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Question:

Is stainless steel good for a butterfly knife?

Hi I was thinking about buying this knife, but i wasn't sure if it was good because it's stainless steel.

Answer:

This isn't really a question for this section, but I'm still happy to help out since I'm a big cutlery nerd as well. One thing to look out for when buying a knife is a lack of specifics on what steel is being used. High Carbon Stainless Steel doesn't tell you what the steel is, just what it MIGHT be. Chances are it's something along the lines of 420HC or 440A, both of which are softer steels. They aren't the worst steels around, but they are very quick to dull. You'd be better off looking at the Balisongs of Benchmade. They'll cost more, but you'll know that you're getting something made with quality materials and that won't break on you. And if it does break for some odd reason, Benchmade's warranty and customer service are both fantastic. Although if a more questionable knife is okay with you as long as the price isn't too high, then at least 420HC and 440A aren't too brittle and will take a decent edge even though they'll dull quickly. As for whether stainless steel is good for a knife or not, that depends on the type of stainless steel and what you're going to use the knife for. Many stainless steels are more brittle than a carbon steel, so high carbon stainless steels are a bit more likely to rust but a little tougher as well. In a butterfly knife, a steel like that is a good way to go, although the steels used by Benchmade, as I mentioned, are of a much better quality.

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