Why...

Joined
Jun 3, 2005
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8
Why is it that when Buck uses 420HC steel everyone says it's fine, but when Cold Steel uses it everyone says it's crap?
 
Buck has a good reputation for their heat treatment where the heat can make or break the knife, no pun intended. I've had no problems with any of my Cold Steel knives, some folks here just don't like 'em.
 
Paul Bos does most of bucks heat treating if I am not mistaken. And he realy knows his work. I think alot of it has to do the way the steel is heat treated, which is a very important step in the processing of the steel.

As I said before, think of it this way: If the steel is the body, then the heat treatment is the soul.
 
middy said:
Why is it that when Buck uses 420HC steel everyone says it's fine, but when Cold Steel uses it everyone says it's crap?

Not everyone rates Buck's 420HC highly, and CS uses AISI 420, not 420HC which has a higher carbon percentage.

-Cliff
 
I don't know if CS uses 420J2, but they don't designate it 420HC (High Carbon). They just call it 420 Sub Zero Quench. Another variant.

Remember, steel is steel. Some are way more expensive than others, for incremental improvements in performance. Some few are much better than others. But even a "cheap" steel can work fine in a small pocketknife for light utility use, or a gentleman's knife, or as CS does it, for a defensive knife that's not particularly designed for heavy cutting or regular use.
 
Main CS disadvantage is not steel, but blade geometry and HT. IMO, CS knives are not meant to cut, they must not break no matter what. Of course, it makes cutting ability worse.
 
I think a lot of it has to deal with the fact that for years Cold Steel was always berating companies for using "China cheapie" steel like 420, then they start using it themselves.
 
The single main factor I can come up with is that Cold Steel folders, at retail price, are easily as expensive as Spyderco, but pale in comparison for steel choices. Buck knives in general aren't nearly as pricy as Spyderco or CS, so people don't mind the steel choice nearly as much. Plus, CS bills themselves as top-of-the-line knife makers, yet they do not meet their own marketing in something as basic as steel choice.

So, in short, CS is inordinatetely expensive at retail price and hypocritical in their marketing vs. application practices. That's why I think people mind.
 
I don't like 420HC period. I have a couple of knives in 420HC but now that I know better I wouldn't buy one in that steel, no matter who makes or heat treats it.
 
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