BG42 steel

X

XIECHENG

Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
232
Everybody is good, ask you, BG42 steel is good? You used it? How is the feeling? BG42 VS M390, M4, which is better? Thank you.
 
Better is a relative term. It depends on the intended use.

Therefore the intended use will be dictating the geometry and heat treat it would receive.

However, BG-42 is no longer available. Carpenter bought the recipe from Latrobe and now produce CTS-B75P.

CTS-B75P, RWL-34, CPM-154, are the powdered versions of BG42, ATS-34 and 154CM. They all fall within the same category basically.
 
In my Spyderco Military, the only thing I currently have in BG42, it seems to get VERY sharp. It is a super clean steel. It lacks the carbide volume to compete with the likes of M390. BG42 simply lacks the vanadium and other high wear carbides. It does seem to be a good steel, that holds an edge well.
 
The following is from:

http://zknives.com/knives/articles/knifesteelfaq.shtml

BG-42, S90V, and S30V constitute the next group. BG-42 has better wear resistance than all the previous steels except for S60V. It is tougher than ATS-34, and more stain resistant. It is wear resistant to the point where it can be difficult to sharpen. S90V represents the ultimate in wear resistance in the steels discussed so far. Also tougher than ATS-34, and more stain resistant. It can be very difficult to put an edge on. It is difficult enough to machine than it is used almost exclusively in custom knives, not production knives. In your buying decisions, you might want to take into account the difficulty of sharpening these steels. S30V backs off on the wear resistance of S90V, but is significantly tougher and easier to sharpen. It is more wear resistant than BG-42. The jury is still out, but it may end up this week's ultimate high-end all-around stainless steel, due to high performance coupled with easier machinability and sharpenability than the other steels in this class. Ref - CPM S90V vs. BG-42 vs. CPM S30V Steel Composition Comparison.
 
I sent a PM to "ANKERSON" who does several blade steel comparison tests. I referred him to this thread. Here is his reply:

image.jpg
 
BG-42 is a double melt, high purity, conventionally smelted steel (not powder). The VIM/VAR process by which it is made limits the amount of Vanadium which can be dissolved in it. Whereas S-30-V (a powdered steel) has 4% Vanadium in it, BG-42 only has 1.2%. The vacuum induction melt followed by the vacuum arc remelt yields a high purity steel with a dearth of V. Vanadium forms one of the hardest carbides soluble in steel (HRC 82).
S-125-V has 12% Vanadium, S-110-V has 9%V +3.5% Nb, S-90-V has 9% V, and S-60-V has 5.5% V. If you're looking to pack your steel with very hard carbides, BG-42 would not be the place to start.
 
From my unscientific perspective, I think it's really good steel for usage on a folder you would carry every day, and use for whatever comes along. Not too long ago, it was the only steel available on the CRK Sebenza, and was on at least one Spyderco Military run, which says something if Mr. Reeve and Mr. Sal is picking it!!! It has very good edge retention, it's very tough, and it has very good corrosion resistance. Some long-time Seb users prefer the BG-42 Sebs over the S30V/S35VN ones, but like S30V, accounts on how hard it is to sharpen can vary quite a lot (note that Mr. Reeve hardened BG-42 HIGHER than S30V, so that isn't a perfect comparison, and IIRC it was 60-61 for BG-42 and 58-59 for S30V. Also note that all of the Seb steels from the ATS-34 to S35VN, are great steels). The Spyderco Military in Peel-Ply CF and BG-42 was a popular knife and users love it. I had one and traded it way back and wish I did not. I vaguely recall reading one of the earlier suppliers of BG-42 did not have it in super constant supply for knifemakers.
 
BG42 is a bearing steel with some HSS properties like 154cm. It is the stainless version of M50 . It's used in military and aircraft applications and Latrobe was behind on it up to a year for delivery at some points. It does make excellent knives like some other bearing steels ( 52100 for example). It was super pure, performed well and could run on knives pretty easily up to rc 62 above which it could get chippy when thinned out too much for uses. It polishes up pretty well and was a premium steel for many years.

