Yes, the Bos heat treat is the heat.........sorry.
Scott,
I had a Buck stockman as a kid, and found it to be a PITA to free-hand sharpen with a wet stone compared to my Case stockman with CV blades. Then 30yrs later I start really using and collecting Bucks and appreciate their steel. I'm not enough of a knife nut to understand what Bos does, but I DO know that the heat treat is at least as important as the alloy used, if not more so. I also now know to keep on top of my edges, and at a minimum I'll touch 'em up with baby crock sticks in the field.
420HC maybe isn't as Uber as some newer stuff, but with the Paul Bos heat treat, I'm not wishing for more. Ironically, that old Buck stockman is the only knife I've ever lost. It's somewhere on my grandparents farm.
In related news, I also have a Buck Vantage Pro with a S30V blade(and Bos HT) and it's a STEAL in today's knife market. It's one of my go-to knives at work, and sees a lot of use.
