Personalized Cutlery Closing Gifts

	Other "premium" knives that won't hold edge as well (due to lower carbon content)
Element/Steel Type Carbon (C) Chromium (Cr) Cobalt (Co) Niobium (Nb) Copper (Cu) Manganese (Mn) Molybdenum (Mo) Nickel (Ni) Nitrogen (N) Phosphorus (P) Silicon (Si) Sulphur (S) Tungsten (W) Vanadium (V)	440A 0.65-0.75 16.00-18.00 -- -- -- 1.00 0.75 -- -- 0.04 1.00 0.03 -- --	MBS-26 0.85-1.00 13.00-15.00 -- -- -- 0.30-0.60 0.15-0.25 -- -- 0.04 0.65 0.01 -- --	VG-10 0.95-1.05 14.50-15.50 1.30-1.50 -- -- 0.50 0.90-1.20 -- -- 0.03 0.60 -- -- 0.10-0.30

Notes about steel elements in knives below. In comparing other premium brands with the Spyderco models pay close attention to Carbon, Chromium, Cobalt, Manganese, Molybdenum, Vanadium - which make all the difference in the world in a lasting gift.

Carbon (C) Increases edge retention and raises tensile Strength Increases hardness and improves resistance to wear and abrasion.
Chromium (Cr) Increases hardness, tensile strength and Toughness. Provides resistance to wear and corrosion. Above 12% and it yields what is generally known as Stainless Steel.
Cobalt (Co) Increases strength and hardness, and permits quenching in higher temperatures. Intensifies the individual effects of other elements in more complex steels.
Copper (Cu) Increases corrosion resistance.
Manganese (Mn) Increases hardenability, wear resistance and tensile strength. Deoxidizes and degasifies to remove oxygen from molten metal. In larger quantities, increases hardness and brittleness.
Molybdenum (Mo) Increases strength, hardness, hardenability and toughness. Improves machinability and resistance to corrosion. Prevents high temperature creep. Helps to retain fine grain sizes.
Nickel (Ni) Adds strength and toughness
Niobium (Nb) aka Columbium. Improves strength and toughness. Provides corrosion resistance. Improves grain refinement and precipitation hardening.
Nitrogen (N) 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.
Phosphorus (P) Improves strength, machinability and hardness. Creates brittleness in high concentration.
Silicon (Si) Increases strength. Deoxidizes and degasifies to remove oxygen from molten metal.
Sulfur (S) Improves machinability when added in minute quantities, but can decrease toughness.
Tungsten (W) Adds strength, toughness and improves hardenability.
Vanadium (V) Increases strength wear resistance and increases toughness. Limits grain size.