440C knife steel
440C is a stainless knife steel, typically hardened to HRC 58-60.
| Type | Stainless |
|---|---|
| Hardness | HRC 58-60 |
| Edge retention | mediumhigher than 5 of 48, tied with 13 |
| Corrosion resistance | highhigher than 22 of 48, tied with 16 |
| Toughness | mediumhigher than 4 of 48, tied with 20 |
| Ease of sharpening | moderate to sharpeneasier to sharpen than 20 of 48, tied with 14 |
| Price tier | Budget |
| Best for | EDC / foldersKitchenBudget |
Knives in 440C
REAT Fixed Blade Knife with Sheath, 4.1" 440C Steel Blade with Full Ta
SOG Tellus FLK Daily Outdoor Full-Sized Frame Lock Folding Knife with 
BA-KOR Small Fixed Blade 440C Stainless Steel Full Tang Knife with Kyd
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Compared with
Similar stainless steels
| Steel | Type | HRC | Edge | Corrosion | Toughness | Tier | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4116 (X50CrMoV15) | Stainless | 54-57 | low | high | high | Budget | Knives → |
| 420HC | Stainless | 56-58 | low | high | high | Budget | Knives → |
| 440A | Stainless | 55-58 | low | high | medium | Budget | Knives → |
| 8Cr13MoV | Stainless | 57-59 | medium | medium | medium | Budget | Knives → |
| 9Cr18MoV | Stainless | 58-60 | medium | high | medium | Budget | Knives → |
| AUS-8 | Stainless | 57-59 | medium | medium | high | Budget | Knives → |