There are hundreds of different blade steels available and even more types of handle materials. Below is a list of steels and handle materials I use, along with some common terms in the knife community.
STEELS
--- CPM 3V: This is a very tough steel made by Crucible. It has decent corrosion resistance and edge holding. I use this steel on my Kerry Camp knives and smaller EDC knives that will get heavy use.
--- CPM M4: This is another steel made by Crucible. It is the king of edge holding but is not very corrosion resistant. It's also very tough although not quite as tough as CPM 3V. It's difficult for the end-user to sharpen. It pushes my equipment to it's limits, requiring a 2200° heat treat. I use this steel on small skinning knives and hunting knives where the excellent edge retention is valued.
---Elmax: Is a stainless steel made by Bohler. It has great edge retention and corrosion resistance. I use this steel on several different knives because it is so well-rounded. It's one of my favorite steels, but is expensive.
---CPM154: This is another Crucible steel that is tough and very corrosion resistant. I use this steel on kitchen cutlery and fillet knives.
---80crv2: This is the main carbon steel that I use. It's very tough, although not quite as tough as CPM 3V. It takes a very fine edge and is easy to resharpen when it needs it. I use this steel on just about every model of knife that I make. It is not corrosion resistant and will need extra care, but it's also very economical.
---12c27: This is an inexpensive stainless steel made by Sandvik. It has great corrosion resistance and it's easy to resharpen when it needs it. I use this steel on several different models. It's an option for customers that want the easy of stainless steel on a budget.
HANLDE MATERIAL
---Micarta: Micarta is a brand name for what is often called phenolic resin. It is basically layers of paper, linen, canvas or burlap pressed with a resin material. It's very tough material, that can be finished with a matte or glossy finish. It's a great material for knives that will be used in wet environments because it offers a great grip even when wet. It comes in several different colors an configurations. Most Micarta is very economical.
---G10: G10 is pretty much the same thing as Micarta except it uses fiberglass layers instead of paper, linen, canvas or burlap. It's also very tough, is impervious to moisture and comes in more colors and configurations than Micarta. It's also a little more expensive than Micarta.
---Carbon Fiber: Carbon Fiber is similar to G10 and Micarta in that it is pressed with resin. It uses a carbon weave or carbon shreds instead of the cloth or fiberglass. The carbon is always black, but the resin can be dyed giving tints of other colors. Carbon fiber is very cool, but is also expensive.
---Richlite: Richlite is a material made from recycled paper. It comes in about 12 colors. It's the material that Epicurean cutting boards are made of. It's a newer material for knife handles, but I really like using it. It's very tough and is food safe and supports recycled materials. It's priced in between Micarta and G10.
---Stabilized Wood: Stabilized wood is a material that I sell to other makers. Dry wood is stabilized by soaking it in resin under a vacuum, causing the liquid resin to soak into the pores of the wood. When the resin cures it stabilizes the wood which helps prevent cracking and expansion and contraction of the wood. It allows us to use soft or delicate wood for a knife handle. Blocks of stabilized wood can range from $15 to $150, depending on figure and rarity of the wood.
---Natural Wood: Not all woods can be stabilized, due to hardness or oiliness. These woods can still make good knife handles. Some of these woods are Desert Ironwood and many of the Rosewood varieties.
KNIFE TERMS
Hollow Grind: A hollow grind is a type of main bevel grind that leaves the blade with a concave or hollow shape. It's done using grinding wheels. The bigger the wheel, the more shallow the hollow grind. Hollow grinds are generally not as strong as other grinds, but they allow for a very fine edge.
Flat Grind: A flat grind is done on a flat platen on the grinder and gives the knife a perfectly flat bevel. Flat grinds are strong and still allow a fine edge.
Convex Grind: Convex grinds are not very common on knives. They are done on a slack belt grinder and allow for the strongest of edges. They are seen on axes and cleavers, but knives can also use convex grinds.
STEELS
--- CPM 3V: This is a very tough steel made by Crucible. It has decent corrosion resistance and edge holding. I use this steel on my Kerry Camp knives and smaller EDC knives that will get heavy use.
--- CPM M4: This is another steel made by Crucible. It is the king of edge holding but is not very corrosion resistant. It's also very tough although not quite as tough as CPM 3V. It's difficult for the end-user to sharpen. It pushes my equipment to it's limits, requiring a 2200° heat treat. I use this steel on small skinning knives and hunting knives where the excellent edge retention is valued.
---Elmax: Is a stainless steel made by Bohler. It has great edge retention and corrosion resistance. I use this steel on several different knives because it is so well-rounded. It's one of my favorite steels, but is expensive.
---CPM154: This is another Crucible steel that is tough and very corrosion resistant. I use this steel on kitchen cutlery and fillet knives.
---80crv2: This is the main carbon steel that I use. It's very tough, although not quite as tough as CPM 3V. It takes a very fine edge and is easy to resharpen when it needs it. I use this steel on just about every model of knife that I make. It is not corrosion resistant and will need extra care, but it's also very economical.
---12c27: This is an inexpensive stainless steel made by Sandvik. It has great corrosion resistance and it's easy to resharpen when it needs it. I use this steel on several different models. It's an option for customers that want the easy of stainless steel on a budget.
HANLDE MATERIAL
---Micarta: Micarta is a brand name for what is often called phenolic resin. It is basically layers of paper, linen, canvas or burlap pressed with a resin material. It's very tough material, that can be finished with a matte or glossy finish. It's a great material for knives that will be used in wet environments because it offers a great grip even when wet. It comes in several different colors an configurations. Most Micarta is very economical.
---G10: G10 is pretty much the same thing as Micarta except it uses fiberglass layers instead of paper, linen, canvas or burlap. It's also very tough, is impervious to moisture and comes in more colors and configurations than Micarta. It's also a little more expensive than Micarta.
---Carbon Fiber: Carbon Fiber is similar to G10 and Micarta in that it is pressed with resin. It uses a carbon weave or carbon shreds instead of the cloth or fiberglass. The carbon is always black, but the resin can be dyed giving tints of other colors. Carbon fiber is very cool, but is also expensive.
---Richlite: Richlite is a material made from recycled paper. It comes in about 12 colors. It's the material that Epicurean cutting boards are made of. It's a newer material for knife handles, but I really like using it. It's very tough and is food safe and supports recycled materials. It's priced in between Micarta and G10.
---Stabilized Wood: Stabilized wood is a material that I sell to other makers. Dry wood is stabilized by soaking it in resin under a vacuum, causing the liquid resin to soak into the pores of the wood. When the resin cures it stabilizes the wood which helps prevent cracking and expansion and contraction of the wood. It allows us to use soft or delicate wood for a knife handle. Blocks of stabilized wood can range from $15 to $150, depending on figure and rarity of the wood.
---Natural Wood: Not all woods can be stabilized, due to hardness or oiliness. These woods can still make good knife handles. Some of these woods are Desert Ironwood and many of the Rosewood varieties.
KNIFE TERMS
Hollow Grind: A hollow grind is a type of main bevel grind that leaves the blade with a concave or hollow shape. It's done using grinding wheels. The bigger the wheel, the more shallow the hollow grind. Hollow grinds are generally not as strong as other grinds, but they allow for a very fine edge.
Flat Grind: A flat grind is done on a flat platen on the grinder and gives the knife a perfectly flat bevel. Flat grinds are strong and still allow a fine edge.
Convex Grind: Convex grinds are not very common on knives. They are done on a slack belt grinder and allow for the strongest of edges. They are seen on axes and cleavers, but knives can also use convex grinds.