440c as bushcraft knife steel?

I came across this thread during a search and just wanted to post that I also think 440C is a great steel. I can remember the 70's when this was the steel for many custom's.

Someone mentioned Entrek knives being made with 440C and I just wanted to say that Ray Ennis has a heat treat/cyro method that really pulls out the best that 440C has to offer, and he does it at VERY reasonable prices. I had one of his 4" bladed Cobra's, had to sell last year but that's another story, thta was a great user and a great edc during winter months. I'm now thinking about getting the Companion which is the same size only a spearpoint instead of clip.:thumbup::thumbup::)
 
goatariba said:
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
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+1 on everything he said:thumbup:

I have been impressed with my lil boker's edgeholding ability, that is a 440c knife. I prefer 01, but nothing wrong at all with 440C
 
Spotted this one the other day -

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Made by Lion Steel, an Italian bunch it, it was made in collaboration with the Italian MCKF knife forum as the MCKF forum knife. 440C and G10 - 3.5". I've not experience of Lion Steel but a lot of their stuff is starting to show up here and looks quite promising.
 
I have been using knives in this steel for a very long time and it is a top knotch steel. I recently started working with it in the shop making an EDC knife that I have been using for the last few months and I'm very happy with it's performance for daily use and in the field. Edge holding is very very good.
Scott
 
You can check out the Benchmade Rant series as a bush blade. I carry one from time to time, it has worked great, and will only set you back around 45 bucks.
 
Here is my must have list for the perfect survival knife features: (not in any particular order)

1. 4-6 inches blade length
2. Drop Point
3. Full tang
4. Pommel end strong enough to take a pounding (perferably exposed as not to damage the scales) I don't understand why so many manufactures and custom makers don't expose the tang? A survival knife HAS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A POUNDING! Even my expensive Randall Made #18 knife has a brass screw in buttcap? What were they thinking?? BKRT Bravo-1 close to perfect BUT it doesn't have the tang exposed again. Fallkniven F1 got that right, BUT missed the boat with the Black handle not Orange. Gossman knives are nice indeed, BUT no tang exposed, no orange handle model.-suppose if I order that extra stuff but then probably over my max. $200 price, not good.
5. Half or integral guard-Full guard is a combat knife plain and simple
6. Polished or satin blade finish NOT Black -- hard to see if lost or dropped
7. Must have Orange Handles-Black is not suitable for survival/outdoors use.
8. Any steel -no preference (Just keep it sharp and I will keep you sharper)
9. Lanyard hole
10. Handle material-No preference--G10, Micarta, Zytel, Wood, Foam-type, Rubber, paracord wrap etc etc.
10. Must be under $200.00 (after all, this a tool not a trophy- Use it, abuse it, survive, and buy another IF needed. Plenty of choices in this range--One doesn't have to break the bank to have a reliable tool.

My saying..."Save the beauties to admire use the beaters to make the fire."


Everybody makes so much outta steel...carbon, stainless yada yada yada...

Look, the steel used in today's world, along with decent heat treatments, makes for good steels on both sides of the fence. As an survivalist/outdoorsman, the other features are far more important to me.

I plan on taking a pic of the "perfect survival knife" that encompasses all these features listed above. It's just not ready yet...
Stay tuned!
 
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There was a post a while back about this. Here.

I've been drooling over this version by Martin Knives. If you read down, the steel options are 1095, 01, 440C, and S30v.
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tidefan said:
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.
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I totally agree.
 
MilliePop said:
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
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no. it chips and fractures. 440c does not dull, it microchips and soon you have not a dull knife, but a knife with the edge completely erroded away that takes for-freaking-ever to put back on. That's my experience with 440C. Pocket knives/overpriced letter openers, I could see...
 
baldtaco-II said:
Spotted this one the other day -

4655.jpg


Made by Lion Steel, an Italian bunch it, it was made in collaboration with the Italian MCKF knife forum as the MCKF forum knife. 440C and G10 - 3.5". I've not experience of Lion Steel but a lot of their stuff is starting to show up here and looks quite promising.
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Nothing wrong with that?
 
