420j2 steel is one of the low-priced steels available in the market. Some of you may already know about 420j2 steel. If you are unaware of the 420j2 steel, this article is for you. In this article, I’ll explain everything regarding 420j2 steel.
Let’s start with an in-depth review of the 420j2 stainless steel.
Table of Contents
What is 420j2 steel?
420j2 is one of the low-priced stainless steel that is popular among knife manufacturers. It has high Chromium, and because of this, it is well-known for its high corrosion resistance in most industrial environments and salt-free atmospheres. Moreover, 420j2 is very durable, which makes it a great choice among knife makers.
420j2 steel is used in a variety of tools because of its sharpness as well as its corrosion resistance. Some of the tools and knives in which 420j2 steel is used are as follows:
- Surgical knives
- Diving knives for cutting fish lines
- Budget knives for the kitchen or outdoor use
- Hairdressing or barber shears
- Swords
- Scissors
- Daggers
- And many more.
Furthermore, 420jj2 steel is also known by different names. Some of the popular names include:
- SAE 51420
- AISI 420
- EN56D
- Many others.
420j2 steel chemical composition
The elements included in the 420j2 steel are used for different purposes and have different features. The elements which are included in the 420j2 stainless steel grade are as follows:
| Elements | Percentage (%) | Features |
| Chromium |
14 |
It enhances the steel’s corrosion resistance, wears resistance, and increases the steel’s edge retention. |
| Manganese | 1 | Manganese increases the brittleness, wear resistance, and hardness of the steel. |
| Silicon | 1 | It improves the steel’s strength. |
| Nickel | 1 | Nickel improves the toughness and increases the corrosion resistance of the steel. |
| Carbon | 0.32 | It increases the hardness, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance of the steel. |
| Phosphorus | 0.04 | Phosphorus increases the steel’s strength and hardness. |
| Sulfur | 0.03 | It increases the machinability of the steel. |
420j2 steel has a high percentage of Chromium (14%) which means it is stainless steel. Any steel having more than 10% of Chromium is considered stainless steel.
Properties of 420j2 Steel
420j2 steel is probably one of the cheapest steels you will find in the market. 420j2 steel has an amazing chemical composition; it offers some amazing properties, which are as follows:
- 420j2 steel can be easily machined, so this increases its demand and usefulness.
- It has a superb hardening capability which makes it very good steel for the knives.
- Sharpening a 420j2 steel is quite easy to sharpen because it has decent hardness. As a rule, the decent the hardness of steel, the easier it to sharpen.
- 420hj steel has great toughness because of the high percentage of Chromium in it.
- This steel a high wear resistance because of the high percentage of chromium and a bit of carbon.
- 420j2 offers amazing corrosion resistance.
- However, 420j2 steel is not so best in great edge-retention.
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Rockwell hardness of 420j2 steel
420j2 stainless steel has amazing corrosion resistance, toughness, hardness, wear resistance, and edge retention properties. It is probably one of the cheapest steels in the market. 420j2 steel meets the standards of true quality steel.
The Rockwell hardness of the 420j2 stainless steel is around 56HRC. 420j2 steel offers a low Rockwell hardness because of the low content of carbon in it. This is why the edge retention of the steel is not that good.
Is 420j2 steel good for Knives?
Yes, 420j2 steel good for knives.
420j2 steel knives are good for kitchens or other situations because they have amazing corrosion resistance properties. Moreover, it offers great toughness so that you can use a 420j2 steel knife under high use.
Also, 420j2 steel is affordable, which is why knife makers love it all over the world. 420j2 steel knives offer not-so-good edge-retention, but you get what you pay for. This is not a big issue if you clean and oil your knife regularly after usage. By doing this, your knife will always keep in perfect condition.
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420j2 steel Best Knife
There are many knives available in the market that are made with 420j2 steel. In this section, I will review one of the popular and best survival knives of 420j2 steel.
