Table of Contents
DS93X Steel is a Damascus stainless steel produced from metallurgy of powders by Sweden-based Damasteel. The Steel can be produced to contain over 100 layers and is produced following the Solid Steel Technology that provides extremely fine and clean Steel.
The two steels are fused during smelting, and there is no transition band between them; for this, Damasteel DS93X is termed solid Steel. This form is highly durable Steel with little to no chance of separation.
The Steel combines two alloys, RWL 34 steel, and PMC27 Steel, both of which form stainless Steel during heat treatment. It is also attributed to be highly pure and clean
The combination of the properties of these alloys produces a product with high hardness, excellent strength, good corrosion resistance, and is easy to sharpen.
It is ideal for making a variety of knife blades, and it is also food-safe.
DS93X Steel Composition
| Steel Grade | Carbon C | Silicon Si | Manganese Mn | Chromium Cr | Molybdenum Mo | Vanadium V |
| RWL 34 STEEL | 1.05% | 0.50% | 0.50% | 14% | 4% | 0.2% |
| PMC27 STEEL | 0.60% | 0.50% | 0.50% | 13% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Properties of DS93X Steel
DS93X Steel Hardness
The Rockwell hardness of DS93X Steel ranges between 60-64 HRC, which varies with the heat treatment used by the manufacturer. According to the manufacturer, the heat treatment can take 5 different techniques to get a hardness of up to 64 HRC.
DS93X Steel can attain high hardness because each Steel is hardenable with many carbides formed from Carbon and Chromium in its composition.
RWL 34 steel is the harder of the two Steel used, ranging from 59HRC to 64HRC, while PMC27 Steel is the softer one ranging from 53HRC to 60HRC.
DS93X Steel Edge Retention
The edge retention of Steel is directly related to the hardness. Therefore, being hard Steel, DS93X Steel excels in edge retention. Also, the production process produces a homogenous product that can attain and keep a fine edge.
Blades made from this Steel do not get dull faster, even when used for outdoor challenging applications.
If you want to buy knives that will not stress you with the need for frequent sharpening, you clicked on the right post because DS93X blades will never disappoint you.
DS93X Steel Corrosion Resistance
Another area of excellence for this Steel is in the ability to resist rust. The two steel compositions each contain above 13% chromium, which contributes to the hardness, and corrosion resistance.
Proper heat treatment is essential not only for hardness but to get optimal corrosion resistance for Damascus DS93X.
However, any steel can rust when presented with rusting conditions. Therefore, DS93X stainless steel blades require proper care to keep rust and stains at bay.
You cannot leave the knives in water all night and expect them not to rust. Therefore, ensure to wash and dry the blades after use to prevent corrosion.
DS93X Steel Toughness
It is a basic rule that Steel can either give you hardness or toughness but never both. DS93X Steel offers a hardness of 64HRC; you probably can bet that it performs poorly in toughness.
However, to your surprise, the Steel offers decent toughness, making it unique among other Steel.
The outstanding toughness can be attributed to the lower Rockwell hardness of PMC27 Steel in its mixture.
Because of its level of toughness, blades made from this Steel do not break or chip easily.
DS93X Steel Wear Resistance
The wear resistance of Steel is another property directly related to the hardness. Apart from the hardness, the wear resistance of DS93X stainless steel is greatly improved by the molybdenum and Vanadium in its composition.
If you are looking for excellent knives with a long lifespan, you can never go wrong with DS93X knives.
Sharpening DS93X Steel
DS93X Steel should be difficult to sharpen with high hardness and excellent wear resistance. However, this Steel has extremely fine grains, making it easy to sharpen. You can get a razor-sharp edge with this Steel without the need for sophisticated or extremely hard abrasives.
Also, you can quickly get a sharp edge with this Steel, even with beginner sharpening skills.
If you are looking for a knife to practice and learn knife sharpening with, the blades of DS93X will make a good starting point.
Damascus DS93X Steel Patterns
Damasteel DS93X stainless steel offers a lot of aesthetically pleasing damascus patterns to choose from. The pattern can match your blade types depending on whether it’s a large or small blade.
For example, the DS93X Draupner pattern will be most suitable for medium and large blades. At the same time, DS93 Hymer will be suitable for small-sized knives.
Other patterns that are all rounded for all blade types include but are not limited to DS93X Thor, DS93 ladder, DS93X Björkmans Twist, and DS93X Odin Heim™.
There are more than 15 patterns to choose from; you will not miss a suitable one for your needs.
DS93X vs. other steels
DS93X Steel vs. M390 Steel
Bohler M390 steel offers better corrosion resistance and edge retention than DS93X Steel. M390 contains about 20% chromium content in its alloy, significantly improving its corrosion resistance. The edge retention of M390 is greatly improved over DS93X Steel due to more Vanadium that enables the formation of hard vanadium carbides.
On the other hand, DS93X is easier to sharpen and provides better toughness due to combining two steels.
M390 makes better EDC knives, while Damasteel blades take the lead with aesthetically pleasing knives.
Is DS93X good knife steel?
Damascus DS93X stainless steel has all the properties of good knife steel. It offers excellent edge retention, good corrosion resistance, great wear resistance, decent toughness, and is easy to sharpen.
Judging from these properties, we can conclude that it is good knife steel. However, whether or not DS93X is good knife steel depends on your knife needs.
Spyderco 2022 catalog has incorporated Damasteel DS93X Damascus steel in their limited-edition Sprint Run Urban knife series.
