BD1 Steel

C

Cold Kill

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Anybody know anything about the performance of this steel relative to well-known steels (like AUS-8)? The corrosion resistance? I looked, and couldn't find anything about it, just things with it.
 
Cold Kill said:
Anybody know anything about the performance of this steel relative to well-known steels (like AUS-8)? The corrosion resistance? I looked, and couldn't find anything about it, just things with it.
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It's what many would consider an economy steel. It's not something like S90V or anything, but it works pretty well on regular everyday folders.
From Spyderco's site
CTS-BD1 is patterned on Gingami I (also known as G2), the gold-standard for Japanese cutlerers. Its superior edge retention and surface finish are machined to a fine edge and it heat-treats consistently.
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[video=youtube;mO-yNdLGYWQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO-yNdLGYWQ[/video]
 
^^^This. Spyderco did a Mule Team with it and will be using it on some folders (including the Manix 2 with translucent blue handles). By all accounts, it's a good budget steel. Do a search here on BladeForums or on Spyderco's own forums and you should find some impressions from people who tried the BD1 Mules.
 
The knife I was looking at with the BD1 steel was the UK Penknife. I want a non-locking folder of quality, and this one fits the bill. On a similar note, my Endura 4 should be arriving this week, and I was just wondering about the steel of the UK, making sure it was worth the price. Is the BD1 close to VG-10 (which many people would swear by) in terms of sharpness, edge retention, and corrosion resistance? I know, obviously, it is not the exact same (there would be no point in using one over the other if they were the same), but will the steel give a pleasing performance, from somebody accustomed to the performance of AUS-8 as being an excellent stainless, and 1095 being an excellent carbon. Upon posting this I am also looking in the Spyderco forum for other people's impressions of the steel (I didn't know Spyderco had used the steel before in other knives, I thought BD1 was new).
 
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I posted this in the general forum, but was told I should post here too (seeing as how Spyderco uses BD1 steel). Does BD1 compare to VG-10 in performance? This question, while may strike people the wrong way, I nonetheless need to ask: Is the UK Penknife worth about $35? It fits the criteria of what I want (small, non-locking folder), so that is not the issue. Is the steel worth that for performance against the other options in the market? Again, the question sounds wrong, but there is no real other way to ask it. Sorry if I offend anybody, it is far from intended, wanted, or implied.
 
CK
No need to create multiple threads, only makes more work for the mods.
The UKPK is very nice considering the price. BD1 is decent steel, I would say that it is comperable to VG10, it is what I would consider light use, if S30V can be considered medium duty use.

Spyderco is the only company that uses BD1 as far as I know.
 
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IIRC, BD-1 is suppose to be the Carpenter Steel's US made version of GIN-1, with perhaps some improvements. If that's true, then GIN-1 would probably be the closest comparable steel. Carbon, molybdenum, silicon, chromium, and manganese content are the same in both. BD-1 has a bit of vanadium while GIN-1 does not. GIN-1 has traces of phosphorous and sulfur while BD-1 does not.
 
I am not heavy on my knives, mostly I cut paper and very light duty things of the like, and I strop a user daily, so the BD1 should be fine, right? Looking at it, I have no need for a knife of this quality to cut paper and open boxes, but it's the collector in me flourishing. So long as it performs as well (or better) than AUS-8 it's sufficient for me. I mean, worst case scenario, it doesn't work well. I am buying it off of Amazon, so I could return it. Thanks all.
 
BD1 is supposed to be really close to G-2. It is a FANTASTIC steel and I would not consider it a "budget steel" because it is not cheap.

What it will not do is hold an edge like some of the Super Steels we frequently see touted. What it also will not do is give you fits when it comes time to sharpen/polish an edge.

This steel responds VERY readily to grinding/stropping and will go from "sharp enough to cut stuff" to "hair whittling" with a few strokes (20 or 30) on a strop.

The failure mode is primarily edge rolling (not chipping) if you encounter hard stuff (like concrete, rocks, steel...or anything else that you generally want to avoid getting against your edges). I would say that those who are familiar with VG-10 will experience edge rolling VERY SLIGHTLY easier with BD-1, and abrasion resistance that is similar (perhaps slightly less abrasion resistant in my findings).

Is it the best steel you can own? That depends on what you want. I suggest that if you want a knife that you will use sensibly, and you want to keep an insane level of sharpness, and you are willing to strop for a few minutes every 20-30 cuts...this would be a GREAT choice.

I would not recommend it for a survival blade, a chopper, or a blade that anyone expects to treat to hard use (this so often means abuse).

For an office knife, or a gentelman's knife where the tasks will be light, and a certain premium (and brag-ability) is placed on VERY SHARP, and a beautiful polished edge is desired, I think this steel would be a good choice.

