C75 is a high-carbon, unalloyed steel with approximately 0.75% carbon. After appropriate heat treatment, it achieves high hardness and is used, among other things, for cutting tools.
Three key characteristics of the steel: Edge retention, rust resistance, and sharpenability
Edge retention: medium
★★★☆☆
The high carbon content allows for high hardness and wear resistance after heat treatment. However, compared to high-alloy knife steels, it lacks a significant amount of hard alloy carbides.
Rust resistance: low
★★☆☆☆
C75 contains no significant chromium content and is not rust-resistant. The blade requires appropriate corrosion protection.
Sharpenability: good
★★★★☆
As a low-alloy carbon steel, C75 does not contain large amounts of hard alloy carbides and is therefore relatively easy to sharpen.
Areas of application
Knives and cutting tools: C75 is explicitly used for cutting tools and can achieve high hardness after appropriate heat treatment.
Outdoor knives: The properties of C75 make it interesting for knives where high hardness and easy sharpenability are more important than rust resistance.
Springs: Due to its high carbon content and resulting mechanical properties, C75 is also used for spring applications.
Steel composition
| Element | Proportion |
|---|---|
| Carbon (C) | 0.70–0.80 % |
| Silicon (Si) | 0.25 % |
| Manganese (Mn) | 0.60–0.90 % |
Products with C75 Knife Steel
