Is 440 Stainless steel good for a knife?

many people say that stainless steel is crap, but it's not, the only thing you need to do though is maintain the edge, if you go on a camping trip, bring a double sided sharpening stone and always watch the edge before going for a hike, and always carry the stone with you, even high carbon steel knives dull eventually, just not as fast.

Man, why would you throw it in the trash anyways, that's cruel to the person who bought it for you, shame on you for even thinking of that.

a stainless blade does lose it's edge faster then a high carbon blade, but it doesn't rust and it sharpens easier and faster then the high carbon blade, so they both have their advantages and disadvantages.

a knife is never a piece of crap, if it's maintained and sharpened right.

440 Stainless Steel

I think so 440 Stainless steel good for a knife. I bought that type knife previous.

Good 440 stainless steel knives:

http://amzn.to/1CJPtsy

yes a stainless steel 440 knife is really good my uncle bought one back in 1979 and has been having it without any problems the blade is still razor sharp even at 35 years old

440A is what comes in cheap knives. It s not a bad steel, but it s nowhere near as good as the 440C that comes in expensive knives. The difference is that 440A has a very low carbon content, and 440C has a very high carbon content.

But 440A is also the most rust resistant because it does have very little carbon, and is the choice of many divers, fishermen, and anyone else who have work or a hobby where keeping a knife dry is impossible.

The only trouble you should have with 440A is sharpening it. It s a very hard steel, and difficult to sharpen with a whetstone or oil stone. I strongly suggest you use a diamond sharpener. This cuts 440A easily, and will give you a very sharp, long lasting edge.

For a blade under 50$ (before shipping) It's really one of the better large knives that you can get. If it's a gift just keep it.

As a knife maker I tend to view most 440 stainless as the .22LR of blade steels. Yes it can kill, Yes it can save your life in a pinch, however it will not perform as well as other steels. My current favorite steel is 5160. It's crazy tough, Holds an edge for eons, not really prone to rusting if you clean it in the same manner one would a firearm. Any tool is like any dog. If you treat it with decency and don't abuse it, then it will make it's sole purpose for existing to please your will.

Respect your tools.

what is 440 A steel

Depends on what you want. It is a compromise steel, good at corrosion resistance, toughness and edge retention but not top ranked in any of those areas. It is also fairly cheap. Since you can always sharpen a knife that dulls, I don't see its edge retention as a big weakness. Its big weakness in my view is that it doesn't bend well. If you use it as a pry bar, it will break, possibly in a way that will hurt you. Large blades shouldn't be made of this steel as a result, and those that are can only serve as props or gimmicks. Limit it to 2.5 inch blades or smaller.

I bought a 440 Stainless US Divers knife in 1976. I have used it for diving, digging, fish cleaning, hammering, etc. It has its dents and dings but still is in excellent condition. The US Divers knife is still going strong, but US Divers is no longer in business.

440 stainless is a high quality steel that most common knife companies (Spyderco,Benchmade,Boker) etc use on their more durable high priority knives.