Actually SR-101 has basically the exact same edge retention and toughness as INFI. The steel gets the exact same heat treat that all INFI gets. The only difference is that it's not stainless and can rust fairly easily.

However, I think SR-101 is slightly more malleable on impact, so that's why SRKW does a differential heat treat on the larger knives (chopweiler, ratweiler, mastiff, etc).

Performance wise on SR-101 and INFI is barely noticeable under normal circumstances.

SR-77 is just ridiculously impact resistant.

But, you could say that INFI is in a class of its own, cuz it is. But then again so is SR-101 and SR-77.

JYD #54 "Put your hands high, let your arms be the pillars that be holding up the sky..."