i have a sword and some knives that have this grade steel. so is it a high grade or low grade? and how can i tell the differance between a high grade and a low grade?
Type 440—a higher grade of cutlery steel, with more carbon in it, which allows for much better edge retention when the steel is heat treated properly. It can be hardened to Rockwell 58 hardness, making it one of the hardest stainless steels. Also known as razor blade steel. Available in three grades 440A, 440B, 440C (more common) and 440F (free machinable).
I own a claymore made of 440 stainless steel, I cut a small tree in half. I was surprised, I mean I had always heard it broke very easily, but tell that to the tree. In other words it is a strong metal, but I don't sugest you tempt fate and try to break it because you will. As far as high grade the higher the grade the better the blade looks. If your looking for something to swing around, listen up Damascus is a good steel and Superalloys are probably the best. Take it from me, i'm an expert in using a sword and you'll only get hurt. Most of the time when you swing a sword you wound yourself and don't know it. When you swing the hilt of the sword also presents a problem, it can wound you too. Infact if you can't live with being cut up all the time don't pick up a sword. I cut my hands all the time and i'm a professional so you would probably kill yourself trying. Of course I do use heavy swords, but you can still hurt yourself with a light sword. So don't attempt anything stupid for your sake.
You can probably Google the strength properties for 440. The question your question asks is, Why?
For throwing knives, 440 isn’t necessarily a bad choice. Does it list whether it is 440c or 440b? That matters somewhat. The advantages of 440 Stainless is that it’s relatively hard (for a stainless), it resists rust significantly, and it’s not so hard that it would shatter or break. On the down side 440 is notorious for not taking or holding an edge, but for a throwing knife, that’s probably not much of an issue. If you’re looking for something to train with, you’re fine here. It’s plenty of steel enough to stick in wood or other targets. Odds are it won't bend if you slam it into some wood. If it lands on concrete, eh, it's going to scratch and all that jazz, and it might hurt the tip if it hits first, but as has been said, you can use a file or grinder to get the tip back.
