Buck does 420 OK, don't they?

L

Lavan

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Nov 8, 2000
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Just reading a post "across the street" sorta knocking 420. I just ordered a Buck Bowie in 420HC. I thought Buck did purdy good with 420. Don't they?

:confused:
 
I like Buck's 420HC. I have a 110, a 55, and a 503. All three are easy to sharpen and do a decent job at keeping their edge. I also have 420HC knives from Kershaw and Knife Kits that I am very pleased with.
 
Everything I've heard indicates Buck's 420HC is good.

Apparently Bos(?) does good heat treatment.

It may not be "the" steel of the moment, but the ones I've sharpened (Buck knives of what I presume was 420) seemed okay and their owners liked them fine.
 
420 isn't always 420. It used to be 420J2 was low-grade for a cutlery steel, but what Buck and others use is 420HC (high carbon). They seem to be doing it right.
 
I personally like the steel for EDC things or for storing. Its easy to sharpen and it holds that edge pretty decently.
 
You can't simply compare numbers of steels. 420J is junk, but 420HC is pretty good low-cost steel. Then there's CPM-420V, better known as S90V, which is one of the longest wearing stainless steels available.

You can't always follow number/letter progressions within a steel type either. AUS-8 and 440C might be better than AUS-6 and 440A, but ATS-34 is far superior to ATS-55.
 
Fact of the matter is that you can make a decent blade even from 420J2, especially for applications that involve chopping and other heavy duty usage. The crux is that 99% of those who make 420J2 knives do not heat treat them to perform anywhere near its optimum.
I've seen a 4034 (the German equivalent of 420J2, nowadays often called "Solingen steel" in the US) camp knife made by a very skillful and well-respected German maker (Frank Riedinger, member of the German Knifemakers Guild) and I have no doubt that it would perform really well for the applications it was designed for.

As others have stated before, 420HC HTed by Paul Bos is nothing to complain about.
 
Buck's 420HC is great, their heat treating is done to Paul Bose's spec.'s and they get the best from 420HC.
 
All I know about Buck is that it's some of the hardest stuff you can fool with...don't give me that super hard steel thank you,had enough when I was starting out with a Buck folder at 14 (never could sharpen that bugger)

The Buck Rush I just bought last month is a very good knife,so I'd trust your knife.
 
I think that it's an okay steel for most everyday choirs, but it is certainly not in the same league as 154CM, VG-10, and S30V.


Allen.
 
allenC said:
I have to go against the herd on this one.

I've never been very impressed with Buck's 420HC.

In my experience, it does'nt get that sharp, and it does'nt hold an edge nearly as well as AUS-8, 440C, 154CM, ATS-34, ATS-55, S30V, VG-10, GIN-1, or even H-1.

Allen.
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I gotta agree with Allen here. I just tested a brand new buck 110 against my old from the 1980's 110 and it didn't hold the edge half way through the task.

I was pruning some trees in my yard and I had 2 6' pieces of chinese elm about 2" in diameter at the base tapering to about 1" I stripped the bark off of both first with my old 110 which I hadn't sharpened in a while and then with my friends new on sale at walmart 110. My old 110 was still using sharp when I was done. The new 110 had a flat spot along the area getting the most use. You could feel how the edge had rolled over. It only stripped about half the stick. We resharpened the new 110 on my lansky with a steeper angle and it stripped the rest of the stick but the edge looked and felt the same as after the first try.

Buck has sold out their customers.
 
If I'm not mistaken, the earlier Buck 110's used 440C, and some time later they switched to 420HC.
 
If 420HC can even be lumped in the catagory of "OK", it's because Paul Bos manages to get the best out of a so-so steel. Myself, I don't like it, but I'm a steel snob, so my opinion is somewhat jaded. ;) :)
 
m_calingo said:
If I'm not mistaken, the earlier Buck 110's used 440C, and some time later they switched to 420HC.
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If I'm not mistaken, somewhere in between they used 425M.
 
I've a Buck 371 lately, which has 440C. Its edges do hold very well. I wish Buck will make some 110 with 440C. I will be happy enough to get one.
 
m_calingo said:
If I'm not mistaken, the earlier Buck 110's used 440C, and some time later they switched to 420HC.
Click to expand...
I got my "first knife" here:it's a Bucklite the blade is marked 426^ so I've no idea what it is...I'm thinking 425 steel.
 
Ilovetoolsteel said:
I gotta agree with Allen here. I just tested a brand new buck 110 against my old from the 1980's 110 and it didn't hold the edge half way through the task.

I was pruning some trees in my yard and I had 2 6' pieces of chinese elm about 2" in diameter at the base tapering to about 1" I stripped the bark off of both first with my old 110 which I hadn't sharpened in a while and then with my friends new on sale at walmart 110. My old 110 was still using sharp when I was done. The new 110 had a flat spot along the area getting the most use. You could feel how the edge had rolled over. It only stripped about half the stick. We resharpened the new 110 on my lansky with a steeper angle and it stripped the rest of the stick but the edge looked and felt the same as after the first try.

Buck has sold out their customers.
Click to expand...

This raises an interesting question. Are the Buck 110's that we buy at Walmart for $23 the same knife that you had to pay $60 for ten years ago? I would imagine that production had to be ramped up tremendously to meet the demands of Walmart, and I've often wondered if that had any effect on quality. I wonder the same thing about the Spyderco S30V Natives that are available at some Walmarts for $40.

I have two 110's, an older one and an Alaskan Guide Series. I don't know anything about Bucks production issues or if they have any, or the quality of the $23 Walmart 110's. I'm just curious what other peoples thoughts and experiences are.
 
Lavan said:
Just reading a post "across the street" sorta knocking 420. I just ordered a Buck Bowie in 420HC. I thought Buck did purdy good with 420. Don't they?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is well done. Normally, I see 420HC as low grade and have only a few knives in that steel. Past knives did not hold an edge well. However, I used a Buck Ranger over the holiday and the edge was fine while cutting woods, fabrics, rope and plastics. I got over zealous and wanted to cut, what I thought, was a stray piece of rolled paper. It turns out, the paper covered a piece of spring wire....it rolled the edge on the Ranger. I sharpened/ stropped it and it was back to 'hair poppin' sharp. The use bedore and the sharpness after showed, to me at least, that Buck's 420Hc is good stuff.
Hope this helps.
 
Tok said:
I've a Buck 371 lately, which has 440C. Its edges do hold very well. I wish Buck will make some 110 with 440C. I will be happy enough to get one.
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Better yet; get on Buck's Custom Shoppe and have them make you one to your specs with the BG42 blade. You'll be glad you did. :)
 
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