Strider ATS-34 or BG-42 Steel?

[droc217]

I was looking at the Strider Mark-1A and the notes about it say it is made of BG-42 steel instead of the ATS-34 that all the other Striders are made of. What are the differences in these two steels?

 

[Alberta Ed]

BG-42 has a bit of vanadium and should be a slightly better edge holder, all else being equal.

 

[Jeff Clark]

BG-42 is exceptionally pure since it is vacuum remelted and has vanadium for improved edge holding and a finer edge. I greatly prefer BG-42.

 

[mschwoeb]

Also, Strider now uses S30V for most of their knives.

 

[Danbo]

BG-42 is exceptionally pure since it is vacuum remelted and has vanadium for improved edge holding and a finer edge. I greatly prefer BG-42.

Yeah, what he said. BG42 all the way for my stainless blades!

 

[dialex]

Just like my forespeakers said, BG-42 is much better than ATS-34.

 

[HKSIG45]

Strider doesn't use BG-42 anymore, they use S30V, so unless u are purchasing an older Mark-1A it's going to be S30V.

http://www.badlandsforums.com/faq/WhatMaterials.shtml

 

[droc217]

Okay, then what's the deal with S30V?

 

[nenofury]

Why did Strider ever use ATS-34? It seems Ironic to me that a company who's entire repuation is based around gung ho Americans building knives for gung ho Americans , used Japansese steel. Not knocking strider here, I plan on getting an EB sometime soon.

 

[ErikD]

Why did Strider ever use ATS-34? It seems Ironic to me that a company who's entire repuation is based around gung ho Americans building knives for gung ho Americans , used Japansese steel. Not knocking strider here, I plan on getting an EB sometime soon.

My guess would be availability. I seem to remember reading somewhere that at one point it was difficult to get high quality 154CM, so many makers used the Japanese equivalent.

 

[HKSIG45]

Okay, then what's the deal with S30V?

http://www.badlandsforums.com/faq/WhyS30V.shtml

http://www.badlandsforums.com/faq/Images/dsS30Vv4b.pdf

http://www.crucibleservice.com/products/knife/index.cfm

 

[shanghaied]

My guess would be availability. I seem to remember reading somewhere that at one point it was difficult to get high quality 154CM, so many makers used the Japanese equivalent.

Yeah, a few years ago when Strider was just becoming popular, a gun magazine (american handgunner?) did an article on Strider knives, and there Mick actually said that he'd use 154cm if the quality was as good as ATS34.

 

[mschwoeb]

Cruicible is working on a version of 154CM froim what I hear. 154cm used to be a poor copy of ATS-34, not as pure.