Ast-34 Or Vg-10 In A Folder?

B

Bill Lamb

Joined
Oct 27, 2007
Messages
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Still new here, sorry if I posted in wrong place. I have read a lot here already
and would like to here advice from knife owners that carry and use their blade. I would like your opinion of AST-34 vs VG-10 in a 3 or 4 inch folder. Which steel holds its edge best and is better over all.
Thanks, Bill
 
I like VG-10, but it's a matter of opinion, and opinions are like assholes...
 
They're both excellent stainless steels, and in general perform very similarly.
 
Very similar, with a slight nod to the VG-10, which I personally have had better luck at keeping, and getting very sharp, but it really depends on who makes it, and the quality of the knife. Your plain run of the mill vg-10 may be out performed by a high quality Ats-34, but I believe that the same knife in each steel, both steels at optimum performance(ie heat treat, grind angle, ect.) you would be hard pressed to notice a difference.
 
I have several knives in VG10 and a Benchmade in ATS34. The ATS34 blade seems to me to hold an edge better, but not by much. The VG10 seems easier to sharpen, not by much.

For me either steel is great for a 3" to 4" blade. If I can get the rest of the properties that I look for in a knife, and the blade is one of those steels, I will go for it no matter which of the two steels it is made of. I find that both of them hold an edge well, are reasonably tough, and take a good edge.
 
VG10 is a superior steel in my opinion.

ATS is good too but VG seems to have a finer grain and sharpen up alot easier.
 
I have several Spydercos and Al Mars in VG10 and a Buck Strider in ATS34 (Paul Bos HT). All of these have been used and sharpened. The ATS34 Buck is a very hard worker. It cuts a long time before it needs touching up. When it does, it takes longer for me to get it back to a shaving edge, but then it lasts a long time, again.

VG10 is my favorite SS for 3" folders. It lasts a good while, it gets as sharp as anything I have, including ZDP189 and S30V, and it's relatively easy (quick) to put that edge back on it. It just has to be done a little more often.

I've had no corrosion or chipping issues with either steel. If more blades were available in ATS34, I'd be happy to buy them if I liked the knife otherwise.
 
Thanks to all for the input, I am leaning towards the SOG Vulcan, which uses
VG-10 from Seki Japan. Thanks Again!
 
I have both steels, unfortunately not on the same brand or configuration blades, I have a Beretta/ Warren Thomas collaboration called the Avenger, this puppy has a VG10 Carbon Fiber laminated blade, it was so sharp I could fillet hair, after a year of carry and about 50 boxes it needed a touch up, when I looked at the edge with a loupe I could see all the little micro chips, this steel was hard as hell but a little too brittle.

Even after sharpening on my bench stones it still had these micro chips from the stone, this knife was the reason I bought Dale's Edge Pro Apex sharpening system, (funny I've had the Apex for over 3 years and still haven't used it to sharpen the Avenger).

My ATS 34 blade is a Benchmade 710 Ares, always use my diamond hones on this baby but the blade has never chipped or deformed so much that I had to do little more than a touch up with a fine hone and a quick strop.

Given my ruthers, I'd ruther have the ATS 34 steel.:thumbup:
 
According to charts vg-10 is better but barely.You would have to be an expert to know the diff.Depends on the company and the heat treat.
 
gine said:
According to charts vg-10 is better but barely.You would have to be an expert to know the diff.Depends on the company and the heat treat.
Click to expand...

Whose charts? What were their criteria? "better" in what way?
 
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