Boker 440C STAINLESS STEEL

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Just for your information, you responded to a nearly five year old thread. I wouldn't expect a speedy response from him....

440C knife steel said:
Hi Jerker,
where did you spend months in china visiting knifemakers, i mean the city name?

For 8Cr18MoV, it is similar to 8Cr17MoV, 440B grade.
Yes, in china we definite the steel name by its compositions.
For 440C, 9Cr18, 9Cr18Mo, 9Cr18MoV, they are called 440C.
However, when analyzed the chemical composition, it's a little different from each one.
And this will effect the property of steel.
Good knife is not only about the steel, but also about the heat treatment.
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I have the Boker Plus Tom Krein Pocket Bowie in 440c, having not bought any 440c knives for many years (simply because it seems to have drifted out of fashion with many manufacturers). I've found it very good.
 
440C is a pretty great steel.
It's not a super steel by any means, but it is a great all around EDC steel. It holds a good edge, is very corrosion resistant, easy to sharpen back up, and takes a nice fine edge. It's a good steel and has been used for years.
I own, have owned, use, and have used many other steels including super steels. 440C is still a favorite that I enjoy using. No it doesn't hold it's edge as long as say my knives in s30v, but it holds a good edge for quite a while, is a good working steel, and is just simple and good in pretty much all aspects.

As for if it's REALLY 440C:
I'm positive Boker will know what steel is used in their knives.
I'm not here to start an argument but when most well known companies want to use a certain steel for their knives, they make sure it's the real deal. So I would trust that Boker Knives, China made or not are indeed made with 440C.

P.S,
I didn't even pay attention to when this thread was posted. I just saw it on the front page and replied. Oops.
 
good point.

:D

BladeChick777 said:
440C is a pretty great steel.
It's not a super steel by any means, but it is a great all around EDC steel. It holds a good edge, is very corrosion resistant, easy to sharpen back up, and takes a nice fine edge. It's a good steel and has been used for years.
I own, have owned, use, and have used many other steels including super steels. 440C is still a favorite that I enjoy using. No it doesn't hold it's edge as long as say my knives in s30v, but it holds a good edge for quite a while, is a good working steel, and is just simple and good in pretty much all aspects.

As for if it's REALLY 440C:
I'm positive Boker will know what steel is used in their knives.
I'm not here to start an argument but when most well known companies want to use a certain steel for their knives, they make sure it's the real deal. So I would trust that Boker Knives, China made or not are indeed made with 440C.

P.S,
I didn't even pay attention to when this thread was posted. I just saw it on the front page and replied. Oops.
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BladeChick777 said:
440C is a pretty great steel.
It's not a super steel by any means, but it is a great all around EDC steel. It holds a good edge, is very corrosion resistant, easy to sharpen back up, and takes a nice fine edge. It's a good steel and has been used for years.ain steel for their knives, they make sure it's the real deal. So I would trust that Boker Knives, China made or not are indeed made with 440C................
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What grade of Stainless Steel should I look for? I have made fixed blade knives in the past and am interested in buying a couple of blanks on eBay with full tangs and adding Micarta handles and SS pins, in other words; not too complicated so my grandson and I can construct them. I would like non corrosive and something that would hold a good edge. Thanks for any help.
 
i have a boker 440c knife that held a shaving edge for 60 feet of paperboard. i was going to buy a spyderco for comparison of heat treat of 440c because my other boker knife has no edge holding, and my spyderco stretch only an inch longer in vg 10 held a shaving edge for 357 feet of the same stuff
 
440c is a decent steel by composition but how good can the heat treat control be with a knife being manufactured in china?
 
knarfeng said:
Ach, I was going too fast. You are correct on the tolerance of course. But still, even with a tolerance of ± 0.2% for the Chinese and ±0.15% for 440C, the 9Cr13MoV is at the low half of the 440C spec for carbon content.
alloy__________carbon range
440C________0.95% to 1.2%
9Cr13MoV____0.7% to 1.1%

They still are not equivalent.


I know that the Chinese do not use the term 440C, but my original point was that sometimes you see Chinese-made knives labelled 440C when they aren't really 440C. And the performance of the steel is not the same as 440C. People use these, think that they are using actual 440C, and think that 440C performs like the knife they are using, when actual 440C is better than that.

So, back to my original point. If the Bokers in question are made in mainland China, there is a question as to whether the steel is really 440C or if it is a Chinese steel with somewhat lower properties.

Best,
Frank R
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Hi, ok thought I'd put my 10c in here. The biggest problem with stuff coming out of China, no matter who the manufacturers is, ie Boker, etc etc. is that US and European manufacturers think they get great deals with low labour costs etc for making their knives on the cheap but then still selling high (compared to what they actually paid for them) back in the respective countries. The Chinese are not that stupid either so to save costs for them and keep their profits up shortcuts can be taken on all fronts of manufacture particularly QC. Laser engravers and skilled programmers abound there so any label can be placed onto a blade. In fact I have some Boker counterfeits that are actually very very well made and the knife steel whatever it really is (I'm yet to cut it up for a proper metallurgical analysis probably quantitative XRF) really takes an edge and holds it. The knife construction is great but it's a fake. Once any product gets into the Chinese market then product confidentiality no longer exists as far as the rest of the world understands this.

Just look at all the FOX Knives fakes and BTW the Blackfox label from FOX is their Chinese made line. FOX decide to get some knives made there and lo and behold Chinese factories start churning out the copies with inferior steel or at least not N690. Has anyone ever thought about where the fakes originate from????
Schrade make a lot of their knives there too and they too lack QC blunt out of the box but cheap!

