First post. Steel question. Go easy.

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William dickinson

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Aug 16, 2017
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Hello all. I've creeped around these forums for a while and now I've finally decided to join you. Please be easy, this is my first forum ever. I hope it's in the right place. If not PLEASE tell me.

My question is basically about steel, 440c to be exact. I've recently picked up a knife from a custom maker in 440c. I'm used to o1 and a2 mostly and I prefer carbon but this knife was just sweet and I couldn't pass it up. It's a beauty.

I'm mainly wondering how the edge of a 440c knife would hold up to carving and what not, mainly in regards to chipping. It's a 1/8 inch thick edc sized fixed blade with a pretty thin "slicey" edge. I'm so used to carbon steel that the thought of using stainless as a craving knife instantly brought on fears of a chipped blade. The maker also has an excellent heat treat. Around 59 on his 440c if I'm not mistaken.

So how about it guys? Anyone have any experiance with 440c and chipping in wood? I'm just talking basic carving. No abuse.

By the way, I checked around the forum for a good bit and didn't really find anything specifically on this subject. Thanks in advanced guys! Glad to be here with y'all now.
 
440c is considered a mid upper range steel. Imo, any knife steel shouldn't chip by carving wood.
 
William dickinson said:
I'm mainly wondering how the edge of a 440c knife would hold up to carving and what not, mainly in regards to chipping. ... with a pretty thin "slicey" edge..
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The edge is what matters, and if the edge geometry is there and the maker's HT is there, then there shouldn't be a problem. :thumbsup: If there is, contact the maker and discuss warranty. Unless the edge is REALLY thin and you use it to pry out chunks of wood, don't worry about it.
 
HT seems to be more critical with 440C than many other steels, or at least that is what I have garnered. The Dawsons, for example, excel at it. :cool: As mentioned above, if done right, 440C can be a fine steel. :thumbsup:
 
chiral.grolim said:
The edge is what matters, and if the edge geometry is there and the maker's HT is there, then there shouldn't be a problem. :thumbsup: If there is, contact the maker and discuss warranty. Unless the edge is REALLY thin and you use it to pry out chunks of wood, don't worry about it.
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What he said!--KV
 
Wow that was quick!! Thanks guys. It's mainly gonna be a utility/food/fish/game knife in the woods but I can't help but cut a stick when given the chance lol. How about sharpening? How is it compaired let's say a2 or something similar?
 
It will be fine. 440c is just an older premium steel. Much of the bias towards it came about in the early years of premium stainless steels. Older guys didn't like it because it wasn't an older soft steel that was easy to work. There were also early problems in the heat treating and tempering of it.

Now all those things have been worked out. As long as your maker has a good heat treat, and grinds and edges it with an eye toword the work you'll be doing with it, you'll be fine.
 
It's the only stainless I can ever find on a large enough knife to be considered a chopper. If the HT is well done it would b hard to chip, but also harder to sharpen without dmt's.
I know you weren't specifically asking about big knives, but the fact that it is used with confidence in larger blades should give you an appreciation for how tough it can b. I think 59 is the sweet spot for 440c. Against wood carving should hold its edge for a long time. Buck 119,120 knives were made from this steel until 1981 if I'm not mistaken
 
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Yea it's about 7 inches over all with a full flat grind. Ironically I do sharpen on DMT s through xx-fine and finish up with a ultra fine spyderco ceramic free hand to a strop. I like to think I'm a fairly competent sharpener but I like the ability of most carbon steels to be sharpened with a rock if need be, which I've done to great success(if you find the right rocks).

I'm really looking forward to trying it out! It may be an "old steel" but is new to me and I've actually not heard much bad about the 440c variant. Only the A and B. I'm surprised you said some people didn't care for it. I was always under the impression that it was highly regarded haha.
 
I know of one maker who has a lifetime guarantee on his knives, all made in 440c! It's not as old as 1095, or as new as m390.
 
I like 440C. Always have. Never had a problem with it.

Who is the maker? And do you have pics of it? I for one would like to have a gander at your new acquisition.
 
William dickinson said:
Hello all. I've creeped around these forums for a while and now I've finally decided to join you. Please be easy, this is my first forum ever. I hope it's in the right place. If not PLEASE tell me.

My question is basically about steel, 440c to be exact. I've recently picked up a knife from a custom maker in 440c. I'm used to o1 and a2 mostly and I prefer carbon but this knife was just sweet and I couldn't pass it up. It's a beauty.

I'm mainly wondering how the edge of a 440c knife would hold up to carving and what not, mainly in regards to chipping. It's a 1/8 inch thick edc sized fixed blade with a pretty thin "slicey" edge. I'm so used to carbon steel that the thought of using stainless as a craving knife instantly brought on fears of a chipped blade. The maker also has an excellent heat treat. Around 59 on his 440c if I'm not mistaken.

So how about it guys? Anyone have any experiance with 440c and chipping in wood? I'm just talking basic carving. No abuse.

By the way, I checked around the forum for a good bit and didn't really find anything specifically on this subject. Thanks in advanced guys! Glad to be here with y'all now.
Click to expand...

Welcome to BFC William Dickinson !!!!!
Currently, I don't have any knives in 440C, have in the past and never had any issues with it. No doubt you'll be pleased and impressed with the knife and steel. I've see makers here still making knives in 440C, it's not like they're not selling because of the steel. With all the other choices in steel offerings, 440C isn't even considered by some folks. I guess the demand isn't as strong as it once was. I've seen CTS-40CP ( which is Carpenter's Version of 440C) in some popular knives. So, it's still around.
I doubt you will see any chipping issues. As far as sharpening goes, it will be different than what you're used to, so report back and tell us how you did on sharpening 440C!!!!!
 
Hey guys as soon as I get back home to a computer I'm gonna post a picture of the new knife! I can't for the life of me figure out how to upload from a mobile phone and unfortunately I'm away for work until Saturday. Thanks for all of the quick replys!!
 
Properly heat treated 440C is a really good all-around alloy. If there were problems with it early on, they've been worked out, or it wouldn't still be being used. Steel is pretty much the last thing to worry about in a knife.

That said, I don't buy a knife without finding out what kind of steel it is. Not because it really matters, it doesn't, I just like to know. I have knives in many different steels for almost any conceivable task, and a couple for the inconceivable ones. Design and execution are more important to me than the steel, you learn to work with what you have. If it doesn't work for you, you get something else, and then something else, if necessary, until you find the one you're looking for. Then you start looking for something else for a different task. It's not rocket surgery.

It's a sickness.
 
"Properly heat treated 440C is a really good all-around alloy. If there were problems with it early on, they've been worked out, or it wouldn't still be being used"

The problem with 440C can't be worked out with heat treat. That would be grain and carbide size and clumping of the carbides. Only powder processing can help that ( CTS 40CP)

In reality though unless the woodwork being discussed is professional level super thin and precise planes and such the drawbacks of 440C will likely not be an issue on every day cutlery use at the thinness and angles most of us use.

Would I buy a 440C custom? Not on your life. Do I think it's a bad steel? No, not on your life. :) There are better ones for me. Why do custom makers still use it? Ask them.

By the way 440A can be an excellent steel. I'd take it over 440C personally.

Joe
 
I have used 440C blades to carve wood, and they usually work fine. Where they didn't work fine was when I was trying to smooth out a knot by popping chips out of it. I ended up with some really small chipping out of the blade as well, which was no big deal on a user--just sharpened it out. On a carbon steel knife, on a different piece of wood from the same tree, I got a little edge rolling that only needed a steeling. It's anecdotal evidence at best, but I would still watch out for knots.
 
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