Product spec sheets for scissors and shears are full of steel grades: SK5, 30Cr13, 420, manganese steel. For a B2B buyer, these codes translate directly into three things your customers will feel: how sharp the blade gets, how long it stays sharp, and how it handles moisture. Here's a practical translation.
SK5 — The Hard Worker
SK5 is a Japanese-standard high-carbon steel, hardenable to around HRC 60. It takes a very keen edge and holds it well under repeated heavy cuts, which is why we use it in our ErgoCut pruning shears — a tool that might make a thousand cuts in an afternoon. The trade-off: high carbon means it can rust if stored wet, so it suits products where users expect basic care (garden and agricultural tools).
SK5 blades on our ErgoCut 30° pruning shears
30Cr13 — The Balanced Choice
30Cr13 is a Chinese martensitic stainless steel, closely comparable to AISI 420. With roughly 13% chromium, it resists rust well while still hardening enough for a durable edge. It's the workhorse grade for kitchen-facing products — our bread knives and PowerCut utility shears use it — because kitchen tools get wet constantly and customers expect zero maintenance.
Manganese Steel — The Fabric Specialist
Tailor shears face a different challenge: not hard materials, but long, smooth cuts through fabric where any roughness in the edge snags threads. Manganese steel offers excellent toughness and takes a finely polished edge that glides through textiles. Combined with one-piece construction, it's why traditional tailor shears feel so different from kitchen scissors.
What to Ask Your Supplier
Beyond the grade itself, two process questions matter as much as the steel: heat treatment (double heat treatment improves edge durability significantly) and finishing (multi-stage polishing affects both cutting feel and corrosion resistance). A cheaper steel with excellent heat treatment often outperforms a better steel processed carelessly — which is exactly why factory selection, not just spec sheets, determines product quality.
Questions about a specific application? Get in touch — matching steel to market is a large part of what we do.