Any experience with AEB-L Steel?

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Aug 5, 2011
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Might be best in maintenance but I wasn't sure...

I just won a knife (not shipped yet) in AEB-L steel, I have never heard of that, has anyone here or do you know what it might be comparable to?

You get to pick the prize and it was a cool-looking custom so I wasn't overly concerned with steel, just curious if anyone here knows anything about it. Thanks guys.
 
The same steel can be completely different from maker to maker, design of the blade, heat treat, etc, all make a difference.
 
AEB-L

C: 0.67; Cr: 13.00; Mn: 0.60;
P: 0.025; S: 0.015; Si: 0.40;

Maker: Bohler-Uddeholm - Sweden (SE)

Notes:
Udderholm Steel, similar to Sandvik 13C26. Very pure steel. Good results around 60HRC.

That's from the knife steel ap I have on my phone.... Yes, there's an ap for that.

As for my personal experience with it... I won a custom knife in AEB-L steel on here in a giveaway from DCL knives (thanks again Drew!). It was right around my birthday too... And I never win anything EVER, so I was shocked and very fortunate to win it.

Aaaanyhow, I sent it to Ronnie Hale (Halestorm on BF) for a nice custom kydex sheath. Since then I have been carrying it and using it daily. (But not talking about it on here since I am planning on posting an in depth review) It is an incredibly well made knife, and the steel is excellent. It sharpens easily, and takes a razor edge. It retains the edge for a long time. I haven't pried on anything with it or anything, so no idea on the toughness. It is very, very stainless... I have been carrying it as a neck knife and I sweat a lot. No discoloration at all. I am planning a full scale review with pictures very soon....

I am no steel expert by a long shot, but out of the steels I have used it performs very much like something between 154CM and VG-10. It's good stuff.
 
AntDog said:
AEB-L

C: 0.67; Cr: 13.00; Mn: 0.60;
P: 0.025; S: 0.015; Si: 0.40;

Maker: Bohler-Uddeholm - Sweden (SE)

Notes:
Udderholm Steel, similar to Sandvik 13C26. Very pure steel. Good results around 60HRC.

That's from the knife steel ap I have on my phone.... Yes, there's an ap for that.

As for my personal experience with it... I won a custom knife in AEB-L steel on here in a giveaway from DCL knives (thanks again Drew!). It was right around my birthday too... And I never win anything EVER, so I was shocked and very fortunate to win it.

Aaaanyhow, I sent it to Ronnie Hale (Halestorm on BF) for a nice custom kydex sheath. Since then I have been carrying it and using it daily. (But not talking about it on here since I am planning on posting an in depth review) It is an incredibly well made knife, and the steel is excellent. It sharpens easily, and takes a razor edge. It retains the edge for a long time. I haven't pried on anything with it or anything, so no idea on the toughness. It is very, very stainless... I have been carrying it as a neck knife and I sweat a lot. No discoloration at all. I am planning a full scale review with pictures very soon....

I am no steel expert by a long shot, but out of the steels I have used it performs very much like something between 154CM and VG-10. It's good stuff.
Click to expand...

Awesome stuff AntDog, thanks so much for the specs!
 
I have two AEB-L knives from Tim Johnson of Blackstone: http://blackstoneknife.com/, https://www.facebook.com/BlackstoneKnifeCo

Here is a comparative review of the smaller of the two knives: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...r-knives-and-a-TIMOS-handmade-knife-(feature)

Tim's knives are very thin at the edge, the small ~0.005", the larger (a recent purchase) ~0.010" with narrow microbevel @ 15-dps. The review link has videos embedded near the end.

AEB-L is "razor blade" steel, stainless and fine grained with pretty low carbide content. Tim's knives are HT'd at Peters to 60 Rc. Being so thin behind the edge, they are very easy to sharpen and keep shaving sharp (one of the videos is me shaving with one of them). The knives respond readily to honing and keep that edge very well in my use.
AEB-L (copied by the SandVik as 13C26) is stainless fine-grain steel with primary carbides no greater than 3 microns, and only 55 secondary carbides per 100 um^2, designed to take a very thin edge without fracture in use. There are custom makers that use AEB-L at ~62 Rc
Click to expand...

I'll do a review of the larger knife when I get the chance. AEB-L isn't a "super steel", no crazy wear-resistance, but it's usually much more affordable and at 60 Rc performs better than alot of other steels in the same class that are usually left softer.

Pics of your knife?
 
It's good steel for small and large blades alike. Michael Gavic (Gavko) uses it for stuff ranging from 1" neck knives to 2' long bush swords, and they seem to perform exceptionally in his test videos.
 
have you ever used any short of razor? if so you have used it. it is a rather simple stainless steel with very little extra carbon to form carbides, so it is tough and easy to sharpen but does not have great wear resistance but its not bad.
 
Very fine grain stainless that performs well in designs where high edge refinement is a key consideration. Good toughness for a stainless steel as well.
 
chiral.grolim said:
I have two AEB-L knives from Tim Johnson of Blackstone: http://blackstoneknife.com/, https://www.facebook.com/BlackstoneKnifeCo

Here is a comparative review of the smaller of the two knives: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...r-knives-and-a-TIMOS-handmade-knife-(feature)

Tim's knives are very thin at the edge, the small ~0.005", the larger (a recent purchase) ~0.010" with narrow microbevel @ 15-dps. The review link has videos embedded near the end.

AEB-L is "razor blade" steel, stainless and fine grained with pretty low carbide content. Tim's knives are HT'd at Peters to 60 Rc. Being so thin behind the edge, they are very easy to sharpen and keep shaving sharp (one of the videos is me shaving with one of them). The knives respond readily to honing and keep that edge very well in my use.


I'll do a review of the larger knife when I get the chance. AEB-L isn't a "super steel", no crazy wear-resistance, but it's usually much more affordable and at 60 Rc performs better than alot of other steels in the same class that are usually left softer.

Pics of your knife?
Click to expand...


Thanks Chiral,

Unfortunately I can't take any pics as it'll be around 4 weeks til I get it... It's a Michal Gavko custom framelock flipper, a prize I chose as my name was drawn in Knife Rights' Ultimate Steel Main Drawing (I'd pretty much forgotten I was even eligible, it was a happy surprise.)

There's one pic on the Knife Rights website though.
 
AEB-L is popular with the custom knife makers for kitchen knives.

Straight razors are made of this? The ones I've bought are all high carbon steel.
 
That's what some people are saying but as I don't have any experience with straight razors I've no idea personally.
 
Most straight razors I know of are non stainless and pretty soft by knife standards- always thought when some one referred to razor steel they meant the ones you scrape paint off of glass with.
 
It is the steel used for disposable razors not straight razors. Although I have seen a few custom straight razors made from it. So just about all of us have used AEB-L or it's equivalent 13C26 at some point if we don't look like cavemen.
 
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