I hope this helps. Everything I say is based on subjective use and testing. I have used and carried BD-1 off and on since the day the Mule was released. I like it very much, but I will not BS anyone...it is NOTHING like ZDP-189, M4, S90V, or any of the other steels you often see people testing these days.

here are a couple crummy videos I made about this steel (a year ago)

[video=youtube;y9nz5he8c0I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9nz5he8c0I[/video]
[video=youtube;cActYLNDgxk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cActYLNDgxk[/video]
 
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I don't know how similar BD1/Gin 1is to G3 (aka Gin 3, ginsanko), but G3 takes a great edge on a kitchen knife I have in G3. Edge retention is only moderate, not quite as good as VG-10, but it is a joy to sharpen for a stainless.
 
Yeah, it sounds like BD1 is pretty much perfect for what I would use it for. I strop my knives the second I notice the edge dulling a little, so the onnly quality I really need is ease of stropping (obviously combined with taking a good edge). Thank you everybody, I went from "very unsure" to "this is going to be good". My only complain *could* be the blade size of the UK Penknife, but I will deal (and take a larger one when I want to).
 
Cold Kill said:
I am not heavy on my knives, mostly I cut paper and very light duty things of the like, and I strop a user daily, so the BD1 should be fine, right? Looking at it, I have no need for a knife of this quality to cut paper and open boxes, but it's the collector in me flourishing. So long as it performs as well (or better) than AUS-8 it's sufficient for me. I mean, worst case scenario, it doesn't work well. I am buying it off of Amazon, so I could return it. Thanks all.
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Why would the sharpness of a knife you don't use matter? If you collect and don't use it aside from cutting paper does it really matter how sharp it isn't?
 
RevDevil said:
If you collect and don't use it aside from cutting paper does it really matter how sharp it isn't?
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I do use mine for a few other things as well, but even if paper was all I ever cut, you bet your sweet life sharpness would matter to me. If I wanted to use brute force to open envelopes, I'd use a $2 letter opener. If I wanted to rip a sheet of paper in half, I'd fold it and rip it. If I liked ragged edges on my grocery coupons, I'd tear them out of the paper. But I don't want any of those things, that's why I use a knife and why really sharp is better than semi-sharp.
 
unit said:
Is it the best steel you can own? That depends on what you want. I suggest that if you want a knife that you will use sensibly, and you want to keep an insane level of sharpness, and you are willing to strop for a few minutes every 20-30 cuts...this would be a GREAT choice.

I would not recommend it for a survival blade, a chopper, or a blade that anyone expects to treat to hard use (this so often means abuse).
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that's fun, i agree with about everything you said except this.

if i had to do something stupid with a knife i'd prefer a simpler steel that's easier to get back in shape than s30v to for exemple. i prefer realigning a rolled edge and grinding what's left after realigning rather than getting the microchips that S30V could get ...

that's just me but i'll always favor a simpler steel for abuse. kershaw's 13c26 comes to my mind. that's why i thought BD1 was a great choice for the light manix.
 
pwet said:
that's fun, i agree with about everything you said except this.

if i had to do something stupid with a knife i'd prefer a simpler steel that's easier to get back in shape than s30v to for exemple. i prefer realigning a rolled edge and grinding what's left after realigning rather than getting the microchips that S30V could get ...

that's just me but i'll always favor a simpler steel for abuse. kershaw's 13c26 comes to my mind. that's why i thought BD1 was a great choice for the light manix.
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I think I get what you mean.

I guess it depends on how you define the needs of a survival, a chopper, or hard use blade. Having a good workable steel like BD-1 would have merit for those who are capable of working a steel in the field. -- Good points!

By contrast, something like M4 would be a bit harder to work in a situation where you lack suitable sharpening tools. A rolled BD-1 edge can be effectively "stropped" on lots of things you can find in various environments.
 
The Deacon said:
I do use mine for a few other things as well, but even if paper was all I ever cut, you bet your sweet life sharpness would matter to me. If I wanted to use brute force to open envelopes, I'd use a $2 letter opener. If I wanted to rip a sheet of paper in half, I'd fold it and rip it. If I liked ragged edges on my grocery coupons, I'd tear them out of the paper. But I don't want any of those things, that's why I use a knife and why really sharp is better than semi-sharp.
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It was oddly worded I suppose, "It's a safe queen, does it hold a good edge?" :)
 
Cold Kill said:
Anybody know anything about the performance of this steel relative to well-known steels (like AUS-8)? The corrosion resistance? I looked, and couldn't find anything about it, just things with it.
Click to expand...
Back in 1981 when Spyderco first started making knives, GIN-1 and AUS-8 were two of the premium stainless blade steels. AUS-8 was considered the more rust resistant of the two, while GIN-1 was said to hold an edge better. I get the impression those differences were relatively minor.
 
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