440C or AUS-6 Steel???

M

MSaxatilus

Joined
Feb 19, 2002
Messages
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Hi, I'm pretty new to the forum, but I have a quick question for you guys.....

I'm thinking of picking up a Spyderco Meerkat and apparently they come in the choice of 440C or AUS-6 Steel. I'm pretty sure these steels are quite comparable, but do you have any preference of one over the other?

Looking to buy the plain edge by the way.

Thanks.
 
easy 440C. Better edgeholding, same corrosion resistance, probably the same toughness. 440C is usually considered just a tiny step down from ATS-34 / 154-CM, while AUS6 is a bigger step down. Aus6 is comparable to 440A.

These steels are not really in the same league as their cost is pretty different. CRKT wouldn't be using AUS6 so much if 440C was just as cheap, and just as cheap to work. 440C is more resistant to grinding, it's harder, plain simple a better knife steel.

Greetz and take care, Bart.
 
Hey!

Get the 440-C by all means. The 440-C will hold an edge noticeably longer than the AUS-6 440-C is still good stuff!
 
I would say that it depends on your sharpening skills.

I own the 440C Meerkat (don't you just LOVE that phantom-lock!) and I like the 440C steel too, but it is harder for me to sharpen it than some of my AUS-6 knives.

I can get them both extremely sharp and the 440C holds the edge a little longer, but the AUS-6 is really easy to re-sharpen.

There's not a whole lot of difference between the actual performance of the two steels, but I believe the 440C Meerkat is made in Colorado while the AUS6 one is made in Japan.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
Keep in mind that 440C has a Navigator style blade and the AUS6 has a s-curve, cricket style blade. Could make a difference. PS - I hate AUS6, too soft, tips will bend.

RLR
 
Just curious as to how a knife tip bends during normal cutting chores?
 
folks.. all depends on which Heat-treath it get's.
If AUS6 is HT'ed well, it's a pretty good steel, yet no match for 440C, which is in almost all respects a better steel.

If your tip bends, then it's too weak HT'ed. if it snaps, it's too hard HT'ed. It should simply flex and return to true.
440C is basically a stainless rollerbearing steel, so pretty springy if HT'ed right.

The fact that I stated that 440C is a league above AUS6 is given the same optimum HT. I trust spyderco as a company enough to say that they do know how to HT their steels, better then most other companies do they master a pretty wide range of steels.

Greetz and take care, bart.
 
440c is pretty good stuff in the seventies that was THE STEEL OF CHOICE custom knife makers.

you can tell 440c by how it takes a polish.

the knife world has changed so much, I am talking like an oldtimer but I ain't. just had some familiarity with 70's knives.

but give me good ol'carbon any day!
 
I'm not sure that 440C is actually a step down from ATS-34/154CM. It's all in what you prefer - better edge holding or better stain resistance. Every steel has it's place. Honestly I prefer properly heat-treated 440C to either ATS-34 or 154CM. Easier to sharpen, better stain resistance. I know it has to be sharpened more often, but it's a trade-off like anything else in life.

AUS-6 is a great choice for someone who doesn't really use their knife hard. It won't stain easily and is relatively easy to sharpen. As long as you're not cutting really tough material, it should be perfectly acceptable.

-H-
 
Tip bent or snapped?
In a perfect world, neither, and it that world all heat treating would be optimal. We are dealing with the limits of a price-point production knife here. In my opinion, and I am sometimes "odd," I'd rather have the tip snap (usually a small piece, and the edge that can be reground/reprofiled) than bend. Rebending causes stress and just leads to more bending. Rather a tad too high RC than too low, but that's just me. I know, you could regrind the bent tip, but... oh, well.
What would cause the tip to bend / snap? a) things we shouldn't do to knives but do; b) staples, knots, binds, etc.; c) accidentally cutting through material down to the counter, plate, cement floor...

Off to dig nails out of drywall with my knife, I remain,

RLR (kidding, of course)
;)
 
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