Wear tests of steel knife blades

A study is presented on the relative wear rates of two carbon steels, a Damascus steel and a stainless steel, using the Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association (CATRA) of Sheffield England cutting test machine. The carbon steels and stainless steel were heat treated to produce a fine array of carbides in a martensite matrix. Tests were done at hardness values of HRC = 41 and 61. At HRC = 61 the stainless steel had slightly superior cutting performance over the carbon steels, while at HRC = 41 the Damascus steel had slightly superior cutting performance.