Buck 420HC vs Leatherman 420HC

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emjay

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Nov 27, 2012
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Good day to you all

I was wondering how Leatherman 420HC stacks up against Buck 420HC. I have a Leatherman C33 in 420HC and honestly I'm just tired of the blade not holding an edge for very long. So I'm looking for a new work knife and have my eye on a Buck 110, however I don't know how much better the Buck 420HC will be even with the better heat treatment?

Will be using the knife for pretty much everything that should be cut with a knife. From zip ties to blister packs to trimming vegetation, etc. Anything that needs material to be separated really

Is it worth buying a new Buck 110 or should I just look at a completely different steel? Like S30V, VG10, etc
 
Buck's 420HC is way better -- I'm not sure Leatherman even heat treats its knife blades. Buck's S30V will hold an edge longer than its 420HC but is a bit more time consuming to sharpen.
 
The Buck 110 in S30V is nothing short of awesome, at least mine is. I would highly recommend getting that if you want a 110, I think it's worth the extra money.
 
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sodak said:
The Buck 110 in S30V is nothing short of awesome, at least mine is. I would highly recommend getting that if you want a 110, I think it's worth the extra money.
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Thank you. If the upgrade from the Leatherman 420HC to the Buck 420HC is only a couple of points higher, then I'd prefer to give it a miss and invest in an overall better steel. I'm not locked onto a Buck 110. I was even considering a stainless Opinel No. 10 as a new work knife, but would love to experience the newer steels available. Never had a "super steel" knife

I live in South Africa and options are a bit more limited and some knives are crazy expensive. Here the Buck 110 goes for the equivalent of $100, the Opinel No. 10 stainless would be about $25 to $30
 
Emjay,

I own and regularly use Buck 110s, Opinel Inox (mostly 9s but a few 10s), and Leatherman products. My comments are based on my experiences.

Short version: I recommend spending money on a DMT Medium Grit credit card sharpener and tossing that into your wallet (or tool kit). More generally, get a medium grit pocket stone of some sort.

IMO, there are two schools of thought here. The first is that sharpening in the field is to be avoided, particularly if the stuff being cut is super abrasive. If this is the situation, then I think you might be better served with a more carbide rich blade like 440C, D2 or S30V. That is, I don't think you'll find a meaningful enough difference among the knives listed above to matter much. For instance, if you cut open brown bags of concrete all day, any of these knives will dull really fast.

The second school of thought is to use a knife that dulls fast and sharpens fast. I can take a Buck 110, Opinel Inox, or Leatherman and put it on a DMT Diamond Card and raise a burr and get a new edge in a few swipes.

Couple of other thoughts....

Opinels are better work knives than Buck 110s. Bucks are better hunting knives. If you pry and cut hard, the Opinel will be less likely to develop blade play. Opinels require special treatment to allow their joint to work in wet conditions. Melt in carpenter's wax or floor wax paste with a heat gun.

BEWARE: the Opinel "lock" will close on your fingers if you use hard closing forces.

For use as a work knife, I recommend filing down the tip of an Opinel into a slight drop point. Makes the tip more durable.

The Opinel Inox and Buck 420HC is noticeably better than Leatherman's (and Case's).
 
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