What happened to BG-42?

Its not as easy for knife companies to get as it once was.
If it was you would see it more than you do these days. Yes, they are better steels out now, but you would still see it used more if it was readily available.

BG-42(Carbon Fiber) is the only Military I carry, and BG-42 is also on my favorite large and small Sebenza's.
Love the stuff, and still my favorite.
 
tiguy7 said:
BG-42 is a double melt (high purity) steel that is conventionally smelted ie. vacuum induction melt and vacuum arc remelt (VIM/VAR). The most Vanadium you can cram into conventionally smelted steel is about 2%. BG-42 came in at about 1.2% V. It was mostly used for high performance ball bearings. 52100 is also a high purity bearing steel but is not stainless like BG-42.
Along comes the powdered metal process in which Vanadium can be crammed into the steel up to 12 % (CPM-125-V). Vanadium Carbides have a hardness of 82 HRC (Hardness Rockwell C scale). They therefore add much wear resistance to the steel, like stones in concrete. CPM S30V has 4% V. S60V has 5.5% V. S90V has 9% V. S110V has 9%.V + 3.5% Niobium (a very strong Carbide former). My guess is that BG-42 lost the Vanadium war.
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This is a very interesting explanation, thanks for posting it. I was hoping someone would chime in with an answer like this. Also, as knarfeng noted, upon reflection, I think I remember hearing at some point that thin stock in BG-42 was becoming increasingly hard to get. That would also have a significant effect, I'm sure.

kamagong said:
I think I have you beat Ted. This knife has a BG42 blade too.

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Kamagong, is that one of the Dan Burke/Queen collabs? I have one of those too, the "English Gentleman" pattern in black pearl. With two BG-42 blades too! :cool:
 
Yes it is. But I want yours. I'm always trawling EBay in the hopes of finding one.
 
tiguy7 said:
BG-42 is a double melt (high purity) steel that is conventionally smelted ie. vacuum induction melt and vacuum arc remelt (VIM/VAR). The most Vanadium you can cram into conventionally smelted steel is about 2%. BG-42 came in at about 1.2% V. It was mostly used for high performance ball bearings. 52100 is also a high purity bearing steel but is not stainless like BG-42.
Along comes the powdered metal process in which Vanadium can be crammed into the steel up to 12 % (CPM-125-V). Vanadium Carbides have a hardness of 82 HRC (Hardness Rockwell C scale). They therefore add much wear resistance to the steel, like stones in concrete. CPM S30V has 4% V. S60V has 5.5% V. S90V has 9% V. S110V has 9%.V + 3.5% Niobium (a very strong Carbide former). My guess is that BG-42 lost the Vanadium war.
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Yeah but CTS-XHP and CPM154 are both extremely popular cutlery steels with little to no Vanadium.

High vanadium content steels are popular but they aren't the end all be all of knife steels.
 
I have two Sebenza's in BG42, one I have used and enjoyed the other is a woodie safe queen. Never were many factory knives in it but I find it a excellent steel. I too wish it was still used, a excellent steel that takes and keeps a very keen edge. It's all about the flavor of the week.
 
I love blade forums. 24 hours worth of a thread on a knife steel barely used anymore and we have history on both the use of the steel over time and the companies who make the steel, a chart on edge retention and corrosion resistance, discussion of vanadium carbide content and examples of knives with the steel and how the steel holds up to actual use.

You guys are ridiculous. I learn something everyday here.
 
BilboBaggins said:
I love blade forums. 24 hours worth of a thread on a knife steel barely used anymore and we have history on both the use of the steel over time and the companies who make the steel, a chart on edge retention and corrosion resistance, discussion of vanadium carbide content and examples of knives with the steel and how the steel holds up to actual use.

You guys are ridiculous. I learn something everyday here.
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The educational value of this forum can be amazing. Just one of its many appeals.
 
If my memory works it first started when Timken bought Latrobe .Later Timken rethought things and sold Latrobe.
Many things are involved in these sales and there aremany guesses unless you're directly involved .
 
I have two knives in BG42 and it is my favorite steel.


Serious question because I have not experienced it yet....
Question I have is how does it compare to some of the super steels of today? I have some and they are either to hard to sharpen or they rust. Tell me about a steel that better than BG42.Don't tell me about a steel that compares. I want to know which is better.
 
Scurvy092 said:
Yeah but CTS-XHP and CPM154 are both extremely popular cutlery steels with little to no Vanadium.

High vanadium content steels are popular but they aren't the end all be all of knife steels.
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If you don't think that high Vanadium steels are the be all and end all of knife steels, look at Ankerson's revue of the S110V Military. He likes S125V even more.
 
Carpenter bought Latrobe in 2011, and appears to still manufacture bg42. However, the difficulty working with it combined with the PM version make it unpopular. Just like many smaller companies have gone away from S30V for S35VN. Easier to work with and an overall improvement as well.

I've always wanted to try bg42, never found a knife I like in it.

Sent via pony express
 
BG 42 was pretty popular and one of the original "super steels" when the term first began to be used. ATS 34/154cm, same story. It is a high speed bearing steel. M50 with added corrosion resistance essentially. They sold as much as they made and never had to try to market the steel. It was backlogged on the books to the point that at one time there was close to a year waiting time for fulfillment. It wasn't inexpensive and naturally took longer to finish in knives compared to the 440A/425M/420HC steels then commonly in use. This was before the Sprint runs and mule team project when even custom makers rarely went to steels like S90V, much less 10V, S125V and other steels now available.

I still consider it one of my favorite stainless steels. I recall pre ordering some of the SOG lockbacks as shown above as when they came on the market they were about the only affordable ( for me) non custom knives available. I have a few still. Some are marked Rc 60, some rc 62. There were black versions, regular as shown, PE and SE. They also had some in the single bevel Emerson style grinds. QC wasn't the best unfortunately. The ones hardened to RC 62 are a bitch to re profile without diamonds or a belt grinder.

joe
 
tiguy7 said:
If you don't think that high Vanadium steels are the be all and end all of knife steels, look at Ankerson's revue of the S110V Military. He likes S125V even more.
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If you think a rope cut is the be all end all of knife testing, I don't know what to tell you.

Even Ankerson will admit his test only tests on aspect of knife steel in one very specific manner.

Rockstead's YXR7 and ZDP-189 are both low Vanadium steels and they both demolish rope cut tests...
 
I just don't see the connection between a knife steel's popularity in the market place and its edge retention capabilities. Edge retention can apply to more media than just rope. I use ZDP all the time, but it doesn't hang with big V boys.
 
I have a few knives with BG-42 steel. G&G Hawk K-AT knives, Brian Tighe Twist Tighe, and Kevin Wilkins Avalon for example.

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High vanadium content is not the be all end all for knives. Sure, it's great for knives that are used for cutting abrasive material. But for simple daily use for a variety of tasks, other steels will do just as well if not better. I like BG-42. I only have one example:
 
That's weird, I was just thinking about the same thing happening to VG-10, I haven't seen a production folder featuring VG-10 since maybe 3 years ago.


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irona said:
That's weird, I was just thinking about the same thing happening to VG-10, I haven't seen a production folder featuring VG-10 since maybe 3 years ago.


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What about spyderco, boker and kizer vanguard?

Gesendet von meinem SM-T813 mit Tapatalk
 
vilePossum said:
What about spyderco, boker and kizer vanguard?

Gesendet von meinem SM-T813 mit Tapatalk
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I may be wrong- I've been slacking on my modern folder knowledge as I've been bitten by the traditional bug this past year.


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