A lanyard hole in the knife handle provides an additional carry option. While rusting is always an issue for many steels, just remember to rinse, dry, and oil your knife after use if you’re concerned. This grade has the highest hardness - 50HRC - among all the stainless steel grades with 12% chromium.Stainless steel grades that are similar to grad… In addition to Carbon elements, the steel contains 13% Chromium which gives it corrosion resistance properties. Buck Knives are just one of the many products that are made from this tough material. And, for those who care, I have 42 years of wilderness canoeing and bushcraft experience in Northern Ontario and spend most of my Summers covered in mosquitos and fish slime, but hey, it's a lifestyle choice eh? A full leather friction fit sheath is designed to prevent deployment while removing the knife from its sheath. However, compared with earlier 400 series steels, the retention is decent enough. However, a harder steel with high brittleness would also compromise edge retention. Quality heat treatment raises 420HC’s Rockwell hardness to 56-58 HRC, though its standard rating is 55 HRC. The minimum requirement of Chromium for steel to achieve stainless properties is 11 or 12%. 420HC is an excellent general purpose knife steel when heat-treated with our proprietary Paul Bos heat-treat process. I purchased a custom 110 folding hunter with S30V blade steel, Elk stag handle and nickle silver bolsters that was made to perfection. The automatic deployment comes from a push-button and allows for one-handed engagement. Copyright 2019 - 2020 by Blade Protection, The StrongArm features a coyote brown handle and fine edge, full tang 420HC steel blade, Ceramic blade coating and rubberized diamond texture grip, A striking pommel at the base of the handle breaks through hard surfaces, Four mounting pieces and sheath can be used for mounting on MOLLE, belt, or in drop-leg fashion, Proudly made in USA at Gerbers Portland, Oregon factory, RAZOR SHARP BLADE - 3-1/2 420HC stainless steel blade delivers excellent strength, edge retention, and corrosion resistance. I haven't found such clear law advice anywhere else. However, a combination of all these elements is necessary to produce an alloy with balanced properties. In this article, I will do a detailed review of 420HC to help you understand the properties of this steel, what it is made of, and how these properties impact its functionality as a knife blade. The carbon content of 440A, 440B and 440C increased successively. I don’t like to stop and sharpen before finishing a task. The great thing with a 420HC blade, however, is that it’s easy to sharpen, even for newer users. Physical Properties: Melting Point: 2649 - 2750°F (1454 – 1510°C) Density: 0.2790 lbs/in 3 / 7.73 g/cm 3; Modulus of Elasticity in Tension: 29 X 10 6 psi / 200 GPa; Mechanical Properties: Temper: Annealed; Tensile Strength Minimum (psi): 85,000 This is one of the reasons that 420 has been used as a knife steel for som many years. Gerber is a knife company that has been around for many years and is well know for making quality outdoors knives and tools. The ability of a blade to retain its sharpness is determined by a number of factors. bladeprotection.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This is an old high-carbon (non-stainless) steel. Still good to use. Chromium safeguards steel against corrosive elements like humidity and moisture. Overall length 7-1/2 Weight: 2.8 oz. The price is advantageous and the material does the job it is designed to do. 420HC steel is the benchmark stainless steel used for multi tools with an all around good balance of hardness, edge retention, and corrosion resistance. The chemical composition of 440C steel is a mixture of high Chromium (17%) and high Carbon (more than 1%), which makes stainless steel with great wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Awesome article. 420HC is a great knife for beginners who are looking for a budget knife that comes with a reasonable grade steel blade, compared to other cheap knives. Manufacturers have proven through customer usage 420HC steel makes an excellent knife. They are an excellent work tool. 440A steel is a basic alloy that has been improved severally to form more superior steels. 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