It’s rightly said that LC200N is a breakthrough in knife steel as it shatters all rules about attribute tradeoffs. Other than film build-up and fingerprinting, this super-sturdy steel does not compromise on any other attribute as such. Furthermore, it is resistant to chipping, fairly priced, can hold its edge well, and is great for humid environments.
We’ll discuss the steel composition, features, and comparison with other steel knives in the review. In addition, we’ll cover the sharpness, edge resistance, corrosion resistance, and toughness of the steel.
LC200N Steel is majorly used for its H1 corrosion resistance. It has medium-high hardness like the CPM 154. It is extensively used in pharmaceuticals, food, recycling, and chemical industries. So, if you have discussed every aspect of the steel in different sections, you can know if the steel is worth the hype.
What Is LC200N Steel?
Lc200n is a high nitrogen steel alloy that has high corrosion resistance. It is a European Steel, which was first introduced in 2013 by ZAPP.
The idea behind making this steel was to use it as ball-bearing steel for NASA. However, later it came into the food industry, where corrosion resistance steel was required to counter off the moisture from the environment.
The Steel is produced using Pressurized Electric Slag Remelting, also known as ESR technology. The ESR technology helps in increasing cleanliness and refines the microstructure of the knife. It gives the steel high. The blade steels are tough and sturdy, with hardness over 60HRC.
LC200N Steel Composition
The composition of tool steel plays a vital role in the formation of a good knife. The Steel is composed of:
- Carbon: 0.30%
- Chromium: 15.00%
- Manganese: 1.00%
- Molybdenum: 0.95%
- Nickel: 0.50%
- Nitrogen: 0.50%
The 0.30 percentage of carbon makes the steel hard and enhances its tensile strength. Along with carbon, Chromium 15.00% also improves tensile strength. It is a known fact, more than 12% of Chromium makes the steel alloy stainless. So, we can conclude, Chromium makes the steel stainless. The other metal in the composition helps enhance the hardness and tensile strength of the steel knife.
LC200N Steel Properties
Are you curious to know how well it works? Then, this part is for you. Here we have listed the properties of the knife, which include toughness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, sharpness, and edge retention.
Lc200n Toughness
A good knife helps in chopping, cracking, and slaughtering meat. The toughness of the blade is a feature that you must not miss out on. According to ZAPP official website, the hardness of the knife is 58-60Hc at 600-degree temperature.
Wear Resistance
It offers good wear resistance, but not the best. It prevents the knife from daily wear and tears and is suitable for day-to-day kitchen use. It stems from deforming of the edge.
Sharpness
The lc200n has excellent sharpness. You can easily sharpen and refine the structure of the knife with ease. Sharpening this knife is an easy task. This steel does not get blunt too often, so you won’t need to point it frequently.
Corrosion Resistance
We have mentioned before this knife is corrosion resistant. If you want a 100% corrosion resistance knife, then this is the one where you should stop. This knife is made exceptionally corrosion-resistant and tested through saltwater, sweat, and water.
Edge Retention
The edge retention is excellent. The combination of carbon and nitrogen makes the knife challenging and offers superior edge retention. This means it would go months without the need to sharpen the knife.
Lc200n Steel Hardness
The hardness of Steel falls between the 58-60 HRC range in 600-degree temperature. It comes in the same category as these steels like VG10, S35VN, and 154CM. 58-60HRC is the typical hardness that you get from high-end steel manufacturers. The wear resistance and sharpness of this steel are better than other knives on the market.
Lc200n Steel Heat Treatment
When controlled heat is applied for heating and cooling of plain carbon steel, the properties change. The metal gets tempered with the temperature change. The steel is put at 1900 degrees Fahrenheit austenite that leads to 60 HRC.
Is Lc200n Steel Suitable For Knives?
The 100% corrosion-free feature makes it suitable for knives. Lc200n is one of the best steel knives for saltwater or humid conditions. You can use it as a fishing knife for filleting the fish.
The Steel has excellent edge retention that makes it easy to cut without going dull. Along with edge retention, the sharpening of the knife is a cakewalk. You can even practice sharpening your skills with this knife.
The exceptional feature of the knife comes at a premium cost. In the blade ticking boxes, this knife ticks all the boxes. It is no doubt the price matches the features, and it beats all other utensils in the knife industry. One of the top-selling brands of lc200n is Spyderco.
Best LC200N Steel Knives
Here are some of the steel knives that are top on the market. Below are the top-rated knives are:
#1 Spyderco Caribbean Salt Leaf Folding Knife
Spyderco Caribbean Salt Leaf Folding Knife with 3.68
The Spyderco knife is compact, stylish, and easy to carry. The width of the blade is 3.66 inches, and it has a sharp edge that is enough to chip off anything. This is a titanium pocket-clip knife, and it comes out butter smooth plain edge to lock and open the knife.
#2 Spyderco Spydiechef Premium Chef Folding Knife
This premium chef knife was designed by Marcin Slyszand, who has made the knife extremely refined. It has an ergonomic design, and it makes slicing smooth and easy. The knife has 3.32 inches steel blade, and the overall length is 7.78 inches.
#3 Spyderco Pacific Salt 2 Lightweight Folding Knife
Spyderco Pacific Salt 2 Lightweight Folding Knife with 3.78
The Spyderco Salt 2 folding knife has a 3.78-inch stainless steel blade. The Spyderco Salt 2 has a wicked sharp edge that makes the cuts precise and has a lock-back mechanism. This knife is light, but it is high in strength.
LC200N Steel Equivalent
H1 Steel
When we say about the exceptional corrosion resistance feature steel knife, it reminds us of H1 Steel, which is equivalent to budget steel. H1 steel is highly corrosion-resistant, although it does not match LC200N with the wear resistance.
M390
M390 is alloy steel which is equivalent to H1 Steel. It has high strength, wears resistance, and corrosion resistance. If you are looking for high-end stainless steel and rust-proof steel, then you must consider this.
Lc200 Alternatives
In the table below, we have reviewed the steel knife’s performance in sharpness, corrosion resistance, toughness, and edge retention.
LC200N vs. H1
| Properties | LC200N | H1 |
| Sharpness | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Corrosion resistance | 10/10 | 9/10 |
| Toughness | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Edge retention | 8/10 | 6/10 |
LC200N outshines H1 in edge retention, while H1 outshines in toughness. Both are similar when compared in sharpness and corrosion resistance.
LC200N vs. S30V
| Properties | LC200N | S30V |
| Sharpness | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| Corrosion Resistance | 10/10 | 7/10 |
| Edge retention | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Toughness | 7/10 | 9/10 |
Lc200N outshines S30V in sharpness and has superior corrosion resistance, As S30V is prone to corrosion in long-term use. While, in terms of toughness and edge retention, S30V has an edge higher than the other.
Conclusion
In this article, we have everything you need to know about lc200n steel. The knife offers all-around performance. It is extremely corrosion resistant and easy to sharpen. The blade outshines toughness and has high strength, which means it can easily slide through any meat or vegetable with ease.
In this review, we have explained each part in plain language to decide whether or not you should buy this product.