Atlantic Chef uses German Steel 1.4116, which consists of Carbon, Chromium, Vanadium, Molybdenum and several other materials. After hardening/tempering, grinding, sharpening and some other major O processes, the hardness of the blades can reach as high as HRC 56 and above. The hand-honed, razor sharp blade edge also offers long-lasting sharpness, easy edge maintenance and rapid re-sharpening features.