[Zaire]

I have a Blade Tech Pro Hunter Lite. It seems like a good knife, but how good is the 440C it is made of? It has a great edge and is rock solid otherwise.

[orchidhunter]

440C they say now "thats the old school stuff", now a lot of new stainless steels, have got the best of 440C, they are the blade steel of the time. orchidhunter

[conwict]

I have a fixed blade made out of CPM154, which is an "improved" version of 154CM, which is an "improved" version of 440C. There probably isn't a lot of difference in sharpening though, and it's important to keep in mind that your needs/wants are what make a steel worth having. Seriously. I like this knife, but it is a bit of a hassle to sharpen it for four hours to reprofile it (no joke!). Now, of course, with the edge "dialed in" it shouldn't need sharpening for a long, long time if I do my part - maybe, MAYBE touched up with a strop.

Do you value super-long-term edge retention over sharpening ease, or do you prefer a knife that's easy to resharpen? Are you into corrosion resistance?

Personally I like a happy balance between retention and sharpening, and I don't care a whole lot about corrosion resistance. There are other factors, too, like what type of bevels you want - which, again, is primarily determined by your needs/uses for the knife.

If you're sharpening the ultimate paring knife, you might decide you need a 10 degree edge that is ultra smooth, and not at all toothy - push cuts only.

If you're sharpening a "user" that will be out in the field for a long time, you may want an edge that combines strength with optimal cutting shape and can be touched up fairly easily with a pocket stone. How about a 10-12 degree relief/primary edge and an 18-22 degree secondary edge?

If you just have a pocket knife that you don't want to worry too much about, you may want a balance between ease of sharpening, edge retention/toughness, and cost effectiveness.

There is no best steel...and frankly, too much is made of individual steels without discussing their actual merits and uses, and not enough is made of fitting the steel to the user.

[JTW Jr.]

if you took 440c , 154cm , ats34 and S30v and made the same identical knife out of the steels , and didn't mark them , I would bet 75% of the knife users couldn't tell the difference.

[bikerdoc]

The two learned gentlemen above said it all. The only thing I can add is that if the heat treatment on any knife is poor the performance will be poor. 440c is a versitile steel if properly heat treated, and profiled and sharpened to your individual needs.
Welcome to the addiction of knives, steels, sharpening and polishing!

[hso]

Not a thing wrong with a properly heat treated 440C for your application (and Bladetech knives are properly heat treated).

[22-rimfire]

Are Randall's still made with 440C? I believe so, but could be wrong. Folks regard them highly.

[conwict]

JTW, 25% telling the difference is generous I think...I'm not sure I'd be included quite frankly. I think all the people blabbing about how one is sooo much better than the other wouldn't be able to either...

BTW original poster, look into Joe Talmadge's free knife FAQs. They're a good intro to blade geometry, the most important aspect of your knife I think - and the main reason to choose one steel over another.

[hso]

Are Randall's still made with 440C? I believe so, but could be wrong. Folks regard them highly.

Most are, and have been, made with tool steel, but a subset of what they offer is 440C.

[alaskanativeson]

I remember reading that Randall used 440B for their stainless.

[Big Bill]

440C with the proper heat treat is good steel. I'll even go for 420HC steel if it comes from Buck. I believe most pocket knives are 440 A or B. Some Queen folders are D2 IIRC.

[paulgl26]

i have a BM 180 with that steel and i like-it a lot
blade is good and holds an edge
harder to rust i guess