Thoughts on 440c steel??????

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redbulladdict24/7

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thinkings about getting a benchmade harley davidson venom and dont really have any experience with this steel how rust resistent is it,is it easy to sharpen?
 
I think 440c can vary from maker to maker. I have a couple bokers in 440c and I have a hard time sharpening one of them, but I have an Entrek forester from Ray Ennis in 440c and it takes a stupid sharp edge with just a little stropping. Benchmade is a good company and probably does a goot heat treat on it, but I have never had benchmades 440c. As far as rust resistance, I would say very good, my forester has never shown any signs of rust and i've used it in the woods in winter and had it fairly wet for a bit of time.
 
I have a number of older knives in 440C. Rust resistance is fine. I have used some of themin the kitchen and for saltwater fishing and got no rust or discoloration.
The steel is not up there with D2 or even VG10 for holding an edge, but it is good, nonetheless.
I haven't used Benchmade's 440C, but to generalize, the steel should be good quality if the heat treatment is done right.
 
I love 440C. I know its not one of today's fancy super steels out there but its still a fantastic all around steel. Takes a nice edge I find, holds it well and not difficult to sharpen.
 
weren't the old buck 110 blades made of 440c, but the customers were finding it too difficult to sharpen so they changed to 420hc?

I have a new buck110 in 420hc and it sharpens real easy and hold it alright and I've had several knives in 440c, some I hated because they wouldn't get sharp and some that were decent. Like has been said, heat treatment of 440c is important in getting it useable.
 
Good steel but difficult to sharpen. 420HC outperforms 440C in Buck's CATRA tests and is easier to sharpen. Still, it used to be regarded as a 'super steel', some 30 years ago. It will still cut and is very rust resistant in my experience. But I wore out a Buck Ranger and a couple or carborundum stones trying to hone that thin.
 
Alberta Ed said:
Good steel but difficult to sharpen. 420HC outperforms 440C in Buck's CATRA tests and is easier to sharpen. Still, it used to be regarded as a 'super steel', some 30 years ago. It will still cut and is very rust resistant in my experience. But I wore out a Buck Ranger and a couple or carborundum stones trying to hone that thin.
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That's because they changed the blade and edge geometry for the 420HC blades from what they used to use for the 440C blades.
 
Alberta Ed said:
Good steel but difficult to sharpen. 420HC outperforms 440C in Buck's CATRA tests and is easier to sharpen. Still, it used to be regarded as a 'super steel', some 30 years ago. It will still cut and is very rust resistant in my experience. But I wore out a Buck Ranger and a couple or carborundum stones trying to hone that thin.
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Not true. 420HC, when formed into a blade with a superior profile, will outperform 440C formed into a blade with an inferior profile. If both are shaped the same, 440C will outperform 420HC.

Whether 440C is hard to sharpen depends upon what sharpening tools you are using. If you use a natural stone, 440C is hard to sharpen because it contains chunks of chromium carbide, which is harder than natural stones. If you use an aluminum oxide stone or a diamond hone, you should have no problems.

I have never had any rust issues with my 440C blades.
 
I have old Buck 110s and 112s with 440C and I think that they are really good cutters. I have one before the dots that is pretty thin behind the edge, I have found it to be as good as the more modern blade steel for my uses.
 
Good stuff. Resists rust really well and holds a decent edge. Should work fine for you unless you do a great deal of extended cutting on tough media.
 
It all depends on the knife brand.

But rust resistance is great and "most" brands 440c blades sharpen really well.

But if its a BM you really don't have to worry, you'll be good to go.

It's def a good user steel.
 
In my opinion 440C is an excellent steel for all around performance even though it is out of fashion. Of course it very much depends on the particular knife. I have an old Gerber which is still in excellent condition and anything made by George Tichbourne, may he rest in peace. Very under-rated and therefore relatively easy to get a good deal.
 
Samon said:
weren't the old buck 110 blades made of 440c, but the customers were finding it too difficult to sharpen so they changed to 420hc?

I have a new buck110 in 420hc and it sharpens real easy and hold it alright and I've had several knives in 440c, some I hated because they wouldn't get sharp and some that were decent. Like has been said, heat treatment of 440c is important in getting it useable.
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No the buck 110 was originally made from 425 or 420 steel. Not sure why Buck went to 420HC vs 440C, but I can tell you that 420HC does not hold anywhere near the edge that 440C does for extended cutting. 420HC is easier to sharpen, but neither is hard to sharpen. The older Gerber blades were typically made from 440B, but they did use 440C, though there is some question as to the actual steel type they were getting from japan.
 
Like all steels used in a knife blade, it's all in the heat treat. Good heat treat = good performance in edge holding. Whether it's a good cutter or not, that's all in the edge geometry.

At one time, it was the best stainless you could get and very popular in high end knives. As with anything, better formulations have come and now this fine steel doesn't get the credit it deserves.

Ankerson sums it the best, as he usually does. :thumbup:
 
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