What we carry in Sandvik 14C28N and 8Cr13MoV
The price step from an 8Cr13MoV folder to a Sandvik 14C28N one buys toughness, corrosion resistance and a tighter published hardness spec, and no clear gain in edge life. 14C28N is published at 57 to 59 HRC, where 8Cr13MoV spans 55 to 62. Both steels hold an edge modestly and both sharpen easily, so much of the remaining gap comes from the knife built around the blade.
| Sandvik 14C28N | 8Cr13MoV |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| stainless | stainless (Chinese GB standard) |
| Made by | |
| Sandvik (Sweden) | Generic Chinese mill grade; treated as a domestic analog of AUS-8. |
| Composition | |
C ~0.62%Si ~0.2%Mn ~0.6%Cr ~14.0%N ~0.11% | C ~0.80%Cr 13-14.5%Mo ~0.15%V ~0.10% |
| Hardness | |
| 57-59 (typical factory range; the maker's piece-hardening program lists 59, 57 and 55 HRC by tempering temperature) HRC | 55-62 (commonly shipped around 58-60) HRC |
| Edge retention | |
| Moderate, trades some wear resistance for toughness and sharpenability. | Fair to good; a well-regarded value steel that outperforms lower Cr-Mo Chinese grades. |
| Toughness | |
| Very good; well regarded for a fine, consistent grain structure. | Good for its class, forgiving to sharpen. |
| Corrosion resistance | |
| Very good, engineered specifically for corrosion resistance and easy sharpening. | Good, solid mid-chromium stainless. |
| Where it sits | |
| Mid-tier value stainless, popular on production folders (e.g., Kershaw, Civivi) as a step up from Chinese Cr-Mo-V steels. | Ubiquitous entry-tier stainless on budget/mid folders and multi-tools; considered the compositional twin of AUS-8. |
| On this site right now | |
| 90 listings, 38 distinct models, $29.25 to $182.25 | 88 listings, 69 distinct models, $13.49 to $56.03 |
On this site the 14C28N and 8Cr13MoV shelves barely share a price range. The 90 listings in Sandvik 14C28N run from $29.25 to $182.25, with a median of $73.13. The 88 listings in 8Cr13MoV run from $13.49 to $56.03, with a median of $37.13. The most expensive 8Cr13MoV knife here costs less than the median 14C28N knife, and the overlap sits in a narrow band between $29.25 and $56.03.
The brands explain some of that before the steel does. Civivi accounts for 70 of the 14C28N listings and Kershaw for 20. The 8Cr13MoV shelf is 87 Kershaw listings and a single Buck. Nineteen of the 14C28N listings carry a made in USA origin, and no 8Cr13MoV listing does. So when a Kershaw in one steel costs more than a Kershaw in the other, part of the answer can be the country it was built in, the handle it wears or the mechanism it uses, and part is the blade. The sections below separate the two.
Two linerlock folders of similar size, one in 14C28N and one in 8Cr13MoV, make the comparison concrete. The Civivi Hid Nested Linerlock carries a 4.13 inch black stonewashed 14C28N reverse tanto blade with G10 scales and a thumb stud, and lists at $97.22. The Buck Haxby Linerlock CF carries a 3.88 inch satin 8Cr13MoV drop point with a carbon fiber handle, and lists at $48.72. If the handle settles it, G10 vs carbon fiber is worth a read.
Blade steel is one line in that difference, not all of it. Blade shape, lock construction, handle material and finish all move a price, and so does the country of manufacture. Both are listed as made in China, which holds origin level and makes the steel's share of the difference easier to see. If the knife is going to cut the same things either way, the question becomes whether the extra toughness and rust resistance of the Swedish steel are worth the difference to you.
Toughness is the clearest gain in the step from 8Cr13MoV to 14C28N. References rate Sandvik 14C28N very good for toughness and 8Cr13MoV good for its class, and they single out the Swedish steel for a fine, even grain. In use, a tougher edge is less likely to chip when it meets a carton staple or the lip of a hard plastic clamshell, and a chip costs metal that a stone then has to remove.
A tighter spec is the second gain. Sandvik is one maker, and 14C28N is published at 57 to 59 HRC. 8Cr13MoV is a generic Chinese mill grade made by many producers, published across 55 to 62 and commonly shipped around 58 to 60. A narrow published window does not prove any single knife was hardened well, and Knives Now does not test the heat treat of individual knives. It does mean the steel name on the listing narrows the possibilities further.
Corrosion resistance also runs in the favor of 14C28N, very good against good, though both are genuine stainless. If rust is your main worry, the D2 and 8Cr13MoV comparison is the page built around it. For the maker and design history, the Sandvik 14C28N entry has the full account.
Edge life is where the step from 8Cr13MoV to 14C28N buys the least. 14C28N is rated moderate for edge retention, giving up some wear resistance in exchange for toughness and easy sharpening, and 8Cr13MoV is rated fair to good. Neither is a steel you buy to go longer between sharpenings, and paying the step for that reason is paying for the wrong thing. Sharpening is close to a tie as well: the published record credits 14C28N with easy sharpening, and 8Cr13MoV is forgiving on a stone.
That leaves a plain way to decide. For a first folder to learn on, or a second knife for the truck that might get lost, the 8Cr13MoV shelf does the job at a lower price, and the 8Cr13MoV value knife roundup lays it out for you. For a knife that takes more abuse at the edge and more neglect on the flats, or for a USA-made build, the 14C28N shelf is the place to look. The 8Cr13MoV page goes into the AUS-8 twin question, the Sandvik generation comparison shows how 14C28N grew out of 12C27, and the Steel Lab hub sets both against the premium tiers.
The figures on this page are the published specification ranges for the alloy, cross-checked against manufacturer datasheets and independent metallurgical references. They describe the steel, not any one knife. Hardness in particular is a range a mill and a knifemaker work inside, and Knives Now does not test the heat treat of individual knives, so nothing here is a claim about what a specific listing measures.
Cross-checked against the sources above. Figures verified 2026-07-19.
