"Surgical steel" is a BS term the factories have been using for years. Has no meaning in the metallurgical sense. It's actually an FDA term for materials that are "non-reactive" to human flesh, i.e. some folks can't wear earrings or jewlery made of silver, or nickel silver because they get a allergic reaction . Most "surgical steel" medical tools (scapels etc) are made from either 300 series stainless, which is a work hardening "steel" with very little steel in it; it can't be heat hardened as most knife steels are, or 420 series steel; which of the 10 types of that steel which currently exist 9 of them don't qualify as martensitic steels(heat hardening) also,since the carbon levels in them are less than the .4% required to qualify as steel. Many of the cheap knives out there with 420 are hardened by work hardening....much cheaper than having to heat treat them. Since scapels are throw away items anyway, the steel serves it's short term purpose, and then is disposed of. Actually, many scapels today use ceramic, rather than "steel" blades. I've yet to see a 420 blade that holds an edge for long, although if you don't mind constant sharpening it works. It's greatest virtue is that it's quite tough. Far as Maxam knives go, can't help you there since I never have even heard of them until this post. A quick search on the internet shows a huge quantity of cheap knives, undoubtedly made in China. Most seem to be a knockoff of known designs produced by other knife manufacturers. The couple I looked at offer a lifetime guarantee, which on a knife that costs $3.95, isn't a hard statement for them to make. At those prices, you must have a lot of nephews. Steels to look for when shopping for a good knife are 440 series(probably will be 440A rather than B or C), AUS-6, AUS-8, ATS-34, 154CM, CPM-30V, VG-10 are the most commonly seen good ones. Watch out for "400 series"(Winchester uses that), since that will also be 420. Also if it just says stainless steel, those are also 420. Don't overlook carbon steel blades. Granted they rust if not cared for, but most carbon steels on the market today are pretty good; those that say Chrome/Vanadium are excellent. I look for that on kitchen knives when I'm browsing at flea markets, savation army etc.
