New Buck steel?

V

Voltron

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Dec 13, 2008
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I heard that the Buck slippies are getting a different steel. At least the imports. The ones I have are still 420HC, but from what I have read, they are switching to a 440 steel? Anyone heard about this? If so, what type of steel is going to be used? And finally, will it be as good as Buck's 420HC? I know it's the heat treatment they give the knives that make them so great, so, will they still be using the same process for the 440 steel? What's the deal?
 
I wish they'd make some in the Sandvik 13C26 alloy. That would be da bomb!

They could probably even use the same dies and tooling because the 13C26 can be fine blanked just like 420HC.

I have a hard time believing they would go to 440A. It is difficult to fine blank, though I suppose it can be done if you have a big enough punch press.
 
Is that a 420HC knife-buying spree I hear coming down the street?

That was some great steel! Totally underrated! This new stuff just doesn't seem to hold an edge the way the old 420HC did.

Man, I wish I'd gotten a Gen-5 in 420HC!!! You can still get them on that Auction Site, you know.

I hear they're running out of the old 420HC 110s.....man, they were some great knives.

And so it goes.

;)
 
I agree with Knarf . I think that is what they may do because of the reasons he stated .
The shot show is coming in Jan. thats when Buck may announce something as they did last year . DM
 
I'd vote for CPM-154 like my BassPro 110, but I wouldn't dis 420HC, at least the way Buck/Bos does it. Damned good steel IMHO...
 
Custom shop 301's please, with a S30V option and all the scale options of the current 110 customs :):).
 
I guess I'm the odd man out. I'd love to see the 303 cadet in a nice old 1095 carbon.

And if they want to bring back the poly pearl, I promise to not complain. Honest!

Grey-blue patined blades and white pearl handlles. Nice eye pleasing combo.:D
 
These days, how often does a manufacturer come with a new mass market steel that's superior to the old steel?
 
BG, I'm not as sure on other companies, but with Buck I'd say often . This would be the fourth time . DM
 
Wow......I stand corrected.

I thought 440C was the best and we went downhill from there (although admittedly with steels that were still excellent, just each one not quite as good as the last).

I don't feel like an idiot, though......I got that impression honestly from reading here.
 
Well, the old 440C held an edge, if you could get it there. I must have worn out a couple of Arkansas stones sharpening my Bucks and a buddy's, as well (this was pre-diamond hones). I still have an Ultralite in 440C in the tackle box. But 420HC is a lot easier to sharpen; maybe Buck's Edge 2X geometry has something to do with that.
 
Taking an educated guess, I'd say Buck's steel supplier in China probably can't keep a consistant supply of the same steel so Buck is just going to label the steel as a "generic 440". The thing that puzzles me, is that Buck's steel is labeled 440A not 440. 440A is a specific steel at around .65% carbon and 18% chromium. When a company labels the steel just as 440, it could be anything. Either way I plan on getting the new carbon fiber Buck Nobleman labeled as 440A.
 
Wunderbar said:
Taking an educated guess, I'd say Buck's steel supplier in China probably can't keep a consistant supply of the same steel so Buck is just going to label the steel as a "generic 440". The thing that puzzles me, is that Buck's steel is labeled 440A not 440. 440A is a specific steel at around .65% carbon and 18% chromium. When a company labels the steel just as 440, it could be anything. Either way I plan on getting the new carbon fiber Buck Nobleman labeled as 440A.
Click to expand...

Without exactly meaning to be rude, I'd say you really don't know what you are talking about. Buck has announced that they are moving away from Chinese production, so what alloys Chinese suppliers can or cannot get has no bearing on the question of a new alloy. Moreover, only a fraction of Buck knives were ever made in China.
 
This thread is pretty much speculation, right?

I don't think any of us can claim to know what we're talking about (unless you've heard from Buck) so, yes, that was a bit rude.

Saying that "only" a fraction of Buck knives were made in China is a bit imprecise, since 9/10ths, for example, is a fraction--and I think we're all pretty sure that's wrong.

Can you expand a bit on that "moving away" from Chinese production? I mean in terms of when and how much?

I thought they were significantly committed to China for a long time.
 
Well, guys, the reason I ask is because I saw, on an imported Buck slippie, that it said 440. However, I wasn't really looking for it, so I didn;t really pay attention to it until later, when I thought about it, so I don't know if it is 440, 440A, or whatever. Also, I have no idea if it is just the imported line of ALL Buck slippies. I was just wondering if someone more well informed then me could tell me what was going on is all. There has definitely been a change, however, I know THAT for sure. At least on the imported slippies.
 
So, should I take away from this thread that Bucks China knives will be made from "?" while their US of A made knives will still use 420HC steel (strictly speaking about stock models like the 110 and 301)?

That is what I would like to think

Sandvik would be nice too
 
The Government said:
So, should I take away from this thread that Bucks China knives will be made from "?" while their US of A made knives will still use 420HC steel (strictly speaking about stock models like the 110 and 301)?

That is what I would like to think

Sandvik would be nice too
Click to expand...


No, Gov, because again, I'm not sure of anything. I don't know if it was a fluke, or if both domestic and imports will be made with the same steel, I am just not sure. Like I said, I posted this because I want to learn more about it. I'll go back tomorrow and see it and report to you guys tomorrow, what knife and what steel it is.
 
There have been several threads in which Buck folks have said they are bringing products back from China. I don't talk to Buck Knives. I do a bunch of reading in this forum.

The colloquial meaning of "only a fraction" is an implication that it is a small fraction.

Originally, several of the Buck Chinese knives were labelled 440A. Others were labelled 420HC. The Chinese-made Buck knife blades are made of Chinese alloys. Since the Chinese alloy compositions do not quite equate to those of American alloys, it makes sense to label them as "400 series" rather than to be any more specific than that.
 
If I could clarify:
The Chinese alloy that has been labeled 440A is not exactly 440A, but its performance is similar to that of 440A. Same for the alloy that has been labeled 420HC. It is not exactly the same as the 420HC alloy that Buck uses in Idaho, but its performance is similar.

This is a problem that Benchmade and Spyderco also had. When Spyderco first started doing work with a Chinese supplier, the supplier told Spyderco that the alloy in question was 440C. Spyderco did an analysis on the alloy and found that it was not quite the same, though the performance was similar.

My company has done work with companies in China. We find that, if we specify a certain alloy or material and the Chinese have something they consider equivalent, they use their "equivalent material" without telling us.

So this issue of "exactly what alloy is this in this Chinese product?" is not peculiar to Buck. A switch to the name "400 series alloy" may merely be indicative of a more accurate nomenclature rather than an actual change in alloy by the Chinese.
 
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