Choosing BDS or BDC
For customers making a decision between a Boye Dendritic Steel (BDS - cast 440C Stainless Steel) knife and a Boye Dendritic Cobalt (BDC - cast Stellite) knife, here is our experience.
Boye Dendritic Steel has a hardness of RC 57-58. It is great for everyday use, and is the best choice if one is going to use the knife for carving hard materials such as bone or hardwoods. Also advised for the "hard user." BDS has the additional advantage of being able to be enhanced with hand drawn acid etched designs.
Boye Dendritic Cobalt has a hardness of RC 40. It is David Boye's alloy of choice for his personal carry. It excels on fibrous materials such as cardboard, rope, paper, etc. It cuts longer and penetrates more quickly and deeper than BDS. It is entirely impervious to corrosion, even in salt water. And it is compass safe.
Blade Magazine's senior knife reviewer, Kim Breed, tested BDS and BDC against each other. He found that both knives were in the top 1% of all knives he had ever tested for cutting endurance. BDC held an edge 3X longer than BDS.
Consider the what, where, and how of your future life with your knife when you think about which alloy would be best for you. Both of these blade materials will deliver years of satisfaction and joy. If you still can't decide, talk it out with us...we can help you make the right choice.
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About Dendritic Steel · About Dendritic Cobalt
