Those old classic steels; 440V and BG42

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Jan 22, 2000
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I have been way from the forums for a while, just using and enjoying the knives I bought the first time around. Looking back at the wonder steels from five or six years ago, I was wondering what happened to them, and what folks still thought of them? The two steels I am talking about are the 440V that have on both of my Militaries, and the BG42 on my small Sebenza. Everything now seems to be S30V. I have a Native in that steel and it seems quite similar to 440V. Was this just a cost /availability issue, or is S30V a real upgrade?

At least I am glad to see that 154CM and VG10 are still around, they are just great all-around steels.

Thanks,
rickdm
 
Well for fixed blades I like a well heat treated 01 steel at 58Rc. My favorite folder steel is BG42 but you pay a premium for it when you find it, alternative is ats34 or 154cm and I am quite happy. keepem sharp

PS S30v is good if heat treated properly, like 58Rc I have found, you know like on Striders. Doesn't readily chip at that Rc.
 
If anything, S30V is a downgrade from 440V (a.k.a. S60V). The biggest difference is the vanadium content, with S30V having half the vanadium of 440V, making it less wear resistant and therefore easier to sharpen. The last I heard, 440V was no longer in production and supplies have pretty well dried up.

BG-42 is great steel, and much in demand for it's real purpose (in jet engines). Sal Glesser mentioned a short while ago that there was at that time a fourteen month waiting list for BG-42. That kind of puts a crimp in using it for a production knife.
 
what he said, 440V aka S60V is no longer in production.

Vanadium content of S30V=4.0%
S60V=5.75%
S90=9.0%

I don't really see the need to split the difference. If you want good all-around steel it's S30V, and if you feel the need to go above & beyond, go to S90V.
 
I cannot comment on BG 42, dont have a knife made from that material.

As to 440V or S30V. I have an old Spyderco Military with 440V blade. Despite the angle being kept at factory, every time I use it I end up having to hone chips out of the edge. I have yet to have any S30V blade do that poorly.
Since the Military was the first production knife with a 440V blade, and mine is from the first years production, could it be Spyderco was still experimenting with heat treats?
I have 4 knives made with S30V and none of them have chipped yet.

So therefore my favorite at this time is S30V.
 
I found a maker here who has some S60V in quantity. How much, I do not know. I just ordered a knife from him. I also like 3V and D2. Just ordered an O'Hare Folder in CPM-D2 and have a Sebby in BG42. I like BG42 alot.
 
I cannot comment on BG 42, dont have a knife made from that material.

As to 440V or S30V. I have an old Spyderco Military with 440V blade. Despite the angle being kept at factory, every time I use it I end up having to hone chips out of the edge. I have yet to have any S30V blade do that poorly.
Since the Military was the first production knife with a 440V blade, and mine is from the first years production, could it be Spyderco was still experimenting with heat treats?
I have 4 knives made with S30V and none of them have chipped yet.

So therefore my favorite at this time is S30V.

Sal said in a post in the Spyderco sub-forum that when they started using 440V, there was no data to work from, so they went with Crucible's recommended heat treat. That proved to be prone to chipping as you have seen, so Spyderco changed the heat treat, backing the hardness off a couple of points. I've not had a problem with either my 440V Military or my Lil' Temp in that steel. Until S90V came along, 440V was my favorite.
 
The lack of availability explains why it has disappeared. My experience in using my 440V Military to dress and skin a deer is that even though it lost its hair shaving edge quicker than I thought it should, it was still a very effective cutter. I have read about its coarse structure and that is what it felt like, a saw-like quality to the blade that made it cut very well.

rickdm
 
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