Knife Care
Knife Care
Like every tool, our blades need care as well. Throughout the lifespan of the tool, always clean it after use, and keep it dry and sharp. Never put your blade back into its sheath wet (except if its Vanax Superclean), even if it is coated, because the edges are always exposed. The paracord wrap on some of our blades could become dirty and may fade but they never come loose or fell off. In every few years, a re-wrap may required for aesthetic reasons.
All coated blades receive industrial grade ceramic weapon coating (CERAKOTETM) to prevent rust on the high carbon non-stainless blades. Although Cerakote is a very durable and completely rust resistant surface, some materials may scratch it. When inserting your knife back to its sheath, always make sure it is clean, and dust free.
Sharpen or touch up your blades when it deems necessary. A dull tool is a dangerous tool.
Our steel selection
Lost with steel namings? Check our interactive steel guide and selector to find the best steel for your needs.
What the ratings mean
Toughness
How well the edge and blade resist chipping and breaking under impact, twisting and batoning.
Edge retention
How long the edge keeps cutting before it needs sharpening.
Corrosion resistance
How well the blade resists rust from sweat, blood, humidity and salt water.
Ease of sharpening
How quickly you can bring the edge back on ordinary stones in the field.
Toughness, edge retention and corrosion resistance figures are sourced from metallurgist Larrin Thomas's independently tested ratings at Knife Steel Nerds — "Knife Steels Rated by a Metallurgist" (unnotched Charpy toughness, CATRA edge retention, salt-spray corrosion testing). Ease of sharpening is GZ Custom Blades' own field estimate and isn't part of that dataset.
All steels side by side
Toughness, edge retention and corrosion resistance run 0–10 and are Larrin Thomas's published, independently tested ratings (see source above), not GZ Custom Blades' own numbers. Ease of sharpening is GZ Custom Blades' own field estimate. * CPM MagnaMax, A8 Mod and Titanium Gr5 are not covered in Larrin's published ratings — their toughness/edge/corrosion figures are GZ Custom Blades' own estimates instead. Every steel is a trade-off: gaining in one column costs in another. Edge geometry, heat treatment and how you use the knife matter as much as the steel itself.