Pure wear resistance isn't it's strength, though it's no slouch. Many of us have a soft spot for BG42 due to it's performance and difficulty in finding. A knife company might wait a year after ordering the steel to receive it in some sizes. Latrobe wasn't really to receptive to the cutlery market like Crucible was, and when S30V came out with 4% vanadium it's days were numbered. It ( S30V and even S90V) were easier to get, performed very well and had Crucibles excellent service team backing it up.

I still prefer it to S30V, though S30V will beat it out in certain wear resistance tests. I liked the edge that BG42 gave, and it was a steel you were pretty sure to not find inclusions and voids in which is something you might appreciate if you are spending time making a knife to find hidden problems ruining hours of work or devaluing a project.. Likewise if you enjoy sharpening at high grits, or mirroring the blades.

I have very little experience with B75. It should be a great cutlery steel though to be honest wear resistance seems to be how steels are judged nowadays and there are many steels that will out carbide it. For a good trial of why BG42 was popular try the old Sebbies, the Spyderco Millie sprint, and the Buck Custom shop 110's in BG42. Those are still coveted in the buck collecting world though the custom shop stopped using BG42 some years ago. Steel isn't all about pure abrasive wear to some users.

Still great stuff. Carpenter bought Latrobe and Crucible since then and if I'm not incorrect still produce BG42 and has made a run or two of B75. It ( B75) hasn't caught on big being overshawdowed by M390, Elmax, S90V and S110V so who knows if we will see more B75 powder steel BG42. It is excellent in knives from what experience I have ( Spyderco mule team) I'm sure they will still keep BG42 in production for military and civilian aviation products. Bearings that need some red hardness but also need corrosion protection M50 doesn't provide.

Joe
 
Last edited:
Good post. Realistic info.

The Mastiff said:
BG42 is a bearing steel with some HSS properties like 154cm. It is the stainless version of M50 . It's used in military and aircraft applications and Latrobe was behind on it up to a year for delivery at some points. It does make excellent knives like some other bearing steels ( 52100 for example). It was super pure, performed well and could run on knives pretty easily up to rc 62 above which it could get chippy when thinned out too much for uses. It polishes up pretty well and was a premium steel for many years.

Pure wear resistance isn't it's strength, though it's no slouch. Many of us have a soft spot for BG42 due to it's performance and difficulty in finding. A knife company might wait a year after ordering the steel to receive it in some sizes. Latrobe wasn't really to receptive to the cutlery market like Crucible was, and when S30V came out with 4% vanadium it's days were numbered. It ( S30V and even S90V) were easier to get, performed very well and had Crucibles excellent service team backing it up.

I still prefer it to S30V, though S30V will beat it out in certain wear resistance tests. I liked the edge that BG42 gave, and it was a steel you were pretty sure to not find inclusions and voids in which is something you might appreciate if you are spending time making a knife to find hidden problems ruining hours of work or devaluing a project.. Likewise if you enjoy sharpening at high grits, or mirroring the blades.

I have very little experience with B75. It should be a great cutlery steel though to be honest wear resistance seems to be how steels are judged nowadays and there are many steels that will out carbide it. For a good trial of why BG42 was popular try the old Sebbies, the Spyderco Millie sprint, and the Buck Custom shop 110's in BG42. Those are still coveted in the buck collecting world though the custom shop stopped using BG42 some years ago. Steel isn't all about pure abrasive wear to some users.

Still great stuff. Carpenter bought Latrobe and Crucible since then and if I'm not incorrect still produce BG42 and has made a run or two of B75. It ( B75) hasn't caught on big being overshawdowed by M390, Elmax, S90V and S110V so who knows if we will see more B75 powder steel BG42. It is excellent in knives from what experience I have ( Spyderco mule team) I'm sure they will still keep BG42 in production for military and civilian aviation products. Bearings that need some red hardness but also need corrosion protection M50 doesn't provide.

Joe
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top