Thread: Finally! The truth about "Silver Steel"

Silver steel is not a marketing gimmick nor is it a form of stainless steel. It is actually a high carbon alloy steel that meets the following specifications:

http://www.silver-steel.co.uk/SilverSteelBS1407.html

These are Brittish specs. There are similar German specifications as well (DIN 1.2002) and French (AFNOR 120C2).

The carbon content is usually above 1% and it does contain some Chrome, usually about 0.40%, so can be thought of as a high carbon alloy. The chrome content is, however, substancially less than even some of the so called "low chrome" alloys such as 2-1/4 Chrome - 1/2 Moly.

It is usually considered a tool grade steel. It gets its name because of its bright appeance, which is due to the high carbon content. It is also known as "bright steel". With proper heat treating, it will harden to a RC of about 64.