in steel it is all about the heat treat you can not compare one steel to another unless they are made by the same hand , same grind , same geometry ect. 99.99 % of people who are knife people will never ever be able to push a knife to the performance that they will notice a difference in steels , that said 440 ss properly heat treated is a damn fine steel unfortunately 99.99 % of makers fail to properly heat treat it
I really like the 420HC that Buck USA uses. It is heat treated using the Paul Bos method and it is a very good working steel.
No complaints.
Not all of Buck's blades get this treatment though. Look for this seal:
From Buck USA's website about the steels they use:
TYPES OF BLADES STEELS
No matter how good the blade steel, there are always trade-offs. Corrosion-resistance vs. edge-retention. Edge-retention vs. sharpening ability.
Take S30V Steel. It provides the very best in edge retention and tensile strength, but is more difficult to re-sharpen and needs proper care. 17-7PH Steel resists extreme corrosion like salt water, but can’t match the edge retention of harder steels.
5160 Steel
Commonly known as spring steel, 5160 has excellent shock absorbing properties making it resilient to shattering and extremely durable as a knife steel. We harden to 57-58 Rc to maximize its performance.
13C26 SANDVIK
Provides great edge retention and hardness for wear resistance and strength. Also difficult to resharpen yourself, but is a great steel choice. For best performance, we harden to a standard Rc 58-60.
420HC Steel
This is Buck's standard blade material because it approaches the wear resistance of high carbon alloys while delivering the corrosion resistance of chromium stainless steels. Add our exclusive heat-treat process and you have a very user-friendly combination of superior corrosion resistance with excellent strength for wear resistance and durability. You also have a blade that is easy to resharpen. For best performance we harden to a Rockwell hardness of Rc 58.
S30V Steel
This advanced steel, S30V, contains carbon as well as high amounts of Chromium, Molybdenum and Vanadium. This steel combines fantastic edge retention and high ductility combined with corrosion resistance. Double-tempered - it can be hardened to a Rockwell hardness of Rc 59.5-61. However, it is difficult to resharpen yourself, but we do offer
sharpening services for a nominal fee.
154CM Steel
This steel is ideal for excellent edge retention, great corrosion resistance and for heavy cutting applications. For best performance, we harden to a standard Rc 59-61.