420hc or 154cm?

T

The Rev.

Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
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so, the knife i am looking at is the buck gen 5 which comes in two kinds of steel.
i like the look of the rosewood with 154cm better than the 420hc with charcoal, but have concerns as to a normal guy like me being able to touch up or sharpen the 154cm of this blade. So my question is to anyone who has used 154cm, or ats 34, how does it sharpen or touch up?
Or should i go with the other option of 420hc which may be a little easier to work with?
 
I prefer ease of sharpening myself, but I have never owned a 420hc blade.

Never been a fan of 154cm either.
 
What sharpening tools do you have? You working with a Sharpmaker, or a benchstone or something else is what I mean.

I wouldn't think that 154CM would be too difficult to work with after just a short bit of practice.
 
154CM is a far better steel ,you'll never be disappointed !! A good ceramic stone is all you need to sharpen and it takes a very fine long lasting edge.
 
I got nothing, realy, just a newb to the steel thing. I have been a chef for years and can learn quick, but i am just trying to decide on a hunting knife. i will lok into a sharpmaker also thanx
 
to me bucks 420 is just as hard to sharpen as my benchmade 154cm knife. i'm not saying that 154cm is hard to sharpen just they are about the same. But 154cm is definately superior in edge holding. i'd go with the 154cm blade myself.,,,VWB.
 
Both steels will respond well to diamond hones. 420HC will be a bit easier to sharpen, and maybe a bit tougher, but will not hold an edge as long as 154CM. Either steel will do you fine. BTW, I once field dressed a moose with a Buck 119 Special in 420HC, and after a couple of hours of cutting grimy edge-killing hide, cartilage, and offal, it needed a touch-up, that's all.
 
154CM is my favorite of the stainless steels, so I'm certainly biased. What I'm not biased about, though, is the sharpening and edge-holding of the two. I own one knife in 420HC and several in 154CM. The 154CM is superior in all aspects. I use a Sharpmaker for most all my knives, including the two in question. It is more than adequate for either steel.
 
The Buck Gen 5 with Rosewood handle uses CPM154 steel, not 154CM.
It says so on the blade itself,
 
Only you can decide, Rev, whether the $30 difference is worth it. From my experience, and for what I'm willing to pay for in knives, it certainly is, even if it's 154CM but especially if it's CPM.
 
kwackster said:
The Buck Gen 5 with Rosewood handle uses CPM154 steel, not 154CM.
It says so on the blade itself,
Click to expand...
Says so on the Buck web site, also.

The Rev. said:
Whats the dif?
Click to expand...

Howdy,
CPM stands for Crucible Particle Metal. CPM 154 is a steel with the same composition as 154CM, but processed using particle metallurgy. The result is smaller carbides in the CPM 154. This should lead to greater edge retention, and people I trust have reported that CPM 154 does hold an edge longer than 154CM. And it will not be any harder to sharpen than 154CM.

I have never used CPM154, but I greatly prefer 154CM to 420HC because of better edge retention. I have no trouble sharpening 154CM. I believe the reports that CPM154 is better than 154CM. I would definitely go with the CPM154 rather than 420HC.
 
I'll agree that 154CM will be better for edge retention, but Buck's 420HC heat treated is exceptional. Buck has the best 420 out there for sure. My Nightawk takes a super sharp edge, and after brutal beatings, it's real easy to sharpen up. Corrosion resistance is excellent too. It's also less likely to chip because the steel is softer. There's a torture test on a Nighthawk made of 420HC on www.knifetests.com. If you have time, take a look, it's pretty amazing.
 
WOW, the tests on knife test .com are pretty cool!

Thanx

i think i will blow the extra 30 bucks for quality :)
 
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