7 High Carbon Steel Grades Compared by Hardness and Toughness
There is no honest one-line ranking. 1075, 1084, 1095, 5160, 52100, W2 and O1 respond differently because chemistry, hardenability, section size and heat treatment control the finished microstructure. This guide compares their practical design tendencies without pretending that unmatched hardness or Charpy numbers are interchangeable.
Choose the steel that reaches the required condition—not the steel with the largest number.
Hardness is only meaningful when the heat-treatment condition and test method are known. Toughness is even more conditional: specimen geometry, notch, orientation, temperature, hardness and loading rate can all change the result. For a first shortlist, start with the governing failure mode and section size, then validate the exact steel lot and thermal process.
A practical near-eutectoid starting point for relatively thin parts when simple chemistry, good hardness and usable toughness are more important than deep hardening.
A chromium spring steel often selected when shock resistance and hardenability through a larger section matter more than maximum wear resistance.
A chromium bearing steel developed for high-cycle rolling contact, high hardness and controlled carbide behavior—not merely “1095 with chromium.”
An oil-hardening tool steel that hardens readily and is widely used for gauges, dies and tools where dimensional control and machining history matter.
From grade name to qualified condition
These seven names do not belong to one identical steel category.
Searches for “high carbon steel grades” often group these materials together because they all can become hard and appear in knives, springs, bearings or tools. Metallurgically, that shortcut hides the most useful differences. Grade designation, alloy additions and intended product standard influence hardenability, carbide population, distortion risk and the property data a buyer should request.
1075 · 1084 · 1095
Plain-carbon grades whose increasing nominal carbon content changes attainable martensite, retained carbide potential and process sensitivity. Manganese also matters because it changes hardenability.
5160
Approximately 0.6% carbon plus chromium. It is commonly described as a tough spring steel and is not simply another 10xx high-carbon grade.
52100
About 1% carbon with roughly 1.5% chromium. Its cleanliness, carbide control and rolling-contact performance define the grade more usefully than carbon alone.
W2 · O1
W2 is a shallow-hardening water-hardening family with a broad carbon range. O1 is an oil-hardening alloy tool steel formulated for a more forgiving quench response.
Why the classification matters: purchasing “high carbon steel” without a standard, grade, product form and delivery condition is not a complete specification. The same trade name can arrive with different chemistry limits, spheroidization quality, decarburization, grain size or straightness—each of which changes what the heat treater can deliver.
High carbon steel grades compared as engineering starting points.
The HRC bands below are common planning targets for many tools or blades, not guaranteed grade limits. A different section, austenitizing practice, quench severity, temper, surface decarburization or hardness-test location can move the result. “Toughness tendency” is deliberately qualitative because an honest quantitative ranking requires matched specimens at matched hardness.
| Grade | Chemistry anchor | Common finished target* | Relative design tendency | Hardenability | Best starting use | Main control risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1075SAE carbon steel | About 0.70–0.80% C | Approx. 55–60 HRC | More toughness / less wear than higher-carbon peers at comparable processing | Low | Springs, blades, hand tools, wear strip | Depth of hardening and decarburization |
| 1084SAE carbon steel | About 0.80–0.93% C; higher Mn than 1095 in SAE ranges | Approx. 58–62 HRC | Balanced hardness and toughness in thin sections | Low to moderate | General forged blades and simple tools | Quench uniformity, grain size |
| 1095SAE carbon steel | About 0.90–1.03% C | Approx. 58–64 HRC | High hardness and wear potential; narrower toughness margin | Low | Thin wear parts, fine-edge blades, springs | Incomplete hardening, quench cracking, excess carbide |
| 5160Chromium spring steel | About 0.56–0.64% C; 0.70–0.90% Cr | Approx. 56–60 HRC | High impact tolerance; lower edge wear than 52100 at similar hardness | Moderate to high | Springs, large impact tools, choppers | Surface decarb, temper control, section response |
| 52100Chromium bearing steel | About 0.93–1.05% C; 1.35–1.60% Cr | Approx. 58–64 HRC | Strong wear/fatigue capability with useful toughness when well processed | Moderate | Bearings, rollers, fine tools, wear components | Carbide refinement, retained austenite, thermal history |
| W2Water-hardening tool steel | Specification-dependent broad carbon range; verify certificate | Approx. 58–64 HRC | Very hard surface potential with shallow hardening and a tough core in suitable sections | Very low | Small tools, cutters, controlled differential hardening | Quench severity, cracking, chemistry variation |
| O1Oil-hardening tool steel | About 0.9% C with Mn, Cr and W | Approx. 58–64 HRC | Good wear and dimensional control; not an impact-steel substitute | High for this group | Dies, gauges, punches, knives, tooling | Overheating, carbide/coarse grain, temper selection |
*Planning range only. It is not a procurement specification or universal heat-treatment result. Specify the test scale, target, tolerance, location, surface preparation and acceptance standard on the drawing.
