SG2, the super steel that never caught on.

[Fixall]

because sg2 is really just like s30v - except sg2 has less vanadium... *imho* I'd take s30v over sg2 anyday, and it's at a lower price because MANY companies use it in many knives

http://www.zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=sg2,s30v

Yea, I've found SG2 to be a bit under S30V when it comes to edge holding (but that may be because my knives are at different levels of hardness)... More like S35VN or something (just without the extra toughness). Honestly, to me, SG2 kind of reminds me of a stainless Cruwear (again, without the extra toughness) because of the way it sharpens (like a dream) and it's edge holding is similar. I find it much easier to get a really keen edge with SG2 compared to S30V. My deburring skills could likely use some work though.

 

[K33ncutter]

I am glad I got this JYD2 back in 2008.

 

[kwackster]

One of the most used stainless steel types in the commercial kitchens in my area, due to it's very well balanced set of properties.
This is one of those knives, a Takamura 210mm gyuto in R2/SG2 steel @ ~63-64 HRC from a local professional Chef, who also shot this footage:

 

[353]

My go to kitchen knife, a Takamura, is in SG2 at 64 HRC.

Compared to my Victorinox kitchen knife it holds the edge 3-4 times as long.

But it is brittle and in the hands of a teenage boy(my son) shit happens. I think he dinged it in the sink or something for this to happen.

 

[OrangeBlueOrangeBlue]

My go to kitchen knife, a Takamura, is in SG2 at 64 HRC.

Compared to my Victorinox kitchen knife it holds the edge 3-4 times as long.

But it is brittle and in the hands of a teenage boy(my son) shit happens. I think he dinged it in the sink or something for this to happen.

ouch

 

[KenHash]

SG2 (aka R2) never caught on widely in the sporting knife field. But is certainly has caught on in the Japanese kitchen knife field as the most common powder steel. Others like Hap40, ZDP189, CowryX, SRS15, etc follow.
Fallniven has all heir fixed blades made by Hattori in Seki, so they offer a Sanmai laminate dubbed 3G (VG5/SG2/VG5). Based on personal use my 3G F1 retains it's edge maybe 3-4 times as long as my VG10 F1.
Sg2 can and does sometimes chip, but like VG10 and VG1, the chippiness disappears after the first sharpening. At least for me it did.
Because it's not widely sold or hard to obtain outside of Japan you simply don't see it too often used by American makers, who obviously have easier access to US made powder steels. ​

 

[Skidoosh]

It looks like Fallkniven is phasing out their 3G offerings in favor of CoS. I've got a few in SG2 and like it so far but have not done extensive use outside where many say chips form until you sharpen past the factory edge.

 

[Korean Hog]

VG-MAX has more chromium and vanadium than VG10, which provides even better edge retention and corrosion resistance, and enables Shun to harden the steel so it will take an amazingly sharp edge. VG-MAX is only available in Shun knives.

I have a Shun in VG-MAX and would LOVE a Delica in that same steel

 

[John_0917]

SPY27 is fairly similar to SG2 in terms of vanadium and carbon content, it will only have a low fraction of vanadium carbides since the niobium present will take precedence, and NbC are the smallest and hardest type of carbide.

One thing to keep in mind is that Japanese steels tend to be lower in V since most are used for kitchen knives and the typical sharpening medium is water stones instead of diamond/CBN. The high V Japanese steels typically are ones that weren’t designed for knives (such as HAP40 which was intended for high speed/heat tooling in industry).