I understand many of the inexpensive knives out of Taiwan are made with 420 stainless. I'm wondering how this steel compares to 1095 carbon steel. 1095 is supposed to be a pretty basic material to work with, but many swear by it for blades while talking bad about 420. Is it all in the hardening process? I have heard that 420 can have quite a varied metal content, so maybe there is good and bad 420. I'm looking for help from the experts. Thanks.
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1095 carbon vs 420 SS
- Thread starter Hazardous
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 12, 1999
- Messages
- 1,110
no, tiwanese made knives are from 420j2, don't confuse it with 420v which can hold an edge forever. 420j2 is lousy steel can't hold an edge ethier.
- Joined
- Apr 27, 1999
- Messages
- 6,117
The 420 J2 stainless is down around .4% carbon verses about .95% for 1095 carbon steel. The chrome in 420 makes the alloy harder to sharpen and take a courser edge. So 420 is harder to sharpen, does not get as sharp, and does not stay as sharp. Only advantage is that it is stainless and cheap.
- Joined
- Jun 12, 1999
- Messages
- 1,110
you forgot, tiwanese compainies use it becuase they can grind about 10 blades in the time it would take them to grind 1 in 1095.