SPY27 or BD1N

[BladedDive]

Does anyone have experience with corrosion resistance on SPY27 vs BD1N? I will be purchasing a knife that will at times be used whilst out at sea. I couldn't find much long-term information about the corrosion resistance of SPY27 or if it was in general a better option than BD1N as an edc? Many thanks

[holokai]

SPY27 is basically American made VG-10 that anecdotally sharpens a little easier. In my experience I’ve found BD1N to have a little less edge retention but sharpen a little easier but I don’t have them in the same model though they’re both at 15 dps. For EDC they are pretty close but BD1N seems to be more of an “entry” steel so you can find it on lower priced models. Corrosion resistance is good for EDC but for use at sea I’d opt for a salt series knife in Magnacut or LC200N for plain edge. If you like serrated edges, H1 or H2 SE models are pretty robust (hollow grind) as well though not as slicey as the full flat ground magnacut/lc200n models.

[Fastidiotus]

Pete and Dr. Larrin have you covered. In Dr Larrins article you can see how Spy27 compares to s30v which looks almost identical. In Pete's video you can see BD1N and s30v compared in a salt water test.

https://knifesteelnerds.com/2020/03/02/ ... -and-more/

[BladedDive]

Thanks for the responses, very helpful

[Manixguy@1994]

I would also consider the Salt series . holokai pretty much nailed it . I’m not near Saltwater but use the Salts I have for wet work and appreciate them tremendously. MG2

[wrdwrght]

Improvement on each of VG10’s key properties, especially at Spyderco’s request, makes SPY27 my next steel-curious buy. Haven’t settled on the model yet.

[Coastal]

If you're exposing your knife to saltwater, then a Salt series knife is absolutely the way to go. They pretty much won't rust, and come in steels that are competitive with BD1N and SPY 27 in their other properties.

[Manifestgtr]

I like both of them but I have a serious soft spot for BD1N. It’s an awesome steel that takes a beautiful polish…and when you contrast a high level polish against the stonewash that Spyderco puts on most of their BD1N models, it’s just stunning. Very user friendly, very easy to maintain and I’m a fanatical stonewash advocate.

Spy27 is great, too…I’ve had nothing but good experiences with it and we’re gonna be seeing more of it this year. So it’s not a “one or the other” situation as far as I’m concerned. They’re both great steels. I’m just a sucker for BD1N and the things Spyderco does with it.

[Netherend]

I have left bd1n in a wet dirty kitchen sink overnight multiple times without seeing rust. I have used spy27 to cut live plant matter and food prep many times.
I have yet to rust either steel.

[Doc Dan]

I like both steels, but if I were going salt water then I would get a knife in LC200N. You wouldn't give up anything in edge retention from BD1N and it would be basically rust proof.

[RazorSharp86]

Just get a knife in Magnacut or Lc200N.
I find that for most EDC use the Spy27 and lc200n will feel very close as far as edge retention goes, with bd1n being extremely close, behind.
In testing, spy27 might take the edge in terms of edge retention.

[ladybug93]

how "out at sea" are you talking about? if i was on a boat full-time, i'd probably go with an assist salt or an atlantic salt. bumping on around on the ocean would be a lot safer with a sheepsfoot. i'd go with h2 in spyderedge.

if you have room for a secondary knife, i'd go with a manix or native chief in magnacut. then you'll have all bases covered and be really corrosion resistant.

[spydergoat]

I would also say look at magnacut. You don't need it since either of the stainless steels you're looking at will be fine with some ocean use, but it could give extra peace of mind around saltwater and require less maintenance while having better cutting performance. It might also depend on the cost and which model you wanted.

I got curious about the cost of the different steel options so I did a quick search- sorry if these prices are not totally up to date. With the Manix 2, the Magnacut version is actually cheaper than the Spy27, so that's a no brainer if you can find the Magnacut in stock. The Spy27 Manix is $50 more than the Bd1n, which I don't believe is money well spent. With the Para 3, the prices are closer but I'd say paying $9 more for magnacut versus Spy27 is decent. The native chief will also come in all three of these steels but I'm not sure if all have been released yet.

EDIT: LC200n as also great but since you were looking at BD1n or Spy27 I figured you are already set on one of the above models which come in both.

[BladedDive]

I seem to be having trouble getting replies to this post "approved", but if this shows I'd just like to thank you all for the help. I am buying a UKPK in SPY27. Cheers

[Skywalker]

I seem to be having trouble getting replies to this post "approved", but if this shows I'd just like to thank you all for the help. I am buying a UKPK in SPY27. Cheers

New members have a bit of a delay period on their posts appearing to prevent drive-by spam, which has been an issue in the past. Stick around a bit longer and there won't be a delay.


The SPY27 UKPK is a great knife; thin grind plus steel that just wants to get sharp makes it a really nice slicer. Enjoy

[BladedDive]

I seem to be having trouble getting replies to this post "approved", but if this shows I'd just like to thank you all for the help. I am buying a UKPK in SPY27. Cheers

New members have a bit of a delay period on their posts appearing to prevent drive-by spam, which has been an issue in the past. Stick around a bit longer and there won't be a delay.


The SPY27 UKPK is a great knife; thin grind plus steel that just wants to get sharp makes it a really nice slicer. Enjoy

Looks gorgeous! I was limited in my choices without risking issues as I live in Scotland, but this seems to fit the bill for an edc. Tough enough yet easy to sharpen, corrosive resistant enough, lightweight and **** nice to look at

[benja-man]

I seem to be having trouble getting replies to this post "approved", but if this shows I'd just like to thank you all for the help. I am buying a UKPK in SPY27. Cheers

New members have a bit of a delay period on their posts appearing to prevent drive-by spam, which has been an issue in the past. Stick around a bit longer and there won't be a delay.


The SPY27 UKPK is a great knife; thin grind plus steel that just wants to get sharp makes it a really nice slicer. Enjoy

Presently I carry my SPY27 UKPK every day. It really is a great model.

[BladedDive]

It's arriving today, looking forward to experiencing it!