Sword Steel Explained: 1045, 1065, T10, Spring Steel and Pattern Steel

Sword listings are full of steel names: 1045, 1065, T10, 5160, pattern steel. They matter, because the steel decides how hard the edge is, how well the blade survives knocks, how it looks and how much care it needs. Here is what the common steels mean in plain English.

A quick bit of background

Most sword steels are carbon steels: iron with a small amount of carbon. More carbon means the steel can be made harder and hold a sharper edge, but it also becomes more brittle. Heat treatment (quenching and tempering) is just as important as the steel itself; a well-treated mid-carbon blade can be better than a badly treated high-carbon one. That is why our listings also show the heat treatment.

1045 carbon steel

About 0.45% carbon. 1045 is a common steel for entry-level display and cosplay swords. It is fairly soft and forgiving, easy to sharpen and less likely to snap, but it will not hold an edge as well as higher-carbon steels. A good choice if you want a real steel blade for display at a lower price.

1060 and 1065 carbon steel

About 0.60–0.65% carbon. These are the workhorse steels of modern sword making: a good balance between hardness and toughness. Many of our katana and anime-inspired swords use 1065. They take a nice polish and can be through-hardened or differentially hardened.

1095 carbon steel

About 0.95% carbon. Harder and able to hold a keener edge, but less tolerant of abuse unless it is carefully heat treated. 1095 is often clay tempered to give a hard edge with a softer spine and a visible hamon.

T10 tool steel

T10 is a Chinese high-carbon tool steel with around 1% carbon. It is very popular for higher-end katana because it can be made very hard, holds an excellent edge and shows a beautiful hamon when clay tempered. The trade-off is that it needs proper care to avoid rust and should not be used for heavy cutting by beginners.

Spring steels: 65Mn, 5160 and "manganese steel"

Spring steels are made to flex and spring back rather than break. 65Mn (often listed as manganese steel) and 5160 (a chromium spring steel) are both tough and resilient. They are a strong choice if durability matters more to you than a mirror-like hamon. You will see them on many of our katana and Tang dao.

Folded pattern steel (Damascus)

Pattern steel is made by forge-welding layers of different steels together and folding them many times. After polishing and etching, the layers show as a flowing grain, so every blade is unique. Pattern steel is prized mainly for its looks and the skill involved; its performance depends on the steels used and the heat treatment. Read How a Longquan Sword Is Made to see how folding works.

Which steel should you choose?

• Display or cosplay on a budget: 1045 or 1060.
• All-round collector's katana: 1065 or spring steel.
• A sharp, beautiful blade with a real hamon: clay-tempered T10 or 1095.
• Something unique to look at: folded pattern steel.

Whatever you choose, carbon steels need a little care: wipe the blade after handling and keep a thin coat of oil on it. Our Sword Care Guide shows you how. Every LQForge listing names the exact steel and heat treatment, so you can compare before you buy. Start with our katana collection.