Jindal SS 420 Sheet: Martensitic Cutlery Stainless (Hardenable, 13% Cr): Composition, Hardness, Uses & Supply

SS 420 is a high-carbon martensitic stainless steel, running around 12–14% chromium, with no nickel, and it hardens through heat treatment (type 420, UNS S42000 / EN 1.4021, 1.4028, 1.4034). It carries more carbon than 410, so it quench-hardens and tempers out to roughly 50–58 HRC. That's the reason it's the classic grade for cutlery, knife blades and surgical instruments. It stays magnetic no matter what condition it's in, and that high hardness comes from heat treatment, not from some guarantee baked in at the rolling stage.

This page lays out the full composition, mechanical, physical and hardness data for 420 stainless steel and ss 420 sheet. It covers honest corrosion limits too, along with forms, finishes, and how to buy genuine Jindal material.

Relinox Stainless is an MoU partner of Jindal Stainless (JSL), India's largest producer of stainless flat products. It has no connection to Jindal SAW, JSW Steel, or Jindal Steel & Power (JSPL), which deal in carbon steel and pipes, nor to SAIL Salem. 420 sits on the core verified-Jindal grade set. That's why we supply genuine JSL-melted jindal ss 420 sheet, plate, coil and patta, each backed by mill test certificates.

By the Relinox Technical Team, Jindal Stainless MoU Partner, based at Ajmeri Gate, one of Delhi's main stainless steel markets.

What is SS 420 stainless steel?

SS 420 (sometimes written grade 420, AISI 420, type 420, 420 SS or 420 stainless steel) is the high-carbon martensitic stainless steel. It carries roughly 13% chromium, enough to earn the "stainless" label, with carbon at 0.15% minimum and rising across its tiers. That's high enough that the grade hardens by quenching and tempering to a much higher hardness than 410. It contains no intentional nickel and is always magnetic. Its working hardness comes from heat treatment, not from an as-rolled guarantee.

Typical 420 stainless steel duty runs to cutlery and knife blades, scissors and shears, surgical and dental instruments, plastic moulds and dies, and valve, pump and wear parts. In these applications, hardness and edge retention matter more than the wet-corrosion performance you'd get from 304 or 316.

420 is the grade buyers reach for when they need hardness paired with a keen, lasting edge in a stainless steel. What follows covers the full designations, composition, properties, hardness, corrosion limits, forms and supply.

Designations & equivalents (UNS S42000 / EN 1.4021–1.4034)

The standard designations show up under a few different names: UNS S42000, EN 1.4021, 1.4028, 1.4034, X20Cr13, X30Cr13, X46Cr13, or just the 420 equivalent grade, and they're listed below. Since 420 covers a range of carbon content, the European numbers line up with carbon tiers: X20Cr13 sits at the lower end, X46Cr13 at the higher. Nearby designations worth knowing include 420A, 420B, 420C, the Japanese cutlery grades 420J1 and 420J2, and the free-machining variant 420F, also called 420 free machining or UNS S42020. Which carbon tier actually ships gets confirmed against your indent when you enquire; we won't claim a particular tier is sitting in stock. Under Indian standards, 420 falls under IS 6911, covering stainless sheet, strip and plate (CR), with the exact grade symbol confirmed on the mill test certificate.

SS 420 vs 410: quick difference

The 420 vs 410 question, also asked as the difference between 410 and 420, comes down to carbon. Plain 410 carries 0.08–0.15% carbon and hardens to roughly 40–45 HRC, it is the general-purpose hardenable 12Cr martensitic, tougher and used for fasteners, valves and general wear parts. 420 starts at 0.15% carbon and climbs higher, so it hardens to roughly 50–58 HRC and holds a keener edge, the reason it is the cutlery, blade and surgical-instrument grade. Both are ~12–14% chromium, magnetic and nickel-free; 420 trades some toughness for hardness and edge retention. For the lower-carbon option, see the 410 / 410S basic hardenable martensitic grade.

SS 420 chemical composition (UNS S42000)

The 420 stainless steel composition below uses the standard published limits per ASTM A240 for type 420 (UNS S42000), see the ASTM A240 standard and IS 6911 standard. The defining point of this ss 420 chemical composition, the 420 grade composition % buyers look up, is the ~13% chromium with a carbon minimum of 0.15%: carbon rises across the 420 carbon tiers, and it is that carbon that gives the high attainable hardness. Because some of the chromium ties up with carbon as carbides, the free chromium available for corrosion resistance is lower than in the leaner-carbon 410 or the austenitic grades.

Values fall under ASTM A240. The exact heat analysis for your material, carbon tier included, is confirmed on the mill test certificate (MTC) that ships with the material, and we're glad to share it against your indent.

