Anyone else love BD1N?

[metaphoricalsimile]

I feel like for the price point this steel is at it is just super solid. It's easy to sharpen, holds a working edge for what feels like a very solid amount of cutting, and is easy to strop back up to sharp if you want your fine edge back. Plus the finish on the Manix 2 LW in BD1N is that gorgeous mirror polish stone wash (I don't know if the BD1N Para 3 has the same finish). Anyone else finding themselves just really enjoying this steel?

[Nate]

Ha, great reminder. I impulse bought a black UKPK in BD1N off Bladeforums a while back and kind of forgot about it. Will make it a point to start using it this weekend. :)

Expect it to be solid for my use though. I've tended more toward simpler (lower carbide) steels over time.

[JuPaul]

Where's Wartstein on this one? He's been loving BD1N on the manix 2 lw lately.

I haven't used it enough to form an opinion, but by all accounts it's great stuff, and a noticeable improvement over BD1.

[Sharp Guy]

I enjoy BD1N! Heck I still enjoy BD1 for that matter

[TkoK83Spy]

I had it when I had the Para 3 LW. I was excited to try a new steel and a new Para 3 variant. As many of the regulars know, the frn version of the knife, or any knife for that matter...just isn't for me. But, the BD1N steel really impressed me!

I work in a warehouse and get a lot of use out of my knives. I found BD1N to hold up pretty well for a couple days before needing a quick touch up. By quick, I mean about 5 minutes on the Sharpmaker brown rods alone and it was literally on popping hairs off my arm without touching the skin.

It's the only steel to date that I was actually able to wittle a hair with after I put it though all the stones (ultra fine as well as a strop) I'm yet to accomplish this with any other steel in my collection. Even my personal favorites!

I would love to see some more BD1N released in other G10 models, or other materials. It seems to come at a favorable price as well. You're not alone in your love for it!

[rabbitanarchy14]

i loved bd1 that was on my cat and carried it for work for a year until i got a crow 2 and then carried that for a year too. i just bought a cat in bd1n and i think i will like it.

[Wdr65]

I'm going to be a dissenter here. I was going to make a separate post about BD1N and my experience so far. On the plus side it takes a nice edge quickly and seems to hold up well.

Where it goes wrong for me is when I am cutting three ply sisal rope and seatbelt strap. It slides along without biting, much like BD1 does. VG-10 works much better with those materials IMO as does S30v, ZDP-189, and a host of others I've used. BD1N doesn't seem to form many micro serrations which I believe is the issue. I tried cutting several pieces of 3 ply treated sisal today and really had to pull as I sliced to get it to cut.

It was shaving Sharp and I had touched it up this morning and had made no cuts since. It performs fine on cardboard and plastic but apparently not so well on rope or strap.

[Wartstein]

Where's Wartstein on this one? He's been loving BD1N on the manix 2 lw lately.

Well, Wartstein has to sleep from time to time (you posted this at 3:59 am where I live) :p :p - but here I am! :)

...... But, the BD1N steel really impressed me!

...... I found BD1N to hold up pretty well for a couple days before needing a quick touch up.

Well, actually I was thinking about starting a BD1N thread myself, and I would actually have called it something like "The BD1N miracle": I am also really impressed by that steel! And it is reassuring that you (Rick) feel the same, cause my own experience with steels is certainly not as extended and especially much less "systematic" than yours.

Now, why "miracle"?:
According to Larrins recent article (viewtopic.php?f=2&t=86503) BD1N has less edge retention than VG10. And of course I absolutely believe in his results!! (And as far as I recall BD1N has less carbide volume than VG10)
But still my Manix 2 LW in BD1N just keeps an edge a LOT longer than I would have expected. And as far as I can tell clearly longer than my VG10 knives and certainly longer than the Manix in "just" BD1 (without "N") I had (while it is still very easy and quick to touch up)

Now, why is that? I really don´t know.
I just can assume that perhaps Spyderco runs BD1N harder than VG10 (in Larrins test BD1N was "softer" than VG10 (BD1N close to 61 RC while VG10 was close to 62)
Or it is the due to the edge geometry of my particular Manix (or the Manix generally)? (Quote from another great Larrin article: " And I would argue that the single most important factor for knife performance is the edge geometry rather than the steel selection or heat treatment. The edge geometry greatly controls the cutting ability and edge retention of the knife..." https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/07/13/ ... ng-knives/)

Anyway: I really, really like this steel... and I think it would be great for serrated edges!! Actually, in kitchen knives Spyderco uses it already with teeth and I just can advocate for a Manix 2 LW SE here once more...

