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From: amanda@visix.com (Amanda Walker)
Newsgroups: trial.rec.metalworking
Subject: Re: 440 stainless
Message-ID: <1991Feb1.204025.1646@visix.com>
Date: 1 Feb 91 20:40:25 GMT
References: <1991Jan24.150348.722@relay.nswc.navy.mil> <1991Jan30.220322.3686@sdd.hp.com>
Sender: news@visix.com
Reply-To: amanda@visix.com (Amanda Walker)
Organization: Visix Software Inc., Reston, VA
Lines: 23

In article <1991Jan30.220322.3686@sdd.hp.com>, ronk@sdd.hp.com (Ron Kaplan)
writes:
> The main attribute of a Martensitic stainless steel such as a 440C that is
> used in knives is that it is heat treatable to create a very hard material.

440C is probably my favorite stainless steel.  It won't take an edge quite
as well as a really good tool steel, but it's not bad, it doesn't rust,
and it can be very easily heat-treated (you can air-temper it).  It's
slightly more brittle than an equivalent tool steel, but not enough to
worry about for most uses.  It's also generally quite easy to find.

Great for knives or tools that you are going to use a lot, or are
going to be used by people who don't think about things like rust and
fingerprints :).

For "show pieces," though, nothing beats a traditional high carbon tool
steel for the ability to take a realy sharp edge.  You just have to
treat the blade very carefully, especially if you've given it a high
polish.

--
Amanda Walker
Visix Software Inc.