The series 400 steel is where 440A steel comes from. Knives made from 440A steel have a great reputation for not rusting, which makes them popular and useful for many people. 440A steel is also used for things other than knives.
This steel from the 400 series, in particular, was used to make knives, kitchen knives, other types of cutlery, and parts for machines. 440A steel is soft enough to cut and machine, so engineers, metalworkers, and blacksmiths can use it for many different things.
In this article, we’ll talk about what makes 440A steel special, how it compares to other popular choices, and what you can expect from a knife made from it.
440A Steel Chemical Composition
Carbon and chromium are the most common chemical elements in 440A steel. 440A is technically a high carbon stainless steel because it has a lot of carbon in it, and the 17% chromium in it makes it very resistant to corrosion. The amount of chromium in 440A steel is much higher than in a typical kitchen knife, which has between 11 to 15%.
Here are all of the chemicals that make up 440A steel.
- Carbon: 0.60 to 0.75% – Carbon is the most important part of steel because it makes it stronger, easier to harden, and harder overall.
- Chromium: 17% – Without chromium, steel would have a hard time resisting corrosion. Chrome helps steel resist rust and oxidation, and it also makes it harder.
- Silicon: 1% – Silicon might sound strange at first, but every piece of steel has some silicon in it. It gets rid of the oxygen in the alloy, making it harder and stronger and making it less likely to wear down.
- Manganese: 1% – Manganese is an important part of steel that makes it less brittle so it can handle more stress without breaking.
- Molybdenum: 0.75% – Like chromium, molybdenum makes steel less likely to rust, but its most important property is that it lets steel harden at a slower rate when it is heated. This makes the steel harder, increases its tensile strength, and makes it tougher overall.
- Nickel: 0.50% – Nickel keeps the steel from rusting, especially when the temperature is high. It also makes the grains smaller and makes the steel harder as it starts to cool down.
- Phosphorous: 0.04% – Phosphorous makes steel easier to work with by keeping it from sticking to other things.
- Sulfur: 0.03% – Even though sulfur is usually a bad thing for steel, it makes it easier to work with. But if there is more than 0.05% sulfur in steel, it makes it harder to weld and makes it more brittle.
Is 440a Stainless Steel Good for Knives?
Here are some things you can expect from a knife made of 440A steel.
Edge Retention
440A steel isn’t the worst at keeping its edge, but it’s definitely not the best. 440A steel is considered soft steel because its Rockwell hardness is between 55 and 58 HRc. But because it has a lot of carbon, it will keep its edge longer than other steels with the same hardness.
Still, 440A steel doesn’t keep its edge as well as high carbon steel knives.
Durability
Even though it’s not possible for 440A steel to keep its edge, it has good durability. The nickel and manganese make the metal stronger, so it doesn’t break as easily. When put under pressure from the side, 440A steel is very strong and tends to bend rather than break.
Since 440A steel is on the softer side, it doesn’t hurt as much if you use it for the wrong thing or try to cut something it shouldn’t be able to cut. Not to say that it won’t chip or that the blade won’t get damaged, but it takes a lot of wrong work to do so.
Most people would not want 440A steel to be as hard as it is in a high-end kitchen knife. Still, this kind of soft steel with a lot of carbon is stronger than any mild steel with less carbon. Overall, it is a strong steel that can stand up to a lot.
Corrosion Resistance
This may be where the 440A steel really shines, in a literal sense. When steel has 10.5% chromium or more, it is called stainless steel. When compared to the bare minimum, 440A steel has a lot more chromium in it. Because it has a lot of chromium, it is a great choice for people who want a blade that won’t oxidize or rust.
If you need a knife to use outside when it’s wet, 440A steel will be a good choice. Unlike carbon steel knives, which get a patina over time, the blade will always look shiny.
Sharpening
Steel’s durability isn’t just based on how hard it is. It also greatly affects how easy it is to sharpen. Since 440A steel isn’t very soft, it’s not too hard to sharpen. Sharpening a high-carbon steel knife, whether it’s a kitchen knife or a knife you use every day, is definitely easier and requires less work.
Even though you won’t run into as many problems or work as hard when sharpening, edge retention is still very important. If your knife doesn’t keep its edge for long, you’ll have to sharpen it more often.
With 440A steel, this is something you’ll have to deal with often. It’s important to buy sharpening tools of good quality, like a basic whetstone and an honing rod. If you don’t, you might be afraid to use a 440A steel knife.
Verdict on Steel Quality
Overall, 440A steel knives are good for people who want their blades to be more resistant to rust.
440A steel is great for use in a kitchen because it doesn’t rust or corrode even when conditions aren’t ideal. But when it comes to kitchen knives, keeping the edge is more important than making sure they don’t rust. If it were the other way around, professional chefs wouldn’t praise high-carbon steel knives because they don’t resist rust as well.
Even though 440A steel knives don’t keep their edges as well as other types, they are strong enough for most outdoor situations, especially when it’s raining or wet. Because of this, they make great diving knives.
Pros and Cons of 440A Steel Knives
The main advantage of 440A steel knives is that they are very tough and durable. Additionally, they hold an edge well and are easy to sharpen.
Some disadvantages of 440A steel knives include that they can corrode easily and are not as stain-resistant as other types of steel knives.
440A vs. 400c Steel
Both 440C and 440A steel are mostly the same, except that 440C has more carbon in it. Because it has more carbon, 440C will keep its edge better and for longer than 440A. As a result, 440C becomes more likely to rust. Still, the over 17% chromium makes up for it, and 440C doesn’t rust as most other knives do.
Even though there is a small trade-off between keeping an edge and resisting corrosion, most people prefer 440C. Also, 440C has more sulfur (0.15%) and a little more manganese (1.25%) than 440B.
Also, there is 440B steel. It has less than 440C and more than 440A in terms of carbon content. The only difference between the 440A and the 440B is this one.
440A Steel Vs. Other High Carbon Stainless Steel
There is a lot of high-carbon stainless steel, which is used for many tools and pieces of cutlery.
When you think of high carbon stainless steel for kitchen knives other than the 400 series, you can think of AUS-10, which is similar to 440C, CPM SxxV series with up to 2.30 percent carbon, and 10xx series with about 1 percent carbon. The amount of carbon is definitely a factor, but it’s not the only one.
If you’re looking for a kitchen knife, you should look at the high-carbon stainless steel blade as a whole and think about how it fits into your life. Then you can find the best high-carbon stainless steel knife for you. For example, high-carbon steel blades require a lot of care, so they might not be the best choice for you.
Final Words
440A steel is easy to get and is used to make many different kinds of tools. Divers’ knives and survival knives are often made out of 440A stainless steel. Because they don’t keep their edges, they aren’t as popular for making kitchen knives. Most people would be better off with carbon steel knives, like the ones we sell in our store.
