# 420 J2 knife steel



## teej (Jul 10, 2004)

I was just viewing the old Hibben Kenpo 2 knife which is now being sold as the "Alaskan Survival" knife. It is made out of 420 J2 steel. The ad says it has a rockwell hardness of 57-59.

I thought that typically 420 J2 had a hardness in the high 40's to 53 maybe. I thought the makers were using 420 because it is cheaper and softer and does not eat up the machinery as fast.

However; I had one maker tell me that he liked the 420 J2 because it could easily be sharpened, not like the 440 series. He said that in combat or in hunting camp that the 420 J2 could quickly be sharpened and it still had the qualitites of stainless steel.

So experts out there, what is your take? If the ad is correct on this Alaskan Survival knife having 420 J2 with a rockwell hardness of 57-59, that seems rather good to me and not too soft.

Help me out here.  Thanks Teej


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## Phil Elmore (Jul 10, 2004)

I've never gotten too excited about the specifics of knife steels.  Most users will not use a knife so much that being forced to resharpen it periodically would be a problem for them.  If you like the knife, I would say buy it, unless you plan on dressing wooly mammoths daily.


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## teej (Jul 10, 2004)

Well you just never know. I saw on TV a while back where they chopped a Mammoth out of the ice, flew it away with a giant helicoter and were going to thaw it out. For all I know it is running around somewhere out there, I never heard anymore about it, so I want to be prepared.  :jedi1: 

However; I am just trying to get a better understanding of the this steel and the 57-59 rockwell claim if there are any knife makers out there.

My preference is to have a knife that can hold a very sharp edge, yet I am able to resharpen it. But I am courious about this 420 J2. Some makers give it a bad rating stating it is a cheap steel. Others claim it has the stainless qualities, will take and hold an edge, yet you are able to resharpen it with minimum work.

Teej


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