Cheap knife with a good steel?

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unky_gumbi

Joined
Aug 28, 2009
Messages
7,951
Is it possible to get a cheap 420ss knife with a good steel? I just recently picked up a knife that was ment to be a hack around blade that I wouldn't care about damaging and I have used it as such, but this thing is holding an edge like crazy. Yesterdat I was batoning with it making shavings, did some prying with it, and used it to open a can of beans. When I was finished with that I decided to whittle a bit with it and it was still sharp, so I tried the age old slice paper and it went through with little resistance. then I gave te arm hair test, it pulled a little but still shaved.
I am truely mystified with this knife, all other 420ss knives I have owned wouldn't hold an edge worth a darn. So whats up with this one have the Chinese figured out a way to make 420 a good edge steel yet still tough, or did this blade some how get mislabled? It is almost as hard to sharpen as my D2 knife and performs almost as well at 1/6 of the price. The knife in question is a Knives of Alaska drop point skinner that isn't listed on their web page purchased at Cabelas Canada for under $20, and its not listed on the Cabelas site either. I wont recomend this knife because I feel my success with it is a fluke, but has anyone else experienced any thing like this?
 
420 maxes out at 50RC, which is pretty weak- you'd be hard pressed to get that performance out of it. Maybe 420HC? That maxes out at 58.
 
I've run into 420 knives that were similarly "abnormal".

My thinking is that 420 and other such "low grade" steels can be heat treated to perform well, it is just that they usually are not heat treated to provide good performance.

The inverse is also true, i.e. "good steel" that has a piss-poor heat treat is also encountered.
 
The packaging was labled 420 Stainless steel and nothing else in the way of mentioning the steel. It is possible that it could be 420HC that could answer the question as to why it performs well. Either way its working, I didn't pay much for it so I am willing to abuse it, and when I finally do kill it I will most likely miss it. Unless of course I find another beater knife that I like better :D, or win the lottery and can afford to buy expencive beater knives
 
i'm guessing to fill an order the company used a better alloy. however i remember a guy had an older schrade at the weyhauser plant in longview, wash.& my buddy said it outcut customs & every thing in the mill.could just be one of those crazy mysteries.
 
Well something is up with it, mislabled 420HC, better steel then should be, something. I took it out and beat on it again and a couple of swips on the strop and it was back to the original edge i put on it. Its been put on the stone once stropped once after and its still good.
I am not complaining, I just think I got the miracle 420 cheap knife, my karma levels must have been topped out that day. Should have bought $20 worth of lottery tickets. Any how till it stops performing its sticking around
 
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