SS 420 mechanical & physical properties

420 sheet, strip and plate come off the mill in the annealed condition, and the figures below reflect that state as set out in ASTM A240 for type 420. Annealed 420 is soft and easy to machine. A240 caps annealed hardness at roughly 241 HBW, and these mechanical properties are the ones you'll specify against your indent. Full strength and working hardness only show up after hardening; that's covered next. For your actual order, annealed tensile and yield figures get confirmed against indent per ASTM A240.

For ss 420 density, 420 melting point and 420 thermal conductivity as physical constants, plus the common question is ss 420 magnetic or 420 stainless magnetic or not, check the physical table. These are the 420 physical properties people ask about most. It's martensitic, so 420 stays magnetic whether it's annealed or hardened.

Hardness & heat treatment: is 420 hardenable, and how hard is 420 (HRC)?

Yes, 420 is hardenable, and that's the defining fact of the grade. 420 gets hardened by heating it to austenitising temperature, quenching it, then tempering it. This 420 heat treatment route produces the 420 hardened structure. Depending on the carbon tier and the treatment applied, 420 hardness (the 420 HRC value buyers keep asking about) lands roughly in the 50–58 HRC range, and that 420 hardened hardness is what makes 420 the steel of choice for cutlery, blades, scalpels and mould-and-die work. In the annealed condition it's soft, at or below 241 HBW, suited for forming and machining, and only later hardened to its working edge. The attainable HRC depends on the carbon tier and the heat treatment applied, so it's a treatment outcome specified against your job, not something we print as an as-supplied guarantee. Target hardened-condition values get confirmed against your indent per Jindal Stainless published data.

Is 420 magnetic? Corrosion & rust resistance

Yes, martensitic stainless is ferromagnetic no matter what condition it's in, so on the "is ss 420 magnetic" question, a magnet will stick to 420 whether it's annealed or hardened. Corrosion resistance is another matter, and here you need to be realistic. With roughly 13% chromium, no molybdenum, no nickel added on purpose, and a chunk of that chromium locked up in carbides thanks to the high carbon content, 420 only manages moderate corrosion resistance. It holds up fine against mild atmospheric exposure, fresh water, steam, mild alkalis, and food and mild acids. But it only performs at its best when hardened, tempered, and polished.

Then there's the question everyone asks: does 420 rust? Leave an uncoated 420 surface exposed to chloride, coastal, marine, or otherwise aggressive wet conditions, and yes, it can stain or rust. This is especially true if the part is still soft and annealed or has a poor finish. Bottom line: it's not the right choice for that kind of duty.

On 420 vs 304 corrosion: 304 is markedly more corrosion-resistant thanks to higher chromium and ~8% nickel and no free-carbon penalty. When you need genuine wet-corrosion, food-processing or marine performance, step up to the austenitic grades, see the 304 austenitic corrosion step-up and 316 marine / surgical step-up. Choose 420 where hardness, edge retention and wear are the priority and mild corrosion is acceptable; choose 304 or 316 where wet corrosion is.

SS 420 vs 410, 440C, 430 & 304: quick guidance

Jindal doesn't publish a dedicated comparison guide for these grades, so the 420 vs 410, 420 vs 440c, 420 vs 430, 420 vs 304 and 420 vs 316 questions get a short answer here, with links out to each sibling grade page. 420 is the high-carbon hardenable 13Cr cutlery martensitic. 410, by contrast, carries less carbon and offers more toughness, though it's still a hardenable martensitic. The 440-series pushes carbon even higher for greater hardness still. It isn't a Jindal-rolled flat product, though, so we don't claim to supply it. 430 sits apart as a non-hardenable ferritic, chosen mainly for trim and appearance. 304 and 316 round things out as the austenitic step-ups, valued for corrosion resistance and food-grade use. CR forms are available where relevant across these grades.

See also the 430 basic ferritic grade, ferritic 439 / 441 / 436 sheets, the 409 / 409M exhaust & bus-body grade and the all stainless steel grades hub to compare across the range.

Applications of grade 420

Grade 420 earns its place wherever high hardness and mild-corrosion service both matter, paired with an edge that actually holds. Typical ss 420 applications and 420 uses cover cutlery and kitchen knife blades (420 for knives, cutlery and blades), scissors and shears, surgical and dental instruments (scalpels, blades and forceps), plastic moulds and dies, valve and pump wear parts, springs, shafts and other high-hardness mild-corrosion components. The hardness itself comes from heat treatment. Its reputation as a 420 cutlery grade, 420 knife steel and 420 blade steel rests squarely on that hardenability.

As for the 420 surgical grade question: 420 has long been a go-to choice for surgical and dental instruments once hardened and polished. Specific medical conformance, though, is on the buyer or the OEM to specify against whatever standard applies.

• Fabrication & engineering, moulds, dies, shafts, springs, valve and pump wear parts → fabrication & engineering
• Kitchen equipment, knife blades and hardened cutting tooling in kitchen lines → kitchen equipment
• Utensils & kitchenware, cutlery and blade stock, hardened and polished → utensils & kitchenware

Hardened, tempered and polished 420 has earned its place as a cutlery and instrument steel, no question there. But once you're dealing with wet conditions, acidic exposure or heavy-duty food processing, 304 or 316 wins out over 420. The food-grade stainless steel guide lays this out in more detail, so match the grade to the job.

