420HC knife steel
420HC is a stainless knife steel, typically hardened to HRC 56-58.
| Type | Stainless |
|---|---|
| Hardness | HRC 56-58 |
| Edge retention | lowamong the lowest of 49 |
| Corrosion resistance | highhigher than 22 of 48, tied with 16 |
| Toughness | highhigher than 25 of 48, tied with 14 |
| Ease of sharpening | easy to sharpeneasier to sharpen than 35 of 48, tied with 13 |
| Price tier | Budget |
| Best for | EDC / foldersBudgetOutdoor / bushcraft |
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Similar stainless steels
| Steel | Type | HRC | Edge | Corrosion | Toughness | Tier | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4116 (X50CrMoV15) | Stainless | 54-57 | low | high | high | Budget | Knives → |
| 440A | Stainless | 55-58 | low | high | medium | Budget | Knives → |
| 440C | Stainless | 58-60 | medium | high | medium | Budget | Knives → |
| 8Cr13MoV | Stainless | 57-59 | medium | medium | medium | Budget | Knives → |
| 9Cr18MoV | Stainless | 58-60 | medium | high | medium | Budget | Knives → |
| AUS-8 | Stainless | 57-59 | medium | medium | high | Budget | Knives → |