BG 42, why don't we see more knives in this steel?

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Huntsman Knife Co. LLC.

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I finally got a Military on the exchange in BG 42 and had some questions about it.

First, how does BG 42 as HT by Spyderco compare to other great steels like S30V, CPM M4, CTS XHP, and S90V (with spyderco HT) in terms of edge holding? I can't seem to find any data on it.

Also, why does it seem as though BG 42 never really took off. Aside from some knives by CRK haven't seen many blades in BG 42. It seems overall like a very rare steel especially for current day production. I know that its a difficult steel to obtain but is availability the only only reason why BG 42 never became as main steam as other high end steels? Or is it more a matter of performance vs. cost?
 
It's pretty close to S30V edge retention wise, it's a very good steel when HT right and Spyderco did it right.

That puts it below XHP, M4 and S90V.
 
KalEl said:
I finally got a Military on the exchange in BG 42 and had some questions about it.

First, how does BG 42 as HT by Spyderco compare to other great steels like S30V, CPM M4, CTS XHP, and S90V (with spyderco HT) in terms of edge holding? I can't seem to find any data on it.

Also, why does it seem as though BG 42 never really took off. Aside from some knives by CRK haven't seen many blades in BG 42. It seems overall like a very rare steel especially for current day production. I know that its a difficult steel to obtain but is availability the only only reason why BG 42 never became as main steam as other high end steels? Or is it more a matter of performance vs. cost?
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Availability. It is a specialty alloy that is not always available. Not enough non-cutlery customers. Cutlers don't normally use enough of a single alloy to buy an entire lot of steel. (KaBar is a notable exception with 1095 Cro Van). So there have to be other higher-use customers to get enough of an order together to make a batch.
 
Ankerson said:
It's pretty close to S30V edge retention wise, it's a very good steel when HT right and Spyderco did it right.
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As did CRK, based on my highly scientific sample size of 1. :thumbup: ;)

I periodically think about getting one of the BG-42 Military sprints, but the prices have always seemed high relative to the admittedly great performance.
 
I was vrry lucky to have picked up a BG42 Military and one in D2 from a member here. The BG42 Military is awesome. It sure would be nice to have a Para 2 in that steel.
 
Buck also got the HT right on the BG42 they used for a number of their knives.
 
A couple of years back, when we were asking Sal for more BG-42, the lead time to get the steel was 18 months. The alloy's primary use is for turbine blades in jet engines, so military demand was high. He did mention talking to Carpenter Steel about their version of the ally, though.
 
The reason we don't see more BG-42 is because Latrobe is a pain. I am speaking from experience. I love the steel but dealing with the company is not worth the trouble.

yablanowitz said:
The alloy's primary use is for turbine blades in jet engines, so military demand was high.
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BG-42 is used for bearings in jet engines, not the blades.

I recently heard from a very reliable source Carpenter made BG-42 for Latrobe.
 
Latrobe makes BG-42 for ball bearings and there a pita about selling it in knife sized pieces.
 
about once a year someone asks for BG42 again lol. It had a spike in popularity when there was a lot of fear of S30V chipping issues once S30V became mainstream in the $100+ knife range.
 
Some BG-42 on a budget:

autoclip.jpg


Not too readily available anymore but I got it for about $30.
 
Ankerson said:
It's pretty close to S30V edge retention wise, it's a very good steel when HT right and Spyderco did it right.
Click to expand...

if it closely compares to S30V in edge retention, what's the advantage? does BG-42 have a finer grain structure and take/hold a keener edge?

based on the content, BG-42 looks like a slightly beefed up 154CM (about 0.1% more carbon and 1.2% vanadium). have you noticed a big difference between 154CM and BG-42?
 
bchan77 said:
Frankki, I don't hear much about this model, is it discontinued or what? Anyway, you can't go wrong with getting a BG42 knife for $30! I wish I can find terrific deals like this! Congrats.
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Cheers. I asked about it in the SOG subforum, they made a run with that steel in the early 2000s, standard version was with AUS-6. Sometimes you just get lucky. :)
 
I have a few of those SOG Autoclips in BG42. Some were marked RC 60. Some are marked RC 62. Some are chisel ground, some are regular V ground. There are black blades and regular, plain edge and Full Serrated. I don't have every possible combination but I have some of the RC 62's, and some RC 60's. I will say that there is a big difference between the RC 62 BG42 blades and 154cm at any hardness. I ruined a DMT diafold trying to change the grind angle pushing a little too hard. It's very stubborn stuff.

I'm looking forward greatly to the Carpenter CTS-B75 PM version of this steel. It should not only be more available but it should be more friendly to us knife owners and knife makers as the PM steels are usually cleaner, and always easier to grind due to the PM process and what it does to the steel. It will still be double vacuum melted for cleanness like BG42, with the addition of the Powder process.

By the way I still run into these at the gun & knife shows pretty regularly. Last one ( dixie gun & knife) had one of the regular dealers having a whole box of these SOG autoclips in BG42. He was asking $50 each though, no $30 knives in BG42 there.

Joe
 
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The only knife I have with a BG42 blade is a Designer Series Buck 110.I love that knife,but don't use it much,cus I payed hell to get it!
 
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