the steel is alright if it is the same type that I have on my big rock. I do have reservations about Gerber's products though: Not very hardwearing, not very aesthetically pleasing and not good for sabarage! You do get a very good knife for the £30 you pay though (just something to bash around). I am actually using my Big rock as a letter opener at the moment, because the handle (as nice as it was to start off with) wore away over about a month, and when all the grip has gone, it becomes more slippery than a waterpark.