AKI-I is a STANDARD INLAID CARBON alloy tool steel, which is manufactured from a composite, inlaid material, utilizing the traditional two-piece manufacturing method. The 1/8" thick alloy tool steel, LAID INTO the soft backing material, provides sufficient rigidity and strength to ensure that AKI paper knives will withstand the extreme cutting pressures of high lifts and coated paper.

AKI-II is a MID-RANGE alloy tool steel, which provides the highest degree of toughness, recommended for shearing of mild steel 3/8" and thicker. This durable, "shock resistant" material has increased wearability over and above that of our AKI-I. When shearing stainless steel, it is recommended that you shear no more than 50% of the machine's rated cutting capacity. 

AKI-III is a HIGH CARBON, HIGH CHROME alloy tool steel which offers as much as twice the blade life of our standard AKI-I. The HCHC quality is often used for lower knives on three-knife trimming machines.

AKI-IV is an INLAID HIGH SPEED STEEL, which is manufactured from the traditional two-piece composite knife blanks. Our HSS inlaid knives contain 18% tungsten (SKH-2) at RC 62-63 which is designed to improve blade life as much as five times that of our AKI-I quality. This "high-tech" alloy is designed to be used under high production applications, to ensure an increased number of cuts between sharpenings, thereby reducing cost per cutting hour. 

AKI-VII is an INLAID TUNGSTEN CARBIDE TIPPED knife designed to give as much as ten times the blade life between sharpenings, compared to our standard AKI-I grade. These precision cutting tools must be used under optimum cutting conditions for the best results.