BG42 vs. ATS-34?

[tom mayo]

did i see my name mentioned???? i cant remember anywhere posting that bg42 was brittle....if i did and you can show me id like to see it...the thing i have noticed is that bg42 seems to rust easier than ats. everyone says i am wrong...but thats my experience so far....bg42 takes a very nice crisp edge and seems to hold it fairly well, the jury is still out on how long...one thing i have commented on is that 440V is brittle at the edge...more than that i dont know but i have seen what one knifemaker has called microchipping at the edge...not big chips....one good sharpening on the machine with a fresh 320 and all the chips were gone. bigger chips and/or breakage i have not seen...back to bg42....I have a hard time believing Timken would sub out their metal when they have their own plant...why?? I have always been a big fan of how tough ATS-34 is when heat treated by Paul Bos...I mean seriously..I know guys who have pounded on concrete with my ats machetes....but the edge does roll over....i think you should take that into account when you sharpen it and spend some extra time on the buffing wheel with ats and make the edge anti roll proof...my theory..for what its worth...BG 42 is looking good....although most of the stuff i have been getting has the WORST bark on it i have ever seen....some 1/8" stuff i got have to have almost .020" taken off before it was brite shiney metal all over.. thats not good....Nice edge....rust??? well remember...I live where its always 65+% humidity and you are never more than 5 miles from a very salty ocean...and its always warm. I stopped using D2 because i had so much problem with the rust....and i hear a lot of people say it doesnt rust....by the way....nothing rusts in Phoenix (wifes from there)...alohja. should add...MADE IN THE USA...that is a very positive point. hey, just hit 800 posts...think i will have a cookie....later.

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http://www.mayoknives.com




[This message has been edited by tom mayo (edited 02-11-2000).]

 

[JoHnYKwSt]

Taken from www.mayoknives.com :

I favor ATS-34 for knives that are going to be used very hard, as it remains very tough even at high hardness. BG-42 has more vanadium than ATS and therefore holds a crisper, nicer edge for longer, but you sacrifice some toughness for this feature.

I said:

Tom Mayo stated that BG42 was more brittle than ATS34.

Seems to me from the literature on your website that in your experience, BG42 is more brittle than ATS34.

As for corrosion resistance, BG42 was tested by Spyderco for corrosion resistance.

Sal said in the Spyderco forum:

After 48 hours, BG-42 still rated as one of the higher of the stainless steels at 6.8 (with 1 exception). At 48 hours in Qfog, the only stainless steels (in this test) that stayed above 5 was a coated 440V, MBS-26, VG-10 and 17.4ph. The exception listed above is still our secret as we're curretnly working with it.

-Johnny

 

[tom mayo]

ok...busted...however...i wrote that over 18 months ago when i just began using bg 42... guess i better update some of that stuff... i stand corrected and i apologize....tom/after rereading the stuff on my site i realize i wrote some of that without having much info at all on bg42. I am no longer ordering ANY more ats34, but i still have some and will use it up before i change my info page....I like ATS, but would rather buy american and am well down the road in becoming a believer in bg42 as a great all around steel...HOWEVER, if you see what i have for sale on my site....I am much more interested in the high performance steels and am making most of my knives out of Talonite, 440V and 420V. Tactical folders and Combat type knives will continue to be out of BG42, but for the rest I am leaning toward the higher performance of the 3 above. sincerely, and thanks for correcting me. tom

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http://www.mayoknives.com




[This message has been edited by tom mayo (edited 02-12-2000).]