How bad is 420hc?

Dijos

Dijos

Joined
Nov 20, 2001
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I've been eyeing a few knives, from Camillus and queen (S&M), and they're in 420hc. I don't think I have any experience with the steel. Now, just for background, I'm not that much of a steel snob, I'm generally happy even with Vic's stainless, for what I use it for, and a wide variety of Carbon steel, and aus-8. I can assume that 420hc will be decent, and pretty darn stainless. Any input? Thanks.
 
420HC isn't bad at all. That "HC" on the end makes a huge difference versus the "bad" 420.

Remember that S30V was 440V but they changed the name because too many people couldn't get past the "440".

IMO, 420HC and 440C are very good steel. Not high-end like VG-10 or S30V, but I don't think anyone would honestly be unhappy with them.

My only 420HC knives are Bucks, so perhaps they just do it far better than anyone else does 420HC. Either way, my 420HC Bucks perform very well. They get just as sharp as any of my Spydercos, and the edges last long enough that I can't really tell the difference between 420HC and S30V in normal EDC.

I can tell the difference between 420J2 or AUS-4 and S30V very easily. 420HC is much more similar to S30V than it is to 420J2 and AUS-4 in terms of edge holding.
 
Hair,

Remember that S30V was 440V but they changed the name because too many people couldn't get past the "440".
Click to expand...

Actually 440V was the older name of S60V, which is a quite different steel than S30V. Otherwise I totally agree. I had several 420HC blades from Buck and both of them held an edge pretty good. Not like BG42 or M2, but much better than Böker's 440C or CRKT's AUS-6.

Dijos,

I think you are right. 420HC is "decent, and pretty darn stainless." If you like the steel Victorinox uses, you won't be unhappy with 420HC, especially if it's a Buck.
 
Hair said:
Remember that S30V was 440V but they changed the name because too many people couldn't get past the "440".
Click to expand...
The name change had nothing to do with the perception of 440.

The most of the new names help to define the steel:
CPM designates Crucible Particle Metalluurgy, all the stainless steels now start with S, the vanadium content is next in numbers (roughly), ending in V.

CPM154 is an exception.
 
Oh, I had heard that it did. I'm too lazy to go look and you seem to know what you are talking about, so I'll take your word for it.
 
Hair said:
420HC is much more similar to S30V than it is to 420J2 and AUS-4 in terms of edge holding.
Click to expand...

I don't know if I'd go that far... but. The edge characteristics of 420HC are similiar to that of VG-10. I prefer others, but 420HC won't stop me from buying a knife if I like it.

420HC is also pretty good for thin blades with a thin grind. I'd rather have carbon in a slipjoint, but I've been more than pleased with my Buck 301 in 420HC.
 
Psychopomp said:
The edge characteristics of 420HC are similiar to that of VG-10.
Click to expand...
I would not go that far. ;)

I compare 420HC to 6A. If you heat treat either steel well you will get an acceptable knife. If the heat treat if off a little, it makes a poor knife.
 
I agree that 420 HC is similar to VG-10, in that it seems to take a very sharp and toothy edge. At least the blade on my Buck 110 does.
 
If SAK steel is good enough for your needs, then you should be plenty happy with 420HC. Edge holding won't be outstanding, but 420HC is pretty tough, very stainless, and easy to sharpen. It's very similar to AUS-6 and 440A.
 
I'm of two minds on the stuff. SAKs and Bucks, fine. S&M, though... I can't get a really good edge on one. Neither my Barlow nor my Baby Sunfish will take that really fine edge I want.
 
Sword and Shield, How old is your Buck knife? 420HC is pretty easy to sharpen. Their older 425M and 440C were more of a problem.
 
The blade on my buck 112 doesn't hold an edge as well as my 440C grip, but it sharpens up very quickly. A few passes on a ceramic rod and it's ready to go again. The knife mainly gets used for opening letters and boxes anyway, so it isn't like I need an edge that will stay sharp while I skin a deer or something along those lines.
 
The Titanium Man hit it right on the nose.

Buck's 420HC, heat-treated correctly, reminds me very much of AUS-6 and occasionally AUS-8. It sharpens easily, takes a great edge, doesn't hold it all that well, and doesn't chip/ding.

I like it in a thick fixed blade more than a folder blade.

IMHO, 420HC is HEADS and SHOULDERS above the (poorly heat treated?) 420J2/AUS-4 that "some" manufacturers are now using... which oddly feels both gummy and powdery at the same time (?!).

-j
 
Comparing to a Victorinox SAK blade is a pretty low level, so no problem for a recommendation.

Guess, if a company like Microtech would change over from 154CM to 420HC in one model. Would there still be so many telling good things about that steel?

As long as i haven´t used a 420HC from Buck i can´t really tell what it is like but, Buck says the temper it to HRC 58 and that is a pretty good high hardness. At that point i am not surprised that some ppl. don´t find much of a difference between that and some hype steel in edc. You might find one if you go cut for an hour or so card board and that, but over the medium use of a week, differences become little.

420HC at that hardness is a big plus for me.

If Camillus offers 420HC, ask for heat treatment and hardness. Hardness should be minimum information.

If you don´t get that information, buy a benchmade red line in AUS 8, they are HRC 60 +/- .5 and that is much for the money.:D
 
I have a couple of Bucks in 420HC, and they are OK, but I don't think their performance can be compared with other steels like S30V or VG-10. I have a Buck 110 in S30V and the difference with the regular one in terms of edge holding is amazing.

Anyway, at least for me, 420HC is not a steel I look for in a knife. There are so many great knife offers with better steels that I find it hard to pick up anything under 440C. I mean, a knife with 420HC has to have some very interesting qualities for me to buy it, like SAKs which I buy for the tools mainly.
 
No complaints from me either on 420HC either. My experience is also just with Bucks but it's more than reasonable for the majority of things I do. I'm currently on a Spydie kick so my my Bucks don't see that much pocket time, but that may change a bit when my Northshore arrives sometime next week:D

- gord
 
most of my experience with 420hc is with bucks, 110,889,etc and I have no complaints. seems to me if you have realistic expectations you'll be happy. if you expect a supersteel that holds an edge forever and then sharpens with 3 licks on a stone then you'll be disappointed. later, ahgar
 
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