Hardness and toughness answer different failure questions.
Hardness is resistance to a localized indentation.
Rockwell C hardness is widely used because it is fast and useful for process control. It does not directly equal wear resistance, edge retention, tensile strength or toughness. Two steels at 60 HRC can contain different carbide populations, retained austenite fractions, prior-austenite grain sizes and residual stresses. Those differences may dominate the service result.
For many martensitic steels, lowering the tempering temperature tends to preserve higher hardness, while higher tempering normally reduces hardness and can improve some forms of toughness. That broad trend is not a recipe. Temper embrittlement, secondary hardening, retained austenite transformation and geometry can complicate it.
Toughness is energy absorption before fracture.
Impact toughness, fracture toughness and unnotched bend behavior are not interchangeable. ASTM E23 Charpy testing uses a standardized notched bar under high-rate loading. A small workshop coupon with a different notch, orientation or temperature cannot be numerically compared with a published Charpy value.
A grade can be “tougher” at one hardness and lose that advantage at another. A fine microstructure, controlled inclusions, correct grain size and favorable loading direction can matter as much as the grade name. Therefore the useful question is: which grade and heat-treatment route meets the required hardness while surviving a representative load case?
The bars visualize selection direction, not test data or a universal ranking. Compare actual candidates at the same hardness, geometry and test condition.
What each grade does well—and what can make it fail.
Every profile below is a starting hypothesis. Supplier chemistry, cleanliness, product size, forging schedule, spheroidized structure, decarburization and heat-treatment capability can reverse an expected outcome. A certified mill lot and a qualified process are more valuable than an internet ranking.
1075: toughness before maximum wear.
SAE 1075 is commonly specified around 0.70–0.80% carbon. Compared with 1095, the lower carbon level generally makes a tough finished condition easier to target and reduces the incentive to chase extreme hardness. It appears in springs, blades, hand tools and wear strips.
- Choose it when: shock, bending tolerance and simple carbon-steel processing are more important than maximum abrasive wear.
- Watch: low hardenability in thicker sections, surface decarburization and variability between hot-rolled and annealed stock.
- Specify: exact SAE chemistry, delivery condition, section size and hardness location.
1084: a practical thin-section baseline.
1084 sits near the eutectoid composition and SAE ranges commonly give it more manganese than 1095. That combination can provide a useful balance of achievable hardness and hardenability for comparatively thin parts without the larger carbide fraction associated with more carbon.
- Choose it when: a forged blade, general cutter or small tool needs a straightforward balance rather than the highest possible wear resistance.
- Watch: overheating, grain growth, uneven quench response and assumptions that every supplier uses identical limits.
- Validate: the core hardness, not just a favorable surface reading.
1095: high hardness with a narrower process window.
1095 contains approximately 0.90–1.03% carbon under the SAE composition range. It can support a hard, wear-oriented martensitic condition, but its low alloy content means low hardenability. A thick part may form a hard exterior while the center transforms differently.
- Choose it when: the section is thin, edge stability or wear matters, and the heat treater can control a fast, uniform transformation.
- Watch: quench cracking, distortion, retained carbide, coarse grain and insufficient core response.
- Do not assume: more carbon automatically delivers a tougher or more durable part.
5160: the impact and spring specialist.
5160 is better described as a chromium alloy spring steel than as a conventional “high carbon” knife steel. Its carbon range is typically about 0.56–0.64%, while chromium increases hardenability. This allows larger sections to respond more consistently than plain 10xx grades.
- Choose it when: impact, flexural fatigue, springs, large choppers or shock-loaded tools govern the design.
- Watch: decarburization, excessive retained stress and an over-hard target that sacrifices the grade’s core advantage.
- Trade-off: it normally gives up some wear potential to higher-carbon bearing or tool steels.
