower price point than CPM-Magnacut whilst still having a good balance of all aspects that make a knife steel admirable.
Best knives in each steel
Now that we have looked at each steel in-depth and we have looked at what the best overall steels saltwater steels are, we can look at what the best knife options are in each steel.
Benchmade Triage (N680)
The Triage was made to be used in saltwater and diving. It has a blunted tip to ensure no accidental punctures are made as well as a guthook and glass breaker. If you are looking for a dive/saltwater folding knife of high quality, you should look at this one.
Spyderco Dragonfly 2 (H-1)
The Dragonfly is one of Spyderco’s most popular knife designs. It is lightweight, easy to carry, smooth opening, it has a thumbhole for easy opening, and is reliable. There is not much more you could ask for in an EDC knife.
Spyderco Salt 2 (LC200N)
The fact that salt is in the name does quite a bit of explanation with this knife. It is a knife made to not rust no matter what while remaining lightweight, easy to carry, and reliable. If you need a new EDC knife that can handle some serious use in corrosive environments you should look at this one.
Houge knives Deka (Magnacut)
The Houge knives Deka is a unique knife that is great for any everyday carry task you could come across. This knife has a 3.25-inch black Cerakote finish blade, a 4.25-inch polymer handle, and weighs only 2.5 ounces. If you want a lightweight EDC for a reasonable price this is a knife you should look at.
Conclusion
The most important aspect of a saltwater knife is its ability to fight off corrosion while remaining sharp. Each of the knife steels listed should fit one bill or another whether that be a lower price, the highest quality you can get, or just overall reliability. No matter what knife steel you choose, if you want to ensure you get the most use out of it, it can’t hurt to oil and clean your knives after each use, especially if you are dealing with salt water no matter how good your steel is.