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ZDP-189 knife steel

ZDP-189 is a powder-metallurgy (PM) stainless knife steel, typically hardened to HRC 64-67.

TypeStainless · powder metallurgy
HardnessHRC 64-67
Edge retentionvery-highhigher than 37 of 48, tied with 5
Corrosion resistancemediumhigher than 15 of 48, tied with 6
Toughnesslowamong the lowest of 49
Ease of sharpeninghard to sharpenamong the hardest to sharpen of 49
Price tierSuper / high-end
Best forEDC / foldersKitchen

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Last verified 2026-06-11 · properties are documented consensus tiers; real performance depends on heat treat & geometry (methodology)

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