52100: high strength, wear and rolling-contact discipline.
SAE 52100 is equivalent to the 100Cr6 bearing-steel family. Ovako lists approximately 0.93–1.05% carbon and 1.35–1.60% chromium for its referenced standard. Bearing performance depends on cleanliness and a controlled carbide/martensite structure—not chemistry alone.
- Choose it when: rolling contact, wear, high-cycle fatigue, fine tools or a high-hardness strength/toughness balance is required.
- Watch: coarse carbides, retained austenite, overheating and inherited thermal history.
- Require: bearing-quality or appropriate cleanliness data when fatigue life is truly critical.
W2: shallow hardening makes chemistry and geometry inseparable.
W2 is a family, not one perfectly fixed carbon number. Supplier documents show that the selected carbon content changes the achievable hardness and application. Its very low hardenability can produce a hard outer zone and a softer core in suitable sections, but also increases sensitivity to quench severity.
- Choose it when: small tools or controlled differential hardening justify a shallow response and the exact chemistry is certified.
- Watch: cracks, distortion, mixed structures and unsupported claims based only on a visible hardening line.
- Non-negotiable: buy to a defined tool-steel specification and mill certificate.
O1: a general-purpose tool steel, not an impact-steel replacement.
Typical O1 chemistry combines roughly 0.9% carbon with manganese, chromium and tungsten. Latrobe reports that the grade can reach high hardness under specified test conditions, but also states that size, composition and heat treatment alter the result. Its hardenability makes oil quenching more practical than the water-hardening family.
- Choose it when: dies, gauges, punches, cutters or precision tools need good wear and manageable dimensional change.
- Watch: overheating, poor annealing before machining, coarse carbide structure and a hardness target that ignores impact loads.
- Compare against: dedicated shock-resisting or cold-work tool steels when failure energy is high.
A hardness number needs a location, surface and method.
ASTM E18 defines Rockwell hardness as an empirical indentation test. That makes it excellent for production control when the surface, thickness, support, spacing and machine verification meet the method. It does not make one indentation representative of an entire component.
- State the scale: “60 HRC” is different from a generic “60 Rockwell.”
- State the location: edge, core, tooth, shank and heat-affected zone may not match.
- Prepare the surface: scale, curvature, decarburization and poor support can distort the result.
- Use enough readings: record the individual values and acceptance rule, not only a convenient average.
- Section when necessary: a surface test cannot prove through-hardness in a thick low-hardenability part.
Do not mix Charpy numbers from different test conditions.
ASTM E23 addresses notched-bar impact testing using standardized Charpy and Izod methods. Notch geometry, specimen dimensions, orientation, temperature and striker configuration are part of the result. A full-size V-notch value cannot be combined with a sub-size value or an unnotched workshop coupon to make a universal steel ranking.
Hardness matching is equally important. Comparing 5160 at 57 HRC with 1095 at 64 HRC mainly compares two finished conditions, not just two compositions. For an application decision, heat-treat each candidate to the intended target hardness, machine identical specimens from the same product orientation, test at the service-relevant temperature and report the fracture appearance.
A valid toughness comparison states: grade and lot, product direction, heat-treatment record, final hardness, specimen size, notch, test temperature, number of replicates, individual results and failure mode.
Section size decides whether the center transforms like the surface.
Hardenability describes how deeply a steel can form martensite under a specified quench—not the maximum hardness of that martensite. Carbon strongly influences martensite hardness, while manganese, chromium and other alloying elements delay diffusional transformations and increase hardenability.
That distinction explains why thin 1095 may harden successfully while a thick section develops a softer or mixed core, and why lower-carbon 5160 can respond more uniformly through a larger cross-section. W2 sits at the shallow-hardening end; O1 is much more hardenable within this group.
- Define the largest controlling section, not only the overall part width.
- Review supplier hardenability or Jominy data where available.
- Use simulation and sacrificial qualification coupons for critical parts.
- Measure a hardness traverse or microstructure across the section.
- Do not copy a universal furnace temperature and quench recipe from another geometry.
Finished performance comes from the thermal path and microstructure.
Incoming structure
Spheroidized carbide size, banding, inclusions, prior forging and decarburization determine the starting condition.
Austenitizing
Temperature and time control carbon solution, undissolved carbide and prior-austenite grain size. More heat is not automatically better.
