Why are so few production folder blades BG42?

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Why are so few production folder blades BG42? Seems like Buck Strider first runs are BG42. What other folders are BG42?


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BG42 is supposedly difficult to grind and relatively expensive. Those would be my first two guesses.

You can get BG42 in a Pete's Buck 110. I'm sure I can think of a few more but they're not coming to mind.

Oh yeah, the Queen Cattle King is BG-42 if you like slip joints, but it's up there with an inexpensive custom as far as price goes.
 
Jones Bros but that is hardly production stuff. They make a great knife though.

I'd like to know why more don't use this steel also. It is a great stainless that I've found takes and holds a great edge. It gets that nasty sharp biting edge that I really like too and keeps it a while, unlike ATS34 or 154CM or any of the 440 steels. Seems to be pretty tough also. I rate it up there in the top two for stainless. VG10 being the other great one. At this point I'd rate S30V behind both BG42 and VG10 based on my own experiences with these steels.
 
Case is now releasing a slimline lockback in BG 42. Nice knife...fit, finish and smoothest opening Case I have seen. Sure would be nice if they added a pocket clip.
 
Also I think its made in only one place in the world, pennsylvania, which makes it more expensive and also less of it.
 
BG42 is made by Timken and apparently they haven't been working with knife makers like Crucible has .BG42 is a bearing steel.
 
BG42 is really an excellent Stainless. I wish it was used more. REason for not being used are probably price, availability, temp required in heat treat, etc.

IN stainless, thre are two that really stand out in my mind. 12C27 for softer blades where I want toughness (for stainless) and high stain resistance. The second is BG42, run hard like CRK used to. It take a really fine edge, holds it for along time, is decently tough (for a hard stainless, nothing like M2 at the same RC) and provides good stain resistance.

I think Sal Glesser could probably give the best answer of how BG42 compares to S30V. I heard Spyderco really took a hard look at both and chose S30V.

Like you, I wish BG42 was offered in more knives/ For my uses, it is a better steel for most applications than S30V.
 
Michael Dye said:
Case is now releasing a slimline lockback in BG 42. Nice knife...fit, finish and smoothest opening Case I have seen. Sure would be nice if they added a pocket clip.
Click to expand...
ANYTHING would be an improvement over that butter-soft Tru-Sharp! :barf:

Got a link to that Case lockback? I'm interested!
 
It seems to have been overshadowed by the latest fad, S30V. I have two folders with BG-42, a Buck 501 Master Series, and a 112 that I had rebladed in BG-42. Very good performance with a Bos heat treat, I would have a hard time choosing between it and S30V.
 
I don't own anything with BG-42 but I've heard that it is somewhat brittle.

"It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again."

Buffalo Bill
 
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