N690 Knife Steel – How Good Is It Really? (My Full Review)

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N690 is a good knife steel for buyers who want useful edge retention, good corrosion resistance, and manageable maintenance. It makes sense in an everyday carry or hunting knife, provided the blade is designed and heat-treated for the job.

Its limitations matter, too. N690 is not an exceptional toughness steel, and other steels offer longer-lasting edges in abrasive cutting. Calling it “premium” tells you less than understanding those tradeoffs. Knife Steel Nerds’ steel ratings put its performance in perspective.

So, should N690 put you off a knife you otherwise like? Generally, no. But the steel name alone should not be the reason you buy it, either.

My Favorite Knife That Uses N690 Steel

N690 Steel Composition

N690 is a cobalt-containing stainless steel from Austrian manufacturer Böhler. Its material designations include 1.4528 and X105CrCoMo18-2. Böhler lists knives and cutting instruments among its applications. Böhler’s N690 product information.

These are the average percentages by weight on Böhler’s current product page:

Element	Average content
Carbon	1.08%
Chromium	17.30%
Cobalt	1.50%
Molybdenum	1.10%
Manganese	0.40%
Silicon	0.40%
Vanadium	0.10%

Source: Böhler N690. These are nominal averages, not a certificate for an individual batch.

N690CO Variant

The important point is that standard Böhler N690 already contains cobalt: the manufacturer specifies an average of 1.50%.

Consequently, the “Co” in an N690Co listing is not, by itself, evidence of a better grade with extra cobalt. Do not pay more on that assumption. If a seller claims a different composition, ask for the specification rather than relying on the suffix. Böhler’s composition table.

Properties of N690 Knife Steel

Hardness and Heat Treatment

N690 does not have one fixed hardness. That depends on how the maker heat-treats it. Böhler’s current tooling datasheet gives hardness up to 59–61 HRC under its stated conditions; a finished knife’s specification may differ. Check the actual model rather than assuming every N690 blade is identical. Böhler N690 datasheet.

For a buyer, a published hardness range is useful information, but it is not a complete performance rating. It does not tell you the blade’s edge angle, cutting geometry, or whether its heat treatment was well executed.

If you are making a knife, work from the manufacturer’s technical guidance and a process suited to your stock and equipment. A short internet recipe is not enough to establish the right hardening, quenching, and tempering procedure for every blade.

Edge Retention

N690 offers respectable edge retention, broadly in the company of familiar steels such as VG10 and 440C. It is a useful everyday option without being a leader in wear resistance. Comparative steel ratings.

There is no meaningful promise that it will stay sharp for a particular number of days. Opening a few envelopes and breaking down dirty cardboard all afternoon are different jobs.

Also, “edge retention” tests need context. CATRA testing measures cutting performance as an edge wears against abrasive test media. It does not establish how a knife will behave when twisted, struck, or damaged. Hardness, carbides, sharpening, and geometry all influence the outcome. Knife Steel Nerds’ edge-retention testing.

Toughness

Toughness is N690’s main limitation. It has considerably less resistance to fracture than stainless options such as 14C28N and AEB-L. That does not make an N690 knife unsuitable for ordinary cutting, but it does make claims of exceptional resistance to chipping misleading. Knife Steel Nerds’ ratings and methodology.

For an outdoor knife, consider what “outdoor use” actually means. Preparing food and cutting cord are different requirements from repeated chopping or impact. Choose the complete knife for the intended task.

Corrosion Resistance

N690 is stainless, but stainless does not mean maintenance-free. Its corrosion resistance is a useful strength; treating it as automatically suitable for prolonged saltwater exposure goes too far.

Chromium percentage alone cannot tell you how rust-resistant a steel will be. Some chromium becomes tied up in carbides, and heat treatment and surface finish also affect corrosion behavior. That is why simply comparing two composition tables can produce the wrong conclusion. Knife Steel Nerds’ corrosion research.

Clean the blade after use, rinse away salt and food residue, and dry it before storage. Avoid leaving it in a damp sheath. For regular saltwater use, a knife specifically designed for that environment deserves a closer look; LC200N, for example, performed exceptionally well in the cited corrosion testing.

How Difficult Is N690 to Sharpen?

N690 is a manageable sharpening proposition. It does not require a professional sharpening service simply because it contains cobalt.

A suitable aluminum-oxide stone or diamond sharpener is a practical option. Diamond is useful if you also maintain more wear-resistant steels. Abrasive choice matters: hard vanadium carbides can challenge ordinary abrasives, while chromium carbides are easier for aluminum oxide to cut. Knife Steel Nerds’ discussion of carbides and sharpening.

Start by matching the existing bevel unless you have a reason to change it. Use progressively lighter pressure and remove the burr carefully. A wire edge can feel sharp initially and then lose that sharpness quickly; sharpening research shows that burr removal can matter more than the apparent ease of grinding an edge. Sharpening observations from controlled testing.

Do not assume there is one ideal sharpening angle for every N690 knife. A thin slicer and a sturdier utility blade have different requirements.

Comparison to Other Steels

N690 Compared With Other Knife Steels

These are broad steel comparisons, not guarantees that one finished knife will outperform another.

Alternative	Main difference from N690
440C	Similar overall performance; N690 is not a dramatic edge-retention upgrade.
VG10	Comparable edge retention, with small differences in other properties. Choose the knife you prefer.
S30V	Generally offers greater abrasive edge retention.
14C28N	Much tougher, with lower wear resistance.

N690 vs. D2: N690 is the more corrosion-resistant choice. Conventional D2 offers useful wear resistance, but its large carbides limit toughness. Calling D2 “tool steel” does not automatically make it a better heavy-impact option. D2 properties and test data. For more background, see our D2 knife steel guide.

N690 vs. M390: M390 is a stronger candidate when abrasive edge retention is the priority, and it has very good corrosion resistance. However, M390 also has limited toughness; it is not superior in every property merely because it is a powder-metallurgy steel. M390 research and testing.

For the closer stainless-steel comparison, our VG10 steel guide covers another common option.

Is an N690 Knife Worth Buying?

N690 remains a solid choice for a well-made cutting knife. The original appeal still holds: useful performance without needing to chase the highest edge-retention steel available.

Before buying, look beyond the blade marking:

• What will you cut? Everyday slicing, abrasive materials, and impact-heavy work call for different priorities.
• Does the geometry suit the job? A thick blade can be sturdy but disappointing as a slicer.
• Is the knife comfortable? Steel cannot compensate for a handle that does not fit your hand.
• What are you paying for? Assess the grind, construction, sheath or lock, warranty, and overall design alongside the steel.

Those are practical buying criteria, not a claim that every N690 knife offers equal value. As the Knife Steel Nerds guide to budget steels explains, steel selection alone cannot predict the performance of a finished knife.

If the knife fits your needs and the price makes sense, N690 is a perfectly reasonable steel to choose. Just buy it for what the knife can do, rather than what “cobalt-enriched” sounds like it should do.