To borrow a quote I heard here from someone else. If you get a Buck with 420 HC you'll spend a lot of time honing your honing skills. NORMALLY 420 steel is considered a poor steel and is often used in ornamental knives not intended for real work. But Buck's 420 HC is tempered a bit different. It is a decent steel, but it doesn't hold an edge nearly as long as better steels.
S30V is my favorite all around steel. It is a LITTLE harder to get an edge on, but it can be razor sharp and stay that way a long time with just a light touch up occasionally. It is well worth the added cost to me
