Bg42

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Neal Drake

Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Messages
11
Can anyone tell me about bg42 steel ? I see it listed in the Benchmade chart, but SOG is the only manf. that I have found that offers a blade out of this. Where can I find some information on this stuff?
 
Thanks mete I never thought about Timken. I learn something everyday. Again Thank You Someday when you have time I would like to ask you some questions about 52100 that I have. via e-mail
 
Until S30V came out, Chris Reeve made Sebenza blades of BG42. Buck offered Custom Shop blades of BG42.
 
AFAIK BG-42 was developed as a high tech bearing steel for jet engines. I have a SOG autoclip in it and rather like the stuff. It can take a shallow angle (I currently have mine profiled at 10 degrees per side, though I'm not using it as a "chopper"). It is really wear resistant steel that takes a long time to sharpen, but does sharpen up to a very nice durable edge. The only thing I don't like about it is that it tends to form one of those tenatious "foil" burrs (I've taken to deburring after honing each side when sharpening because of it, but since then, I've had no problems with it).
 
Bg42 steel is very popular among respected knifemakers, for example Greg Lighfoot. That should give a hint about it.
 
I recently saw an article where Case was going to be coming out with a knife that is to be made of BG42. I don't remember what they called it though.
 
I`ve seen other brands than SOG and CRK that use BG42. I have a SOG made w/it and it almost seems lighter? I haven't rad the specs so maybe its all in my head :P
 
Walt2 said:
I recently saw an article where Case was going to be coming out with a knife that is to be made of BG42. I don't remember what they called it though.
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I believe it will be called "the $200 knife".
 
In your estimation is bg42 better than s30v? I was ready to order a Bm mini skirmish until I read some of the previous posts about the s30v chipping and breaking. It just so happened that a guy at work had one of the BM switchbacks and his had chipped on the cutting edge, tip had broken off, and the blade on the back had broken off. But I think the small blade on the back may be 440c. I think i will wait to see if BM takes care of this problem. Meanwhile still looking to find somthing in bg42, although I still like the 154cm.
 
I haven't tried S30v but I did initially have some chipping on my SOG autoclip... I think their sharpening machine ran low on coolant or something and destroyed the temper on part of the blade because about an inch of the edge near the minor point (it is a non-serrated American tanto) had slight a blue-gray tinge to it and the edge there kept crumbling and chipping out (the chisel tip and the rest of the edge were fine). I finally got out my coarse diamond lap and ground the entire edge back the edge about a mm. Now that I've ground off the blue crud, and I'm back into the good white steel, I have no problems with chipping or brittleness. Takes a decent polish (if you have the patience to polish it). It has a slightly strange slick-hard feel to it and seems oddly light, compared to common steels, but holds and edge well. Next best thing to M2 tool steel AFAIC. Just don't overheat the stuff on a power grinder.
 
BG42 is a great steel. I never gave it much thought until some guys brought knives by the shop once or twice that had that steel. They were of course wanting to know if I could sharpen them up for them after a long time of being neglected. I noticed from doing the first blade what a great biting edge the stuff takes. Since then it has moved up in my ranking to sitting above S30V, VG10 and right up there with D2 as my two favorite steels.
 
THANKS! Keep it coming boys.... I'm gettin smarter by the post.. Although I have been told numerous times that I was dummer than a post......
 
Neal Drake said:
It just so happened that a guy at work had one of the BM switchbacks and his had chipped on the cutting edge, tip had broken off, and the blade on the back had broken off. But I think the small blade on the back may be 440c. I think i will wait to see if BM takes care of this problem.
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I doubt they will. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like the knife was grossly abused and not any fault of the steel or manufacturer. The tip and back blade breaking off seem very unlikely to happen from normal use.
 
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