Quenching
Cooling must beat the grade’s transformation kinetics without creating unacceptable stress, distortion or cracks.
Tempering
The tempering schedule sets the usable balance among hardness, residual stress, retained austenite and toughness.
Verification
Hardness, microstructure, dimensions and representative mechanical tests confirm the process window.
Why “maximum HRC” is usually the wrong target
A freshly quenched specimen may show an impressive hardness while carrying high residual stress and inadequate toughness. The real drawing requirement should protect function: a hardness band linked to wear or strength, plus dimensional tolerance, crack-free inspection and a toughness or bend criterion when impact matters.
For 52100, the distribution and size of carbides plus retained austenite can be critical. For 5160, the design often values a tempered condition that preserves impact tolerance. For W2 and 1095, shallow hardenability makes thickness especially influential. One hardness target cannot erase those differences.
Why supplier heat-treatment charts are starting points
Published datasheets normally use controlled specimen sizes and furnaces. A production load changes heat transfer; an actual blade, spring, bearing race or die includes corners, holes, section changes and surface condition. Furnace calibration, atmosphere, agitation, quench temperature and delay all matter.
Use the current datasheet for the exact supplier and grade, then qualify the process on representative material. Critical parts may require metallography, retained-austenite measurement, case/core hardness or residual-stress review in addition to ordinary HRC readings.
Start with the dominant load, then shortlist the steel.
These recommendations are starting points, not automatic approvals. Geometry, surface finish, corrosion, production route and available heat-treatment equipment can justify a different grade.
Its spring-steel chemistry and hardenability favor impact and larger sections. Compare against a tough target condition rather than forcing a maximum HRC.
A balanced plain-carbon baseline for relatively thin sections. Validate edge stability, core transformation and grain size in the finished geometry.
Both can support high hardness, but both are shallow hardening and process sensitive. W2 chemistry must be certified; neither is an automatic choice for impact.
1075 suits thinner simple-carbon components; 5160 is usually more forgiving when section depth and through-response become important.
Use appropriate bearing-quality material and control cleanliness, carbide structure, retained austenite and surface integrity.
Its oil-hardening response and tool-steel pedigree suit many shop tools, but high-impact duty may require a dedicated shock-resisting grade.
Choose the two closest candidates, process them to the intended hardness and compare representative wear, bending, impact and dimensional results.
Bearing steel is selected as a system, not a carbon percentage.
A bearing race combines repeated Hertzian contact stress, surface finish, dimensional accuracy, lubricant condition and material cleanliness. A high hardness helps resist plastic deformation, but inclusions, grinding burn, tensile residual stress or poor retained-austenite control can still initiate fatigue.
That is why replacing 52100 with another “high carbon” grade based only on an HRC value is risky. The same principle applies in reverse: choosing bearing steel for an impact tool does not guarantee superiority. Its chemistry can provide an excellent balance after careful processing, but 5160 may still tolerate shock better at the chosen service hardness.
- Specify cleanliness and product standard for fatigue-critical bearings.
- Protect the raceway from decarburization and grinding damage.
- Measure hardness at the functional depth and location.
- Validate retained austenite and dimensional stability when relevant.
A reliable steel order contains more than a grade name.
Many “steel problems” begin before heat treatment: unidentified substitute material, the wrong annealed condition, excessive decarburization, nonuniform spheroidization or an unrealistic acceptance test. Build the order and drawing around the property that controls service.
Material purchase order
- Grade plus governing SAE, ASTM, EN or supplier specification
- Product form, dimensions and delivery condition
- Chemical certificate or mill test report
- Cleanliness, grain size or hardenability requirements where critical
- Surface condition, decarburization and straightness limits
- Lot traceability and substitution approval
Heat-treatment definition
- Qualified supplier procedure for the exact section family
- Target hardness range and test scale
- Test locations, minimum thickness and surface preparation
- Distortion, straightness and crack-inspection criteria
- Required microstructure or retained-austenite limits
- Record of furnace load, quench and temper lot
Functional validation
- Representative wear or edge test
- Matched-condition impact, bend or fracture test
- Fatigue test for springs or rolling contact
- Corrosion protection and storage simulation
- Inspection after grinding, welding or coating
- Production sample size and acceptance rule
Questions for the supplier
- Which chemistry limits and product standard apply?
- Is the stock spheroidized annealed or only soft annealed?
- What section sizes were used for published data?
