AUS 8 Quality??

Any opinions on how AUS8 ranks in toughness compared to some of the supersteels? Is it more/less likely to chip out with hard use?
 
AUS8 is a really good steel. Its edge holding is about the same a 1095. So be prepared to sharpen it often. For the money it is one of the best steels out there.

Think about it, SOG team leader AUS8 ($130 list/retail. $75.) or SOG TL S30v ($275. List/Retail $160.)

A 5" fixed blade for $75. is a pretty reasonable deal. What other knives of similar quality go at the price?
 
Yeah...kind of like a stainless 1095 of sorts. It has a fine velvety grain that sharpens fast and takes a nice polished edge on natural stones. Kind of soft, but its tough enough, and since it does not take long to bring a damaged edge back it makes a pretty decent, economical, heavy use field steel.
 
For dalily EDC the AUS8 is acceptable. Good edge retention, easy sharpening - an it's not expensive.

(ATS34, VG10 or the PM steels has far better edge retention, but with extra cost.)
 
By mixture it offers a nice ballance between high carbon (1%+content) and low carbon (<0.6%content) stainless steel grades, pointing at better toughness lower edge holding.

I don´t know, how the steel grade looks inside, carbide size and distribution and so on but would depend on what is talked about blades and manufacturers who make blades out of this steel.

The number of reported problems tells you more, than anything else.

I oftenly heard bad things comparing hype steel and still remember the topic, wether Benchmade does temper AUS8 up to 60HRC or not.
Normally you get AUS 8 at a hardness between 56 and 58 and that may be the reason, why it seems or in fact works inferior.

I would take AUS 8, just considering its mixture (just theory), over 154CM or S30V for a hard use, abuse blade any time.

I will go on looking how a Benchmade HK AUS8 blade (HRC 58 - 60) will behave and expect it to be as pleasing as any other stainless like 440C or 154CM. Maybe there will be a special property to discover, but i expect no surprises. I am surely wiser inbetween the next weeks.

However, you won´t be better with a different type.
 
Al Mar knives uses it quite a bit , It will take an hold a good edge it is easy to resharpen , stain resistance is good .

YMMV , Im not much of a steel snob . As long as it works Im happy with it . Seems like a good choice for an EDC pocket knife . My Al Mars take an hold a truly wicked edge , then again I dont subject em to uber hard use .

Chris
 
I have few knifes with similar lenght blades in ats34, 154cm and aus8 from different companies: Sog CF mini-jet, Benchmade W H Titanium Benchmite, and Spydie FRN Dragnofly. All great gent knifes buth the later, and cheaper, seems me to be sharper, razor sharper, than others. I sharpen myself on whater stone but while the upper class steels both seems to lose the sharpening somehow also just sitting in my pocket, the Dfly is a real shaver whenever I grab it. Plus it has the bouns of beeing very rust resistent: it is my first choice whenever i reach a seaside site because I know it is though enaught, i can have it sharpen in e few touch-up, whon't betrieve me anywhay.
 
My knife has AUS 8A on the stainless steel blade. Don't know what the "A" stands for? Seems ok for edc tho.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top