CRKT Snap Lock Folding Pocket Knife
Specifications
- Overall Length: 6.250-inch
- Closed Length: 4.207-inch
- Blade Length: 2.554-inch
- Blade Thickness: 0.124-inch
- Blade Edge: Plain
- Blade Finish: Bead Blast
- Blade Steel: 420J2 steel
- Knife’s Weight: 2.5 oz
- Knife’s Handle: 420J2
- Style: Folding Knife with Snap Lock
CRKT snap lock folding pocket knife is totally different from ordinary knives. It is a special folding knife that comes with an opener that looks totally different from normal folding knives. The blade and handle of the knife are made with 420j2 steel, and the knife’s blades can be turned up to 180 degrees until it locks into place.
This knife also has an innovative snap-lock mechanism which is another good thing about this knife. The knife’s one-position pocket clip and light-weight of the knife help it to carry with you everywhere. Moreover, a lanyard hole makes it more appealing that allows for neck carry.
Its quick-release button, beautiful design, snap lock, price, limited lifetime warranty make it a perfect choice. CRKT snap lock folding knife is a great knife for both indoors and outdoors. Overall, it is a great knife for everyday carry.
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Comparison with the Other Steel
In this section, I will compare the 420j2 steel with some other steels. For this, I will make comparison tables so that you can easily understand which steel is better than other steel.
420j2 vs. 420hc
|
420j2 steel |
420hc steel |
|
| Edge retention |
3/10 |
2/10 |
| Stainless steel |
Yes |
Yes |
| Ease of Sharpness |
6/10 |
7/10 |
| Rockwell Hardness |
56 HRC |
58 HRC |
| Toughness |
7/10 |
6/10 |
| Corrosion Resistance |
7/10 |
6/10 |
These two sheets of steel are almost the same; there are significant differences between both of them.
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420j2 vs. 8cr13mov
|
420j2 steel |
8cr13mov steel |
|
| Edge retention |
3/10 |
1/10 |
| Stainless steel |
Yes |
Yes |
| Ease of Sharpness |
6/10 |
6/10 |
| Rockwell Hardness |
56 HRC |
62 HRC |
| Toughness |
7/10 |
4/10 |
| Corrosion Resistance |
7/10 |
7/10 |
8cr13mov steel is best in terms of only Rockwell hardness, while 420j2 steel is best in terms of toughness and edge retention. However, in terms of ease of sharpness and corrosion resistance, both are almost the same.
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420j2 vs. 3cr13
|
420j2 steel |
3cr13 steel |
|
| Edge retention |
3/10 |
2/10 |
| Stainless steel |
Yes |
Yes |
| Ease of Sharpness |
6/10 |
5/10 |
| Rockwell Hardness |
56 HRC |
54 HRC |
| Toughness |
7/10 |
5/10 |
| Corrosion Resistance |
7/10 |
6/10 |
420j2 steel is better than 3cr13 steel in all these aspects.
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420J2 Equivalent Steels
420J2 is stainless steel that is very close to the Chinese 3Cr13 steel. 420J2 has almost the same chemical composition as 3Cr13. Both of these steels offer amazing corrosion resistance and toughness. However, both are low in edge retention and wear resistance. Moreover, their prices also fall in the same range.
Conclusion
The 420J2 is one of the cheapest steels that is ideal for outdoor knives and kitchen knives. 420J2 offers great corrosion resistance and good toughness to the knives. Also, it has a low percentage of carbon which helps in easy sharpness.
420J2 is perfect stainless steel with many amazing properties that is why it is widely used in the making of knives. Moreover, this steel is a lot cheaper than other related steels, which makes it the best choice for making knives.
420J2 knife is perfect for survival, kitchen, tactical, or hunting knives, where corrosion resistance and toughness are needed. One thing you have to keep in mind that it has poor wear resistance and edge retention; if you want these features, you should move on to other steels. Otherwise, 420hj is perfect steel for the money.
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FAQ’s