- What hardenability or Jominy evidence is available?
- How is decarburization controlled and measured?
- Which property values are typical versus guaranteed?
High hardness capability also makes the heat-affected zone dangerous.
High-carbon and hardenable alloy steels can form hard, brittle martensite next to a weld. Hydrogen, restraint and tensile residual stress can then produce delayed cracking even when the bead initially looks acceptable. The risk changes with carbon equivalent, section thickness, joint design, consumable, hydrogen control, heat input and post-weld thermal cycle.
Laser welding concentrates heat and can reduce total distortion, but its fast cooling rate may increase local hardness. A clean joint improves repeatability; it does not cancel metallurgical crack susceptibility. There is no responsible universal power, travel speed or preheat value for all seven grades.
Engineering rule: treat a grade change, hardness change, section change or joint-restraint change as a process change. Develop a qualified welding procedure with macrosection, hardness traverse, crack inspection and mechanical testing appropriate to the part.
A practical laser-welding qualification path
- Identify the exact grade and condition. Unknown “high carbon steel” is not enough.
- Map the joint restraint and thickness. A thin lap joint and a massive butt joint will not cool alike.
- Control contamination. Remove oil, scale and coatings; use suitable fume extraction and verify fit-up.
- Build a parameter window. Evaluate focus, speed, wobble, filler, shielding and controlled thermal practice.
- Cut and test samples. Inspect fusion, porosity, HAZ hardness, cracks and the relevant mechanical property.
- Lock the production controls. Record lot, surface preparation, joint gap and acceptance criteria.
For maintenance welding on hardened tooling, replacement or localized mechanical repair may be safer than fusion welding. A welding engineer should decide after reviewing the component’s failure consequence.
None of these grades is selected for stainless corrosion resistance.
Storage and use
Plain-carbon, spring, bearing and conventional tool steels can corrode when moisture and electrolyte reach the surface. The onset depends on humidity, salts, surface finish, residual scale, handling contamination, coating and temperature. Avoid universal claims such as “rusts within hours”; define the actual environment and protection system.
Oil, wax, conversion coating, paint, plating or controlled packaging may be appropriate. A forced patina can alter appearance and some surface behavior but is not a quantified substitute for a tested corrosion-control system.
Before coating or welding
Rust removal, oxide removal and cleaning should restore a defined surface without hiding pits, cracks or decarburized material. Laser cleaning can provide selective, low-consumable surface treatment when the energy window is qualified. Aggressive cleaning can also change texture or leave thermal effects, so acceptance should include roughness, dimensions and coating adhesion—not appearance alone.
After cleaning, control the time to coating or joining. A bright surface can flash-rust or recontaminate before the next operation if handling and humidity are not controlled.
Turn a grade comparison into an application specification.
Name the failure
Wear, rolling fatigue, edge chipping, gross impact, spring fatigue, distortion and corrosion point to different priorities.
Fix the geometry
Record controlling thickness, sharp transitions, holes, grind stock and required dimensional tolerance.
Shortlist two grades
Choose one conventional baseline and one alternative that directly addresses the governing failure mode.
Qualify the condition
Heat treat representative parts to the intended HRC band; inspect through-section response and defects.
Test the function
Run matched wear, impact, fatigue or dimensional trials and freeze the material/process/inspection combination.
Validate the material, surface and joint before selecting laser equipment.
Send the exact grade, condition, thickness, contamination, joint drawing and target result. Oceanplayer can help plan a representative sample test and recommend a cleaning or welding system around the application—not a generic power number.
High carbon steel grade FAQs
Short answers for selection, testing and fabrication. Use the governing material standard and supplier data for production decisions.
Which high carbon steel grade has the highest hardness?
There is no single grade winner independent of condition. 1095, 52100, W2 and O1 can all reach high Rockwell C values under suitable heat treatment. The usable target depends on section size, quench response, temper, retained austenite and the toughness required by the part.
Which of these seven steels is the toughest?
At common impact-oriented conditions, 5160 is often the first candidate because its spring-steel chemistry and hardenability support shock-loaded parts. That is a design tendency, not a universal test result. A valid comparison must use matched geometry, hardness, orientation, notch and temperature.
Is 5160 really a high carbon steel?
5160 typically contains about 0.56–0.64% carbon, placing it near the boundary used in many informal carbon classifications. It is more accurately described as a chromium alloy spring steel. Its chromium and spring application are central to its behavior.
