Anybody Have a User In 13C26? How Do You Like It and What Do You Use It For?

[redsquid2]

Just curious, because it is new to me.

I bought a Buck Vantage Avid, but have not used it much yet. Just used it a little bit for cutting ropes and opening packages. So far it seems to have an edge-holding advantage over my past stainless knives. Here is what I have had in the past: Buck - the old buck 112 from the late 1970's, SOG Airsog - from the 1990's, Ladybug, and SAK. More recently, some hand made blades in 154CM, HT by Texas Knife Supply.

I am liking this as a stainless. It seems to hold an edge better than my old Buck and SOG, and maybe even the 154CMs.

What is you all's experience?

 

[marthinus]

13c26 or AEB-L is a razor blade steel. 2 Metalurgists I know of, R. Landes and JD Verhoeven feel it is a great steel heat treated and ground correctly.

Google Gavko and you can see a lot of knives in AEB-L.

I only have 14c28n the slightly more stainless bersion in a custom from JD Ellis and have no complaints. I use it for all my EDC chores, I however cant tell the difference between steels as I cut a lot of dirty material but I really cant complain.

 

[jbmonkey]

Only got a Buck vantage version with it. Rusted easily compared to other common stainless steels used often. Course im in very wet florida and my sweat is like battery acid...so take that into account. Held a working edge decently. Not a big fan but wouldn't pass it up on a good knife either.

 

[Rhinoknives1]

Just curious, because it is new to me.

I bought a Buck Vantage Avid, but have not used it much yet. Just used it a little bit for cutting ropes and opening packages. So far it seems to have an edge-holding advantage over my past stainless knives. Here is what I have had in the past: Buck - the old buck 112 from the late 1970's, SOG airframe - from the 1990's. More recently, some hand made blades in 154CM, HT by Texas Knife Supply.

I am liking this as a stainless. It seems to hold an edge better than my old Buck and SOG, and maybe even the 154CMs.

What is you all's experience?

I have not used that particular steel myself though I have heard good things about it.

I would like to say that to really test for a difference in steel edge retention etc you really need two of the same knives made with different steels and know how well they were HTed. The geometry of the blade and of course the Heat treat play a big part in your results.

 

[dano]

Cuts fine...

 

[mete]

Works well for a knife and is popular here .

http://www.alphaknifesupply.com/zdata-bladesteelS-AEBL.htm

Here's some info for you.

 

[The Mastiff]

I've got a few older Kershaws in 13C. It sharpens really easy, takes edges about as fine as you care to give them. If you like doing push cutting tricks, or super fine mirror finished edges it's one to consider. If you are into rope cutting, skinning boars, moose, elk, etc. it might not be for you. Though pretty tough for stainless ( I've never pushed it to see just how tough it really is but it has never chipped out on me at 20 degrees inclusive), it's not going to do really well in jobs that need high carbide fractions like the above jobs.

It's one that hardness from say rc 58 to rc 61 makes a difference in cutting and slicing prowess much more than say, 154cm, or S30V. They will keep cutting pretty well at lower hardness because of the carbides. Yes, it improves with differences in high/low heat/temper ( for S30V and 154cm) , but the difference in 13C seems more noticeable to me because it is less wear resistant I suppose and a harder blade does a bit better usualkly.

Really abrasive rope in very thick sizes won't notice much of a difference though and the steel isn't really designed for these uses. It's obvious when you compare it to one that is.

Try putting a shaving edge on D2, and one on 13C and see which one you like better at the same grit though. I can shave with my 13C Kershaw with very little preparation and work and do it at lower grits more comfortably. I'm not talking about straight razors either.

14C isn't really all that different to me. 12c on the other hand does seem a bit less fine grained for whatever reason. I have no idea why that would be. I do have probably 10-15 12C knives by different makers and think it makes a better utility knife/slicer than 13C. It seems to have better bite to it at the same grit ( 300-400 grit range)

Joe