Case “surgical stainless” vs buck 420 vs ...

kingston73

kingston73

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What’s everyone’s opinion of case’s stainless steel compared with bucks 420 compared with carbon steels like 1095? Mainly in medium fixed blade use, not small pocket knife use.
 
My preference, in order, is 1095, then Buck's 420HC, and lastly surgical stainless. Surgical stainless can be OK or not, but you never really know what you're getting. Ground thin, as in a SAK, it reaches it's peak. My experience is that cheap carbon steel usually outperforms cheap stainless. Now if you can get that Buck in CPM154 or better stainless, that would be my first choice.
 
"Surgical" stainless is ambiguous as it gets so I can't comment there but I do like Bucks treatment of 420HC. It's easy enough to sharpen and holds an edge pretty well. For a fixed blade I'd take 1095 any day.
 
Does Case actually refer to their stainless steel as "surgical stainless"? I've seen that with other brands but I don't recall ever seeing it with Case.
 
Both Case's Tru-Sharp and Buck's stainless are 420HC stainless steel. Buck runs theirs a couple points harder than Case does, and has better edge geometry as well. My understanding is that the Case, being a little softer, would be more corrosion resistant. Buck's 420HC fixed blades are VERY hard to beat for the price.
 
I'm with Jeff, Buck's fixed blades in their 420hc offer very good performance and value, they've been doing it for a very long time too :thumbsup: The proof of the pudding is in the eating :D

Don't know too much about CASE's fixed blades but its Trusharp is OK for average pocket knife tasks certainly, Buck's is better but their pocket knives are usually sabre ground which I don't like as much as flat ground.
 
You (the OP) asked for everyone...

Generally I prefer carbon steel. I'm not an aficionado or collector, just someone who likes and carries a common pocket knife. If I'm buying a pocket knife, most of the time I'll choose carbon steel.

I have some stainless. I don't pay attention to type. Just stainless. If it is a day when I know I won't want to worry about the knife when I take it out of my pocket at the end, I will choose one of the stainless versions.

Almost all of my knives are Case. I haven't thought about the specifics of the mix, but many are carbon, and several stainless, going back over decades. I have a Buck (stainless) and several SAK's (stainless of course).

My philosophy: If you can't tell, it doesn't matter. If you can tell, then you will form your own opinion; and just as likely the next guy will have a different opinion.
 
kingston73 said:
What’s everyone’s opinion of case’s stainless steel compared with bucks 420 compared with carbon steels like 1095? Mainly in medium fixed blade use, not small pocket knife use.
Click to expand...
I find my 420HC Buck knives to sharpen similarly to my old timers which I'm told are 1095, and my Tru Sharp case blades to sharpen about like my old carbon steel Imperials.
Not sure the steel nor does it matter to me as it works and I like it, but i think it's 1065 or something.

This is just what I've observed, but I don't really pay attention to steel types.
Different companies treat steels differently, so to me brand of blade is more important than name of steel.
 
Paul, Buck changed their edge angle in around 2000 to a much narrower bevel, down to 30-35° inclusive, from about double that on earlier knives. My understanding is that it was across the board, fixed and folders.
 
In my experience a Buck fixed blade is hard to beat. We’ve been using them come hunting season for decades and it’s been easy to stick with them. I love 1095 carbon steel, but for a fixed blade I’ll take some Buck stainless.

Tons of models to choose from and the 420HC takes and holds and edge well.
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I’ve had a few of the Case Finn knives, but the stacked leather handles didn’t seem as reliable as Buck’s black plastic. (Actual name escapes me).
 
While the 119 is a recent knife for me, I carried a nighthawk for years. I've had coldsteel carbonV, kabar utility/usmc,tops made Camillus,Gerber strongarm,and many more. In my opinion Bucks 420hc is hard to beat. I have seen mentioned "why don't buck update,why don't the use the latest high speed super miracle steel?" I say simply buck does 420 right, their heat treat on 420hc is second to none imho. If it works,and works well,why change? To keep up with a fad? They use a really good steel,with a great heat treat and have for decades. That's why I can buy a 119 for 40 bucks instead of 400, and have a great knife. Went to throw in my 2 cents,spent a dollar. I'm to long winded...;)
Edit: my 119 was bout $50 not 40 but still a great knife at a good price imho
 
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