[Wartstein]

I'm going to be a dissenter here. I was going to make a separate post about BD1N and my experience so far. On the plus side it takes a nice edge quickly and seems to hold up well.

Where it goes wrong for me is when I am cutting three ply sisal rope and seatbelt strap. It slides along without biting, much like BD1 does. VG-10 works much better with those materials IMO as does S30v, ZDP-189, and a host of others I've used. BD1N doesn't seem to form many micro serrations which I believe is the issue. I tried cutting several pieces of 3 ply treated sisal today and really had to pull as I sliced to get it to cut.

It was shaving Sharp and I had touched it up this morning and had made no cuts since. It performs fine on cardboard and plastic but apparently not so well on rope or strap.

Very interesting findings!

As said above: I really love BD1N so far, but I think I have hardly used it in tasks or on materials you describe!
Will have to try for myself.

Do you think it would help to sharpen it to a more coarse edge (so on the sharpmaker only on the brown, not the white rods and no stropping)?

[Baron Mind]

Anyone remember if Larrin included bd1n in his budget steel article? I know 14c28n came out out top, but i cant remember if bd1n was included, and bd1n seems like an upgraded 14c28n.

[Wartstein]

Anyone remember if Larrin included bd1n in his budget steel article? I know 14c28n came out out top, but i cant remember if bd1n was included, and bd1n seems like an upgraded 14c28n.

Yes, he did! https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/06/15/ ... ife-steel/

When it comes to edge retention:

BD1N (at a hardness close to 61): About "400" TCC (mm)" (No idea if this is the correct term)
14c28n (at a hardness of about 62): About "430 TCC"
VG10 (at a hardness close to 62): About "480 TCC"

[ABX2011]

I've only used BD1N in the kitcen. I have BD1 on a couple folders and I like it quite a bit. I prefer it to VG-10 for edge holding. Both sharpen easily.

[Doc Dan]

I like BD1N. I have 3 knives in it: UKPK, 2 Z-Cuts with SE.

I use the ZCuts daily in the kitchen on vegetables and meat (raw and cooked). I keep the UKPK in my pocket and since we order everything online it opens a lot of boxes and plastic mailers. It opens mail. I have a pretty good idea of how it performs in the real world. When I first used this steel I thought it was better than VG10 but not as good as S30v for most of my uses. More experience has me thinking it is on par with VG10. Good stuff.

[JuPaul]

Where's Wartstein on this one? He's been loving BD1N on the manix 2 lw lately.

Well, Wartstein has to sleep from time to time (you posted this at 3:59 am where I live) :p :p

Sleep? Who does that anymore??

Seriously, though, I'm interested to see what will happen in the future with spyderco's use of bd1n and spy27. It seems like people are having (mostly) great sharpening experiences with both steels, but spy27 is edging out bd1n in edge retention. I wonder if both will stick around, especially now that we're about to have a model come out in both steels (the Manix 2 lightweight).

[TomAiello]

The price difference is large enough that BD1N definitely still has a place in the line up. The only way I could see dropping it is if Spyderco brought in another mid-low range stainless for Golden models. Something like 14c28n would work, but it's similar enough to BD1N (at least in my use, and certainly in market placement) that the only reason to do that would be cost or availability.

[GarageBoy]

I want to try 14c28n, but nothing I really want comes in that steel. Is bd1 or bd1n closer?

[Nate]

I want to try 14c28n, but nothing I really want comes in that steel. Is bd1 or bd1n closer?

Just spitballing, but I'd assume BD1N since they have similar nitrogen content. AEB-L is probably closer to 14c28n than either though. Could be they're all so similar that it doesn't really matter in real world use, but where's the fun in that? :p

[dj moonbat]

It’s good. Especially if it’s hardened sufficiently—like 63ish.

[Tucson Tom]

Well, Wartstein has to sleep from time to time (you posted this at 3:59 am where I live) :p :p - but here I am! :)

Well, we are always glad when you roll out of bed and have a few things to say. At least I am certainly.

[Halfneck]

I like it. Got my son a Para 3 LW and it's a good steel for his current sharpening ability.