440c as bushcraft knife steel?

M

MilliePop

Joined
Aug 21, 2008
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I'm thinking of getting an ASK6 knife, it's a rip-off of the Bear Grylls knife by Bayley. The only difference is Bayley is made of powdered steel and the ASK6 is made of 440c. But the ASK6 is at a much more reasonable price at $175. The Bayley knife is a outrageous $650.

Just wondering if 440c is any good out in the bush as a survival knife steel.

Any and all input is welcomed and appreciated, thanks.

Hey moderator, if this post will be more appropriate somewhere else feel free to move it
 
I think for that price you can get something made by one the makers on here in carbon steel. Unless you want it in stainless of course. Look around the Makers For sale sub forum to see what is for sale. Maybe somebody else will chime in to provide you list of makers on here and better info for you.
 
I think the topic is appropriate. 440C is a very respectable stainless steel. Many folks around these parts prefer carbon steels, but that is just the flavour that is more respected around these parts. Anyhow, 440C takes a backseat to many of the new supersteels, but I suspect a lot of that is the 'new steel hype'.

Still, while you are at it on the knife choice, why not pose a thread about good knives to get for bushcraft chores you antipicate doing. Buying a knife because it has Bear's name on it is kind of silly. Buying a look alike knife because it looks like the knife that ha Bear's name on it is kind of silly too. BTW $175 isn't unreasonable, but still at the high end to what most of us will pay for a bushcraft knife.

Take a couple steps back and tell us why you want this knife first....Maybe there is an even better fit for you at an even better price.
 
440C is decent steel but $175 !!!! Man you can get some nice looking blades from the makers here for that and they'll last you a lifetime !
 
440c IMHO is an under-rated and under-utilized steel. it has a reputation for being a pain to field sharpen. if this is not an issue to you then 440c is a great steel that is ofcourse stainless/rustless which is great around water. depending on where you're planning on being in the outdoors it may in fact be a better choice than the carbon steels.
if you can sharpen it effectively and efficiently in the outdoors then i see no issue with it. i have used stainless knives, 440c included, in the bush for years without issue.
As for THAT particular 440c knife i will have to look into it, do you have a link to the knife in question? steel choice is ofcourse only one of MANY things to ponder when picking up a knife that you might have to rely on entirely.
Russell
 
Ok just for the record I am not being a steel snob. :) I just have more love for the carbon steel kind of knife. :p (I know that stainless has a certain amount carbon in it.)
Pitdog is right there are some makers on here that make some beautiful and very functional knives in stainless.
 
440c is good but it is hard steel as far as stainless goes.. which means it wil hold it's edge, but will be more difficult to sharpen....
 
Just a heads up, the ASK6 is made by Red Scorpion 6, who was banned from BF for claiming to be a knife maker, and selling made in china knives passed off as customs.
 
440c is a fine stainless steel, however, as previously stated, why not get a custom from one of our fine makers here on BF. They will last you a lifetime!
 
440.c more likely to ding if chopping 1095 . o1.o6. cpm.m4. these all carbon steels will be more forgiving hold edge longer
 
samhain73 said:
Just a heads up, the ASK6 is made by Red Scorpion 6, who was banned from BF for claiming to be a knife maker, and selling made in china knives passed off as customs.
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hmm and now another blade design knockoff....I guess a pattern has emerged on this seller...
 
Try the Entrek Javelina. It's 440C and a great knife. Entrek's 440C will stand with the best out there and you can get one for around 100.00. As to 440C, I too think it is very under rated and a fine cutlery steel.
 
“Just wondering if 440c is any good out in the bush as a survival knife steel.”

You won't get the best answer by asking that question in isolation. The second part needs something along the lines of, “as heat treated by”.

Done well I think it is a fine steel. So if you have it in a design that works for you and you are confident in the makers process then go for it and enjoy it.

In this case I'm not so sure. samhain73 has done you a favor with his flag. I recall the Red Scorpion 6 episode too and the suspect WSKs leading to his ban. I wouldn't be confident that the steel was 440C and if it were that someone had followed a procedure to bring out its inner loveliness.

