Reduced variety of blade steels

[liko]

It seems to me that with the upgrade of the Delica and Endura and the discontinuation of some of the older knives, the majority of Spyderco's current line are done in only a few steels.



VG-10: High-polish, tough steel, holds an edge well, great for EDC indoor hard-use knives.



CPM-440: Harder high-carbon steel, that can really hold an edge, doesn't usually get polished as much as VG-10, good for hard-use outdoor knives.



AUS-6/8: Not as hard as VG-10, but still looks good, used for light-duty knives (Dragonfly) and for trainers.



ATS-55: Rarely used anymore (why?), still available on older models like the Police and older model Enduras.



MBS-26: Only used on the Catcherman, flexible, tough steel for indoor/outdoor uses.



So, why the reduced number of steels? Is it too expensive to keep a line of steel in production for just a few models? Are VG-10 and CPM-440V *the* best blade steels out there for folders?

[Carlos]

Hi Liko,

This is a period of transition. ATS-55 was a proprietary steel made by Hitachi for Spyderco. The production of this steel has been discontinued, and most/all ATS-55 clipits are transitioning to VG-10. VG-10 will be Spyderco's signature steel for the forseable future.

AUS-6/8 are used primarily for "pricepoint" models -- generally those with steel or aluminum handles where a low price target needs to be maintained, and thus VG-10 is too expensive to use.

ATS-34 is still used for a couple models. I think that Frank Centofane wanted it for the Vesuvius.

CPM-440V is a premium American steel, used only for some/most of the clipits made in the US. Very expensive to manufacture into blades.

MBS-26 is primarily used for Spydercos kitchen cutlery. This is also proprietary (not to Spyderco) so it is difficult to have knives produced with this.

There are of course new steels on the horizon that will begin to show up, probably this year: BG-42, S30V, others?