PayetteRucker said:
no. it chips and fractures. 440c does not dull, it microchips and soon you have not a dull knife, but a knife with the edge completely erroded away that takes for-freaking-ever to put back on. That's my experience with 440C. Pocket knives/overpriced letter openers, I could see...
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+1 for you, as far as I know.

I've heard well HTed D2 does things quite well, though.
 
kgd said:
Nothing wrong with that?
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I love little stainless utility blades like this. Dunno about that particular example but the genesis seems good. I've stuck a couple of photos of its relatives below. They seem to show good execution.

It may be that one joins a little club I'm a fan of that includes the Fallkniven F1, a Boker, a Linder and a few others. My suspicion is that if I were to mod one of these I could make it an extremely useful field knife for me irrespective of it being 440C not VG10.

ln001239copy.jpg

ln2000710copy.jpg

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PayetteRucker said:
no. it chips and fractures. 440c does not dull, it microchips and soon you have not a dull knife, but a knife with the edge completely erroded away that takes for-freaking-ever to put back on. That's my experience with 440C. Pocket knives/overpriced letter openers, I could see...
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This has not been the case with any of the 28 knives from four different custom and semi-custom makers I've owned. I especially like some of the knives from Ray Ennis (Entrek) as mentioned many times above. He gets the most out of his 440C with his heat treat. If you've had bad luck with 440C, I would be suspicious of the knife makers you use, or your skills. I edited this to further explain what I just said about skills. Some people are harder on knives than others. Some people are harder on tools than others. I've seen two meat cutters with identical company supplied knives get different amounts of use before they each needed sharpening – not once but many times. Two people doing the same task, seemingly the same way, often get different results. It sounds like you may be harder on your knives than someone else.
 
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kgd said:
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.
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Too right re the "new steel hype" you say! I've have many blades from different manufacturers made with 440C or steels that fall under the 440C elemental analysis. All of these blades get either used for hunting such as skinning and butchering and or thrashing them building stuff. Let's face it 440C is a tough bearing steel. I've also got ELMAX blades that chip like no tomorrow and this maybe because of un homogeneous heart treatment regimes but I think the jury is still out on whether PM steels are the ants pants here. I've also chipped 440C blades too but that was by accidentally hitting some small stones when busting up some timber. 650 bucks for a knife is crazy and I don't believe that anyone who bought such a knife would really use it outdoors for serious work whether hunting and fishing and or wilderness camping etc, unless of course you are very well cashed up. Just MHO
 
PayetteRucker said:
no. it chips and fractures. 440c does not dull, it microchips and soon you have not a dull knife, but a knife with the edge completely erroded away that takes for-freaking-ever to put back on. That's my experience with 440C. Pocket knives/overpriced letter openers, I could see...
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Bad heat treatment on those 440C blades you have don't let the manufacturers tell you otherwise. I'm a microscopist by training and can't help but look at my edges under high mag, no matter what the knife is made from and I just don't see IMHO any micro chipping in my440C blades but i see plenty for example in my blades from ATS34 and ELMAX
 
PayetteRucker said:
no. it chips and fractures. 440c does not dull, it microchips and soon you have not a dull knife, but a knife with the edge completely erroded away that takes for-freaking-ever to put back on. That's my experience with 440C. Pocket knives/overpriced letter openers, I could see...
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Bad heat treatment on those 440C blades you have don't let the manufacturers tell you otherwise. I'm a microscopist by training and can't help but look at my edges under high mag, no matter what the knife is made from and I just don't see IMHO any micro chipping in my440C blades but i see plenty for example in my blades from ATS34 and ELMAX.

What people should be talking about is what is the optimum heat treatment for a particular blade steel not what steel alloy it's made from. Heat treatment is not some sort of bucket chemistry, its a combination of science and art.
 
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