Nicholson Black Diamond files have been discussed at length herein. There have been many who indicate that they are 1095 with added carbon.
A few years ago, wanting to get the straight answer from the horse's mouth, I called Nicholson. After getting bounced around a bit from tech guy to tech guy, I finally landed with a gentlemen who indicated that their steel blend is proprietary and that he could not reveal it. I told him what I had heard about the 1095 plus carbon recipe. He was non committal. We actually had a lengthy conversation as I explained not only that I wanted to make knives from their old files, but we even discussed the types of knives. He himself was not a knifemaker, but he was both curious and guarded at the same time.
Grateful for his time and attention, but getting just a bit frustrated, I asked him how I should heat treat it for a good utility knife. I think at this point, he realized that I wasn't a competitor. There was a long pause... and finally, he said, "Heat treat it exactly like W-2". He said nothing more.
I thanked him for his time and advice.
Take that story for what it's worth.
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