Sorry kids have to disagree..
440A is at the low end of knife-grade steel, but it still is a knife steel...SOG uses plenty of it...Most french folders are forged 440A. It holds an edge good enough for daily use, and is a lot easier to sharpen then CPM-440V. CPM-440V, if you buy both, will keep a better edge, but I doubt 2x better...depends on what you are cutting. If you cut hemp rope, it will keep an edge much more times.....it you cut wood, it'll fail.
440A is at least 3 - 4 x as tough....CPM-440V can have a chipped edge if you don't watch over it (thread broken tip on Native...Starmate review...didn't pass the brass rod test).
On the other hand, for use in like skinning, continous soft material cutting, I would prefer CPM 440V....for corrosion resistance, I would choose CPM 440 V. For beauty (440A can be mirror polished) I would choose 440A.
For easy of sharpening...440A. For toughness, 440A..but for simple edge holding..CPM 440V.
440A is often laughed at, but that's also the reason it so low priced in comparison to the others...no-one would buy them if they were priced highly...CPM-440V is, let's face it guys, a way overpriced steel.
From a 440A blade, of which you expect not much, you'll be pleasantly suprised, from a CPM-440 V blade, of which you expect perfection in edgeholding, you'll be dissapointed.
just my opinion, don't shoot me for it.
I prefer 52100 and 5160...not in the same league as Any stainless.
You can always E-mail me...guaranteed reply.
greetz, Bart.
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"If the world wouldn't SUCK, we'd all fall off !"
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