303 steel?

[troutbum243]

Does a 303 Cadet with a 1991 stamp have 425M or 420HC steel? Would both have had the Bos heat treat? Thank you

 

[bertl]

I believe the 1991 knives used 420HC, but I may be wrong. In either case, the BOS treatment was used.

Bert

 

[jbmonkey]

Buck says on their website 1992 was switch over to 420hc, but like anything switched over...how much stock was left and blades made up before whatever model was switched. we heard in the past from folks at the factory that were there......that the changeover werent one day this and next day that.

op yours is right on the edge, so could really be either possibly. some feel 425m is a vastly better steel than 420hc...but the reality is the difference between those two steels isn't radical. they are close enough it shouldn't matter really. both are good stainless knife steels and both heat treated well.

 

[troutbum243]

Thank you!

 

[Hickory n steel]

Buck says on their website 1992 was switch over to 420hc, but like anything switched over...how much stock was left and blades made up before whatever model was switched. we heard in the past from folks at the factory that were there......that the changeover werent one day this and next day that.

op yours is right on the edge, so could really be either possibly. some feel 425m is a vastly better steel than 420hc...but the reality is the difference between those two steels isn't radical. they are close enough it shouldn't matter really. both are good stainless knife steels and both heat treated well.

I can't even tell the difference.

 

[jbmonkey]

I can't even tell the difference.

I can't either in normal knife cutting use. they are so very close.....

 

[Hickory n steel]

I can't either in normal knife cutting use. they are so very close.....

I have I believe 7 from the 425m era and cannot tell the difference in use for sure, but not in sharpening either.
It wouldn't surprise me if some of the expert steel nerds on the forum can tell the difference in sharpening, but blade steels aren't really an area of interest for me so my experience in this matter may not amount to much.