How do you sharpen 440C

M

mudguard

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Aug 2, 2013
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So I got a mini stockman (boker plus), which is very similar to the old camillus made buck 303's. I am having a bit of trouble getting and keeping a good sharp edge on it. I find I can get it sharp but it dulls way faster than even my case CV knives.. Has anyone experienced this? and also... how would you sharpen this little fellow to keep a great edge on it for some time?

Cheers,
 
Same as any other steel but it will take more repetition than your Case CV in terms of sharpening.
 
I've noticed that the 440C on some German-made traditional knives isn't anywhere near as hard as it could (or should) be, to take advantage of it's higher carbon content for edge-holding. In fact, it sort of shocks me sometimes, that some of these 440C blades very closely mimic the behavior of the stainless used in Victorinox SAKs (I also have a Boker in 440C, which is what comes to mind here). Either steel is very fine-grained to take very fine edges, but also very softish; that's a huge waste of potential in 440C. So, like you've found, a fine edge doesn't seem to last nearly as long as it should (for 440C).

As for sharpening it, treat it like a SAK. My mantra for those is 'Less is More'; this means gentler abrasives, finer grit, lighter pressure, and fewer strokes all seem to work much better for steels like these.


David
 
I've had a few 440c knifes and they have all pissed me off I've tried every method of sharpening I could find. I finally just made up my mind to not buy knifes with 440c or 420 again cause you can spend hours putting a edge on them and it will be gone by the end of the week. I could be wrong about all this though
 
In my experience and mostly with older CS cutlery, 440C is one of the all time best "coarse edge" steels out there. It will take finishes in the 120-220 range that are capable of shaving some arm hair and draw cutting with ferocity, and hold them for a loong time. It can be worked very fine and function well, but as noted will require a lot more maintenance than is practical.
 
I think I've been somewhat spoiled in getting my first notable impression of 440C from an older Buck 112 folder (~1980 or so). Buck Knives did this steel right; it's obviously treated to higher RC; it was too much for some older Arkansas stones I had, and that left an impression. I later was able to convex it using SiC sandpaper, to a fairly high polish (2000+ grit), and it has held up admirably. Every other 440C blade I've compared it to, since then, has seemed somewhat 'soft' by comparison; some more so than others.


David
 
Gentlemen, I just obtained my first GEC in 440C (a nice #73 trapper from 2007). My initial sharpening has gone OK but it took more time than a GEC in 1095 and I haven't got quite as fine an edge on it.

I'd appreciate any comments you have on GEC's 440C and how best to sharpen it.

Thanks.

Andrew
 
AFAustin said:
Gentlemen, I just obtained my first GEC in 440C (a nice #73 trapper from 2007). My initial sharpening has gone OK but it took more time than a GEC in 1095 and I haven't got quite as fine an edge on it.

I'd appreciate any comments you have on GEC's 440C and how best to sharpen it.

Thanks.

Andrew
Click to expand...

What stones/abrasives are you using? Are you setting a new bevel, or just refining/touching up the factory edge?

Generally, I like either diamond or silicon carbide for setting bevels. The diamond isn't necessary, but I've liked the speed and ease with which it'll work. I think anything beyond Arkansas stones will do for finishing (and some Arkansas' may be OK for that, too); AlOx, SiC especially.


David
 
David, thanks for your reply. I set a new bevel with my Work Sharp KO. I had some problems with the edge close to the tip and worked on that with sand paper.

Recently I've found myself using a combination of tools to set my initial bevel---always starting with the WSKTS KO but also calling in from the bench sandpaper, my Sharpmaker, a variety of strops, and other tools as well at times. I love my Work Sharp but I find that I am often "fine tuning" with the slower manual tools (and a loupe!).

Anyway, I just swiped at a few more pages of phone book paper with the GEC in 440C---maybe I was being too critical before because it seems to have an edge very close to what I can get with the 1095. :)

Thanks,

Andrew
 
Work it longer on the last stone. To make sure the burr is removed. Plus, Buck never used 440C on that model, a 303. DM
 
Yeah I have a buck 110 copy in 440c, I use silicon carbide sand paper at 600 grit for honing and sharpening plus a leather strop. I still have the same trouble getting it to keep an edge but if you steepen the ange of the edge it should hold better. I haven't done this yet cos I din't use it all that often and when i do it is for scalpel type tasks
 
Bucks old 440c is pretty serious stuff. My 2dot 110 will take an exceptional edge and just keep on cutting. My sharpmaker works very well putting an edge on it. Water stones are great too
 
David Martin said:
Work it longer on the last stone. To make sure the burr is removed. Plus, Buck never used 440C on that model, a 303. DM
Click to expand...

I assumed he meant that his Boker mini stockman (spec'd by Boker as 440C) was similar in pattern/size to a Buck 303. Both are about 3-1/4" closed, if I'm finding the right description of the Boker.


David
 
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Yes, I had to reread his statement before I posted that as I thought he could be meaning it that way. Still, I had to say it as I know how mistruths get started here with one little straw. Plus, all 440C is not created equal. DM
 
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