Vigilance
 
MilliePop said:
Just wondering if 440c is any good out in the bush as a survival knife steel.
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Like a number of others have said, there is nothing wrong with 440C, its a perfectly find steel for knife making. However, $175 dollars is out of line for a 4-inch fixed blade knife in 440C steel, IMO. :rolleyes:

  • For example, for even less than that price, you could get a Fallkniven F1 which is a popular and highly respected field knife in VG-10 laminate steel starting at around $110.
  • Another example is the Bark River Knife and Tool Highland Special which is made in A2 tool steel and comes in a wide variety of handle materials to personalize your knive for around $130-150
  • A final example is the RAT Cuttlery RC-4 knife. A very sturdy blade in 1095 High Carbon Steel that is very popular in the outdoor community that you can find for less than $100.
All of these are better knives, IMO. So, don't be sucked in by the "bear grylls" name. You can do much better than even the "cheap" knock off version of "his" knife.
 
Many folks around these parts prefer carbon steels, but that is just the flavour that is more respected around these parts. Anyhow, 440C takes a backseat to many of the new supersteels, but I suspect a lot of that is the 'new steel hype'.

Still, while you are at it on the knife choice, why not pose a thread about good knives to get for bushcraft chores you antipicate doing. Buying a knife because it has Bear's name on it is kind of silly. Buying a look alike knife because it looks like the knife that ha Bear's name on it is kind of silly too. BTW $175 isn't unreasonable, but still at the high end to what most of us will pay for a bushcraft knife.

Take a couple steps back and tell us why you want this knife first....Maybe there is an even better fit for you at an even better price.
__________________
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Hey thanks for the reply. Actually I do prefer carbon steel but the knife only comes in 440c that's why I'm asking. I think it's easy to assume that I want the knife because it's endorsed by Bear but I could care less. It's the look not the name. I was watching the show one day and it just caught my eye, especially that horizontal sheath. Even though Bear is a joke to many I really like the design. But not enough to pay $650 for it. That's why I don't mind getting a rip-off because it's not my intention to pass it off as a Bear knife to my friends. And I did state that $175 is much more reasonable.

Believe me...I've spent hours that amount to days and weeks looking at knife designs online. Just ask my wife :) but to be honest the only good looking knives under 4" IMHO are Sebenzas (which might not be a good investment because of O trying to take away folders), the Bayley design and some Finnish Suukos but I really don't want to have any regrets and the Bayley design is the only one I'm sure about.

I would love to have someone here custom make the knife outa carbon steel but I think making a copy of someone elses knife is below them. Plus there is the issue of who's who.
 
440C is a very good stainless steel for the smaller knives. I wouldn't make a big chopper out of it, but for a bushcraft blade, it would be fine. It can be more difficult to sharpen if you're used to 1095 or something. But, if you use a diamond hone, it's no problem at all. As with any steel, the heat treat means more than the type of steel.
 
Have you looked at Dozier's knives? He offers horizontal-carry sheaths and some of his shapes are similar to the Grylls knife. Dozier's D2 is a great steel. I have several I've used extensively for hunting/backpacking.

DancesWithKnives
 
If you want a knife similar to that one, but made of different steel or with different options, start a thread in the Maker's Q&A forum or maybe Wanted to Buy: Knives. I'm sure you'll get some quotes.

440C is a fine steel, best sharpened often and with diamonds. Don't let it get too dull, and I don't recommend heavy chopping with it. The above posters are correct, it depends a lot on the heat-treat; regardless it wouldn't be my first (or 4th) choice for a fixed-blade survival knife.
 
Cpl Punishment said:
440C is a very good stainless steel for the smaller knives. I wouldn't make a big chopper out of it, but for a bushcraft blade, it would be fine. It can be more difficult to sharpen if you're used to 1095 or something. But, if you use a diamond hone, it's no problem at all. As with any steel, the heat treat means more than the type of steel.
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Reading this response, it mirrors my own experience and sums it all up perfectly. Nicely said.

For me, I like the advantages I find with carbon and will take it with me if I am hiking and the weather is good. I do not like the rust I get on my carbon knives. I don't want to fiddle with the knife while I am camping, nor do I want a blade that that requires any extra care. I like industrial strength.

If I am hunting and fishing while out, I always take stainless, and coincidentally, almost all my stainless hunters are 440C. They keep an edge every well, and as noted above they are a snap to sharpen with a diamond rod or hone. Blood or guts drying up in the heat won't cause rust while I attend to other chores. A damp sheath caused from rain won't make them rust. If I am out for a couple of three days in inclement weather, the last thing I want to be doing is cleaning up the rust off my knife, or remembering to oil it every day, or after every use, or worrying about it being in a wet sheath while I am tramping along.

I rely on the 440C blades, but I really like my carbon blades, too. I love to take them on short overnighters, or on trips where there will be no rain or guts involved. There is something strangely appealing about my carbon knives I can't put a finger on.

Robert
 
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