An American steel by Carpenter, CTS-BD1 is a vacuum-melted stainless steel that is highly corrosion resistant and holds a good edge. It is sometimes likened to AUS-8 or 8Cr13MoV, but with slightly better edge holding. It is relatively easy to sharpen, and the carbides are medium sized.
Carbon (C) 0.90%, Chromium (Cr) 15.50%, Manganese (Mn) 0.60%, Molybdenum (Mo) 0.30%, Silicon (Si) 0.37%, Vanadium 0.10%. Typical Rockwell of 58-60 Rc.
Carpenter® CTS® BD1N alloy is a nitrogen-bearing, high-carbon chromium martensitic steel that is balanced to provide superior hardness capability to CTS BD1.
With 0.85-0.95 Carbon, 1.0 Manganese, 0.30 Phosphorus, 0.01 Sulfur, 1.0 Silicon, 15.0-17.0 Chromium, 0.5 Molybdenum, and 0.10-0.15% Nitrogen, this is a steel that can resist corrosion from mild atmospheres, fresh water, steam, ammonia, many petroleum products and organic materials. With a capability of HRC 60-63.