Forms, sizes & finishes

We supply ss 420 sheet (also 420 ss sheet or, in the trade, 420 chadar) plus 420 plate, 420 coil, 420 circle and ss 420 patta / 420 patti / 420 strip on genuine Jindal base, see the stainless steel sheets (product pillar), SS plates, SS coils, 420 patta / patti strips and SS circles (blanks). Standard Indian market sizes apply, including the ss 420 sheet 8x4 (also written 4x8, 1250x2500), 4x10 and 5x10. On ss 420 finish options, 420 is typically stocked as 420 No.1 (hot-rolled / 420 hr), 420 2B (cold-rolled / 420 cr), 420 bright anneal (BA) and 420 polished where the job needs it.

Standard stock in the 420 thickness mm and 420 gauge ranges typically runs about 0.3–12 mm+, though you should confirm the exact stocked range against your indent, see the sheet sizes & gauge chart. Need ss 420 sheet weight, 420 sheet weight per kg, or the 8x4 420 weight for a given size and thickness? The SS sheet weight calculator and the SS sheet weight chart (kg) cover that. Cutting and shearing job-work is also available, and sheets can be cut to size.

Standards & mill conformance

Jindal Stainless produces 420 sheet, strip, plate and coil to conform with ASTM A240 / A240M and IS 6911, and that conformance is what backs the numbers on this page. Every mill test certificate (MTC) confirms the heat analysis and results. For details on what each specification covers, see the ASTM A240 standard and IS 6911 standard pages.

The MTC ships with every dispatch. Request a copy against your indent, and you'll have proof of genuine Jindal 420 in hand. Our mill test certificates (quality) page covers this in more depth.

SS 420 sheet price per kg (indicative)

Patta rates for stainless steel move daily, so we don't publish a fixed figure here. Grade 420 is leaner than 304 since it carries no nickel, and that usually puts the ss 420 sheet price below 304 per kg. Hardened or finished cutlery stock can still carry a premium, though. The 420 ss sheet price per kg hinges on chromium and LME movement, carbon tier, finish, thickness, quantity and freight, all at once. Looking for an indicative 420 stainless steel price, 420 sheet rate, ss 420 rate today, 420 patta rate or 420 ss price? Check the dated indicative ₹/kg price list, or send your requirement through the RFQ form and we'll confirm the current rate for your grade, size and quantity. We keep no fixed price list on purpose. Rates get confirmed on RFQ, which means you're always working with a live figure.

For the SS 420 HSN code and 420 GST rate, check the HSN & GST codes for SS sheet page. We raise invoices that meet GST requirements.

Why buy SS 420 from Relinox

Relinox Stainless is a jindal ss 420 supplier and authorized MoU channel. We supply genuine JSL-melted jindal ss 420 sheet, jindal 420 stainless and jindal 420 chadar, not re-rolled bazaar stock. Fabricators, cutlery and instrument OEMs, and resellers come to us as an ss 420 sheet supplier, distributor, stockist, dealer, trader or wholesaler. So do buyers hunting for a 420 stainless steel sheet supplier in india, in delhi or simply near me.

Maybe you're a 420 stockist. Maybe you're a 420 dealer in your city, or a 420 price list dealer working through a resale indent. You could be a 420 supplier in mumbai sourcing material for a job. Whatever the case, send the requirement and we'll confirm the current rate. We're a distributor and stockist of genuine Jindal flat product, not a steel mill, and we're based at Ajmeri Gate, one of Delhi's main stainless steel markets. Dispatch runs pan-India. Buyers in the capital can also check our SS sheet dealer in Delhi page.

Jindal Stainless includes the mill test certificate with every dispatch, confirming conformance to ASTM A240 / IS 6911. Want today's 420 rate with MTC? Send your requirement on the RFQ form. For more on the partnership, see Jindal MoU partnership (trust).

Related grades & resources

Grade pages: 410 / 410S basic hardenable martensitic grade · 430 basic ferritic grade · ferritic 439 / 441 / 436 sheets · 409 / 409M exhaust & bus-body grade · 304 austenitic corrosion step-up · 316 marine / surgical step-up · Grades hub: all stainless steel grades.

• Products: stainless steel sheets · SS plates · SS coils · 420 patta / patti strips · SS circles (blanks).
• Applications: fabrication & engineering · kitchen equipment · utensils & kitchenware.
• Standards, guides & tools: ASTM A240 · IS 6911 · food-grade stainless steel guide · SS sheet weight chart (kg) · SS sheet weight calculator · sheet sizes & gauge chart · HSN & GST codes for SS sheet · indicative ₹/kg price list.

Frequently asked questions