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440A knife steel

440A is a stainless knife steel, typically hardened to HRC 55-58.

TypeStainless
HardnessHRC 55-58
Edge retentionlowamong the lowest of 49
Corrosion resistancehighhigher than 22 of 48, tied with 16
Toughnessmediumhigher than 4 of 48, tied with 20
Ease of sharpeningeasy to sharpeneasier to sharpen than 35 of 48, tied with 13
Price tierBudget
Best forBudgetKitchen

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Knives in 440A

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Last verified 2026-06-11 · properties are documented consensus tiers; real performance depends on heat treat & geometry (methodology)

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SteelTypeHRCEdgeCorrosionToughnessTierBuy
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