Heat Treatment Specifications
Austenitizing
Temperature1050°C(1922°F)
Soak Time15 minutes
Tempering
Temperature180°C(356°F)
Time120 minutes
Cycles2x
Quench Medium
oil
Target Hardness
57 - 58 HRC
Performance Characteristics
Toughness6.5/10
Edge Retention6/10
Corrosion Resistance7/10
Ease of Sharpening7.5/10
Overall Score27/40
Interesting Facts
- 1Hitachi Gingami-1 ('Silver Paper 1') - Spyderco's first steel (1981)
- 2G-2 = Spyderco's name when they couldn't use 'Gingami'
- 3'G-2' also stood for 'Good Sh*t' internally
- 4Best available Japanese production steel in 1981
- 5Carpenter later made CTS-BD1N as American version
- 6Delica switched from G-2 marking to GIN-1 in 1994
Famous Uses
Early Spyderco Delica (1990-1994)
Spyderco Endura (original)
1980s Spyderco knives
Best For
Scissors
Kitchen knives
Tactical knives
Similar Steels
Not Recommended For
- Extreme wear
- Premium segment
- Heavy work
Expert Tips
- 1Ingot manufacturing
- 2Improved corrosion as trade-off for hardness
- 3Good for kitchen use