What is the difference between 1084 and 1095 steel?
1095 contains more carbon, which can support more hardness and wear potential, while 1084 commonly contains more manganese under SAE ranges and can be easier to harden in thin sections. 1084 is often chosen for balance; 1095 demands tighter control when high hardness is pursued.
Is 52100 tougher than 1095?
Controlled specialist tests often show a useful toughness advantage for well-processed 52100 at comparable hardness, but the result depends strongly on carbide refinement, retained austenite, grain size and test method. Do not transfer an isolated knife coupon result directly to a bearing or industrial tool.
Why is W2 called a water-hardening steel?
W2 has very low hardenability and historically uses a severe quench to form a hard zone. The name is not a command to water-quench every W2 component. Exact carbon content, section and crack risk must be considered using the current supplier datasheet and a qualified procedure.
Is O1 tougher than 5160?
O1 is a general-purpose oil-hardening tool steel with good wear and dimensional-control advantages. 5160 is normally the more natural starting point for severe impact. At the same nominal HRC, actual toughness still depends on heat treatment, cleanliness, geometry and test method.
Does a higher HRC number always mean better edge retention?
No. Hardness influences resistance to deformation, but wear mechanism, carbide type, carbide distribution, edge geometry, surface finish and fracture behavior also matter. A harder edge that chips can perform worse than a slightly softer edge with greater stability.
Can Rockwell hardness prove that a part is fully hardened?
Not by itself. ASTM E18 notes that a local measurement may not represent the whole part. Low-hardenability steel can show a hard surface and softer core. A sectioned hardness traverse, microhardness profile or metallographic examination may be needed.
Can high carbon steel be laser welded?
It can be possible, but hard martensitic heat-affected zones, hydrogen and restraint create cracking risk. Laser welding’s fast cooling can intensify local hardening. The exact grade, hardness, thickness and joint need a qualified welding procedure with macrosection, hardness and crack evaluation.
What should a high carbon steel purchase order include?
State the grade, governing standard, product form, dimensions, delivery condition, chemistry certificate, traceability and any special requirements for cleanliness, hardenability, decarburization, straightness or spheroidization. “High carbon steel plate” alone is incomplete.
How should I choose among 1075, 1084, 1095, 5160, 52100, W2 and O1?
Name the controlling failure mode and section size first. Use 1084 as a balanced thin-section carbon-steel baseline, 5160 for impact, 52100 for rolling contact or high wear, O1 for general tooling, and the other grades when their specific response matches the application. Then validate two finalists under matched conditions.
Standards and supplier data behind this guide
- ASTM E18 — Standard Test Methods for Rockwell Hardness of Metallic Materials. Test scope, machine verification, specimen requirements and interpretation cautions.
- ASTM E23 — Standard Test Methods for Notched Bar Impact Testing of Metallic Materials. Charpy and Izod specimen and test controls.
- SAE J403 — Chemical Compositions of SAE Carbon Steels. Composition framework for the SAE 10xx grades.
- SAE J404 — Chemical Compositions of SAE Alloy Steels. Alloy-steel composition framework including 5160 and 52100 families.
- Ovako 100Cr6 / SAE 52100 steel data. Bearing-steel chemistry, applications and heat-treatment context.
- Latrobe Specialty Steel O1 Tool Steel Data Sheet. Typical chemistry, hardness response and supplier cautions.
- Cincinnati Tool Steel W2 Data Sheet. Water-hardening tool-steel family, shallow hardening and typical response.
- Admiral Steel 1074/1075 Data Sheet. Typical chemistry, delivery condition and applications.
- NIST Recommended Practice Guide: Rockwell Hardness Measurement of Metallic Materials. Measurement practice and sources of uncertainty.
- Knife Steel Nerds: controlled 5160 heat-treatment and toughness study. Condition-specific specialist test context, not universal material certification.
- Knife Steel Nerds: controlled 52100 heat-treatment study. Comparative hardness and toughness evidence under stated coupon conditions.
- Knife Steel Nerds: hardenability and quench-oil comparisons. Relative behavior of W2, 1095, 1084, 52100 and O1 in specialist testing.
This article is an engineering selection guide, not a heat-treatment procedure, welding procedure specification or substitute for the current material standard. Property values must be confirmed for the exact product, supplier, section, processing route and acceptance method.