Ok I'm digressing here.

I have a friend (not Chinese BTW) who is working to resolve issues between German and Chinese co workers over these very issues. So I've forgotten now but the guy who said the Chinese don't follow the rest of the worlds standards for steel alloy comp/names is more than likely correct.


The only way to have greater confidence (if you lack it re this thread) is to buy the German made Boker. Until such times the words "Made in China" are synonymous with "quality product" (in regards to knives) then this will always be the case. I also do not want to say there are no good products coming out of China either there are of course.

So in a roundabout way if you distrust your Chinese made Boker as to whether it is made from 440C as labeled then you will distrust any Chinese made knife from a foreign manufacturer there. A lot of the Boker Plus line are very badly made (especially the folders) and the QC is appalling, you get what you pay for. Sorry for being a bit off base re the subject of alloys and designations but I figured the above plays a role too in this argument.
Oh and BTW I've got some of that Chinese blood circulating through my veins, just in case anyone accuses me of being a "manufacturing racist" LOL.
 
csabacanada said:
Hi,guys.I was wondering if anyone had experience with 440C STAINLESS,ESPECIALLY BOKER 440C.I am a carbon steel guy and I have had knives in BG42,S30V,VG10,CPM154 BUT NEVER IN 440C and I know nothing about this steel.Boker has a few very nice fixed blades in 440C and I am really considering buying them.Any input would be appreciated .Thanks,guys.
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Do you prefer lager or ale? Medium roast coffee or dark roast?

440C is a toothy steel. Great for things where you want a toothy edge that lasts a long time like skinning deer. But, it can get chippy if it's hard and you do things like work with wood. The lateral stress and the big carbides don't play nice together. There are other stainless steels that (to me) feel more like good carbon steel with a nice smooth keen edge. 12C27 and 420HC are two. I wouldn't want 440C in a knife I might want to baton wood with, for example. The other thing is that toothy steels like 440C are harder to sharpen on normal stones. May need to bump your stones up to diamond or carasomethingorother.

Toothy steels and smooth steels are both fine. Comes down intended use and your preference. lager or ale? medium or dark roast.
 
pinnah said:
Do you prefer lager or ale? Medium roast coffee or dark roast?

440C is a toothy steel. Great for things where you want a toothy edge that lasts a long time like skinning deer. But, it can get chippy if it's hard and you do things like work with wood. The lateral stress and the big carbides don't play nice together. There are other stainless steels that (to me) feel more like good carbon steel with a nice smooth keen edge. 12C27 and 420HC are two. I wouldn't want 440C in a knife I might want to baton wood with, for example. The other thing is that toothy steels like 440C are harder to sharpen on normal stones. May need to bump your stones up to diamond or carasomethingorother.

Toothy steels and smooth steels are both fine. Comes down intended use and your preference. lager or ale? medium or dark roast.
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I dunno, the 440C in the Boker Apparo is pretty tough, there's a review on here where a guy batoned through all kinds of wood with no visible change to the blade.

And if anyone wants to know what 440C is really capable of, look up Entrek Knives.
 
I just bought a Stainless Steel Bokor 2blade Hunting Knife. At tge website it mentioned 440C but then I think it talked about another knife, but when I got the knife it was stamped on one ofthe blades High Carbon Stainless, and NO mention that it was 440C, I always thought if it was 440C it would be marked 440C. I tried to Google what was meant by High Carbon Stainless and to no avail. The definition I got was anything higher than .5% was considered High Carbon Stainless Steel, it's a nice looking knife, it came with a leather pouch and I was hoping for it to be 440C but I'm only going to use it to whittle around the camp fire to save my main blade and some food prep. The model I got is #110273BB if anyone has any info on what Bokor means by High Carbon Stainless please chime in. Oh it's a Tree Brand and made in Solengin, Germany.
 
Never had an issue with Boker's 440C. They do it right.

Edit: Oop! didn't realize this was a thread revival.

Could you post pictures of your knife?
 
Say Heah Guy, I'm new, and I apologize for resurrecting a old post, I'm so sorry, next time I will double check, I certainly didn't mean to upset anyone. I apologize.
 
By the way, when Bokor stamps High Carbon Stainless on a blade, they mean it's 440A or it would be stamped 440c, I don't know if their afraid to spell it right out and say it's 440A made in China, but I Googled what High Carbon Stainless meant and even Googled the question direct, and three places said it was 440C and that's how I got on here seeing a old post that looked new to me when I found it on that Tape something, ofcource Bokor denied that and said those places didn't buy direct from.them, but I don't think they did anything about correcting it either. I think Bokor might of lost a customer.
 
From Boker:

Pocket Knife
Böker Jagdtaschenmesser Duo


Overall length: 23,3 cm
Blade length: 10,0 cm
Weight: 200 g
Blade thickness: 3,0 mm
Blade material: 440C
Handle material: Hirschhorn
Lock: Back Lock
 
Thanx Fellas, I wanted to know if I had a 440C or 440A, it didn't have Solengin stamped anywhere on the knife, but neither was China or Taiwan stamped on it either, the round logo had a Tree and Germany on the round emblem. and Tree Brand etched on the main blade. I finally heard from Bokor, Kristen said it was a 440A, and put together in Asia somewhere, I'm a bit upset, if I knew that ahead of the news, I would of bought a Case CV. Ce'la Vie, , ,
 
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