M398 MICROCLEAN is a corrosion-resistant martensitic chromium steel produced by powder metallurgy

M398 is a stainless steel alloy with greater wear resistance than M390. Compared to M390, M398 contains more carbon, vanadium and slightly more tungsten. This steel has exceptional edge retention and may well have the best practical edge durability of any stainless steel alloy. Hardness after quenching, with sub-zero tempering – which we strongly recommend – reaches up to 64 HRC, which is exceptional hardness for a stainless steel. The trade-off is lower toughness and poorer machinability.