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14C28N is a stainless knife steel worth considering when you want a tough edge and straightforward everyday care. Its strength is resisting chips rather than holding an edge through the longest stretch of abrasive cutting. For opening packages, preparing food and carrying a knife in a damp pocket, that is a useful balance.
What Is 14C28N?
14C28N is a martensitic stainless grade listed by Alleima for knife applications. The producer datasheet describes its nitrogen-bearing alloy design. Check the exact grade on the listing: 12C27, 13C26 and 14C28N are separate steels.
Performance Ratings
For the science, we turn to Dr. Larrin Thomas of Knife Steel Nerds, who has kindly allowed us to share his ratings here.
| Property | 14C28N |
|---|---|
| Abrasive edge retention | |
| Toughness | |
| Corrosion resistance |
Heat treatment, hardness and geometry affect actual knives.
Explore 14C28N’s Tradeoffs
Choose a steel above to highlight its position and see all three exact ratings below. The full map fits your screen.
Stainless
14C28N
- Abrasive edge retention
- 3
- Toughness
- 9
- Corrosion resistance
- 8.5
Same position; corrosion ratings may differ:
All 48 rated materials. Numbers group steels at identical coordinates; colors describe stainless classification, not corrosion scores. Neither direction means a universally better knife.
14C28N’s ratings are shown above. Enable JavaScript to select another steel, or browse the full ratings table.
What Does 14C28N Do Well?
A toughness rating of 9 makes 14C28N a strong option when small chips are a concern. That gives you useful resistance to fracture, though blade thickness and edge angle still matter. A thin tip remains unsuitable for prying or twisting.
The Tradeoff: Abrasive Edge Retention
Its edge-retention rating of 3 sits below D2 and the more wear-resistant powder steels. If your day involves repeated cardboard cutting, expect that tradeoff to matter more than it would when opening the occasional parcel. A well-ground blade can still slice comfortably. The underlying edge-retention research helps separate abrasive wear from how easily a blade passes through material.
Compare 14C28N vs D2 in the comparison tool to see their ratings side by side.
Sharpening and Rust Care
14C28N is a practical choice if you are happy to make occasional touch-ups instead of chasing the longest interval between them. Keep the sharpening angle consistent and remove the burr before judging the edge. Its stainless classification makes routine care easier, but rinse off residue and dry the whole knife after wet use. Pay attention to the pivot and handle as well as the blade.
What to Check Before Buying
Look at the blade thickness, handle fit and the maker's hardness information. The steel name alone cannot tell you whether a particular knife has been heat treated well. If two knives both use 14C28N, choose the one whose shape and carry work for you. Our knife steel guide shows where it sits among other choices.
Composition
Our steel composition guide explains what the elements do and how to read these values.
14C28N: Alleima nominal composition, mass %; selected elements, not a batch analysis. Alleima: 14C28N datasheet.
| Element | 14C28N |
|---|---|
| Carbon (C) | 0.62% |
| Silicon (Si) | 0.2% |
| Manganese (Mn) | 0.6% |
| Chromium (Cr) | 14% |
| Nitrogen (N) | 0.11% |
