14C28N vs 12C27

14C28N and 12C27 are both martensitic stainless chromium steel produced by Alleima® formerly Sandvik steel suitable for most knife applications.

These steels are especially preferred for knives due to their good corrosion resistance, hardness, edge retention, and ease of sharpening.

In recent years, 14C28N has become a popular knife steel on the market. It is widely used by many major knife manufacturers globally. 

While 12C27 has been around longer, 14C28N can be considered an upgraded replacement offering measurable improvements in key areas.

Key Takeaways:

• Both are budget-friendly stainless steels suitable for kitchen knives and pocket knives
• 14C28N has slightly higher attainable hardness giving better edge retention
• 14C28N offers improved corrosion resistance over 12C27
• 12C27 likely has a small advantage in toughness over 14C28N
• Sharpening and grind ability are comparable for both

14C28N vs 12C27 differences at a glance

Hardness

When heat treated correctly, 14C28N steel can attain peak hardness levels of up to 62 HRC on the Rockwell scale, meanwhile, 12C27 steel maxes out at approximately 61 HRC hardness after tempering. 

14C28N contains 0.11% nitrogen while 12C27 does not have any nitrogen alloying. Additional nitrogen increases steel hardness similarly to carbon but without compromising corrosion resistance.

This additional nitrogen gives 14C28N the capability to reach marginally higher hardness values compared to 12C27, especially when deep cryogenic treatment is used.

With deep cryogenic treatment, 14C28N can reach hardness levels 1-2 HRC points higher than 12C27. That extra point of possible hardness gives 14C28N steel a measurable advantage in real-world cutting applications over 12C27 steel.

Since 14C28N can achieve higher hardness values, knives and tools made from it stay sharper and resist dulling better through repeated use.

The enhanced hardness also makes 14C28N more durable over many cutting cycles, leading to extended edge life between sharpenings.

Its greater hardness capacity even allows more flexibility to customize heat treatment for different blade types, especially kitchen knives. 

Edge Retention

When it comes to retaining a fine, sharp edge over repeated usage, 14C28N has decent edge retention but is lower than powder metallurgy steels like CPM S30V steel. 

However, 14C28N offers slightly better edge retention than 12C27 steel in CATRA (cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association) testing.

14C28N edge retention advantage is from its advanced metallurgy, 14C28N has higher carbon content 0.62 % vs 0.6 % in 12C27. 14C28N steel also has extra nitrogen that boosts hardness and edge stability over 12C27 Steel.

A key factor influencing edge retention is hardness. As noted previously, both steels can attain high hardness levels in the range of HRC 60 after heat treatment, leading to good edge retention and abrasion resistance. 

However, 14C28N’s ability to reach slightly higher hardness gives it a marginal edge retention and wear resistance advantage.

For most cutlery applications the wear resistance of both steels is considered adequate when optimal hardness is attained through heat treatment. 

14C28N likely has a small edge retention advantage over 12C27 owing to its higher achievable hardness, but both provide sufficient wear resistance for most cutting uses once hardened.

Toughness

14C28N is characterized as having very high toughness while still achieving high hardness levels above 60 HRC. However, 12C27 has an advantage in terms of toughness over 14C28N.

For measure, 12C27 and 14C28N lead all stainless steels when it comes to toughness, they are at the same level as AEB-L steel and 420HC steel, with a score of 9 out of 10 in toughness.

14C28N has a slightly higher carbon content at 0.62% compared to 12C27’s 0.6%. This higher carbon content gives 14C28N a marginal reduction in toughness compared to 12C27 steel.

Additionally, 14C28N can achieve higher Rockwell hardness values in the low 60s after heat treatment compared to 12C27, typically in the high 50s. This increased hardness makes 14C28N more prone to brittleness and losing some toughness.

Sandvik’s 12C27 served as a precursor to AEB-L steel, which was adjusted to increase hardness capabilities. This suggests that 12C27 retains some of AEB-L’s superior toughness qualities as a result of its lower carbon content.

While both steels demonstrate an excellent balance of toughness and hardness, 12C27 has a slight toughness advantage over 14C28N owing to its lower carbon content and lower peak hardness levels.

The toughness of 12C27 can be considered very good while still meeting target hardness ranges. 

Corrosion resistance

12C27 and 14C28N are martensitic stainless steels, giving them significantly better corrosion resistance than carbon and low alloy steels.

The key factor determining corrosion resistance is the chromium content between these steels. 12C27 contains 13.5% chromium while 14C28N has a higher 14% chromium content. 

The higher chromium gives Sandvik 14C28N steel improved overall corrosion resistance compared to 12C27 steel. Additionally, 14C28N also contains 0.11% nitrogen which improves the corrosion resistance.

My Independent corrosion testing, using salt water spray also shows 14C28N performing better than 12C27.

Its increased chromium content translates to enhanced protection when exposed to moisture, acids, or other staining substances. 

On similar exposure times, Sandvik 14C28N commonly shows less pitting, corrosion, or red rust formation than Sandvik 12C27 steel samples.

Ease of sharpening

12C27 steel and 14C28N steel are closely matched when it comes to sharpening, both steels are readily sharpenable with any stones. Their lack of large carbides contributes to good sharpenability.

Both 14C28N and 12C27 have high grindability which makes manufacturing costs low and thus highly used in budget knives specifically kitchen knives.

Final Thoughts on 14C28N vs 12C27

After reviewing the properties of 12C27 and 14C28N Swedish steels, I would recommend 14C28N over 12C27 for most cutlery applications, especially kitchen knives.

While both are excellent budget-friendly steels, 14C28N is the newer, advanced version of 12C27 with noticeable improvements from Alleima® formerly Sandvik steel. 

The key advantage of 14C28N is its ability to reach around 1-2 points higher on the Rockwell hardness scale, giving it better edge retention and wear resistance over the life of the blade. The extra hardness also provides more flexibility for heat-treating different styles of knives.

While 12C27 still has decent toughness, 14C28N can match or even exceed it while achieving higher hardness levels. The additional chromium and nitrogen in 14C28N boost corrosion resistance as well. 

For manufacturers and knifemakers looking for value-priced stainless steel, 14C28N represents an upgrade over 12C27. 

The small increase in alloying elements like nitrogen gives measurable improvements in performance while keeping costs low. 

I would suggest choosing 14C28N over 12C27 for most kitchen and pocket knives where optimum hardness, edge retention, and corrosion resistance are desired along with good toughness and easy sharpening.

14C28N is an excellent choice as an upgraded replacement for 12C27 in affordable cutlery.