AUS 8 steel

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kelbro

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Mar 13, 2008
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On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best, how would you rate AUS8 steel?

Taking an edge?

Holding an edge?

I have a couple of knives with AUS8 blades and they seem to get really sharp and hold an edge for quite a while. I am just curious if there are (much) better steels out there.
 
AUS-8 can be awesome when it's given a heat treatment with high hardness and low levels of retained austenite, so-so with a medium-high hardness and low levels of retained austenite, and gross at any hardness with high levels of retained austenite. The problem is that the heat-treatment can vary from knife to knife within the same brand.

I can't give the steel numerical ratings, but I do enjoy using it.
 
kelbro said:
On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best, how would you rate AUS8 steel?

Taking an edge?

Holding an edge?

I have a couple of knives with AUS8 blades and they seem to get really sharp and hold an edge for quite a while. I am just curious if there are (much) better steels out there.
Click to expand...

Scale of 1 to 5

Take an edge: 5
Takes a sweet razor edge

Hold an edge: 3
440C, VG10, AUS10 hold an edge better. Not only in my manila rope cutting tests, but enough better so that I notice the difference in everyday use.

ATS34 / 154CM holds an edge better than those.

I'm told that S30V and D2 hold an edge better than ATS34 and 154CM
Don't have any so I can't swear to it myself.

Add: 3 is still better than average. I have used AUS8 and it's nice stuff. Hard to rate on a 5 point scale.
 
I would also give it a 3, maybe 4.I cant' t tell any difference in sharpness with AUS8 than with S30V or something like that, it just doesn' t hold it' s edge as well, give it a 3 there, too.

So, it' s a great EDC steel.There are alot better steels, but AUS 8 works great, too.
 
Takes an edge=5
Holds and edge=3
But largely depends on the heat treat.
 
What the folks above said.


It definatly has it's place in the knife world.
 
I agree also with the above...
Takes a terrific, razor edge but doesn't hold it for any decent length of time.
If it held the edge it's capable of taking, it would be one of the best.
 
I only have one, but my experience with it is.

takes an edge 5 :)

holds an edge 1 :grumpy:

I seriously doubt that I'll ever have another one. :(

Ben
 
I think AUS8 is severely under rated. Like Thom said - with the right heat treat it is awesome, one of my sharpest ever knives came from an AK47 in Aus8
 
Can I slightly hijack the thread and ask how close AUS6 is to AUS8. I think that's what my kershaw vapor is and you guys have described my impression of it exactly. Easily sharpened, scary sharp, won't keep it long.
 
Don't have any AUS6.

Word is that it does not keep an edge as long as AUS8.
 
I have a Boker AK74 Auto in AUS8 that takes an edge like crazy and holds it longer than others. Must be something to the heat-treating hypothesis.
 
AUS 8 is some good stuff.

It's the lowest steel that I'll EDC with the exception of Buck's 420HC on their 889 SBMF.

I have used AUS 8 from Cold Steel, CRKT, and SOG. I'd have to say that SOG has an excellent Heat Treat for their AUS 8, then Cold Steel, and then CRKT.

Using a 10 point scale with 10 as the best:
Edge Sharpenability: 10
Edge Retention: 5

AUS 8 takes an excellent edge and can get shaving sharp really quick. The only down side is that it doesn't hold it for very long. This is where the blade angles and heat treat come in to factor.

SOG's AUS 8:
Edge sharpenability: 10
Edge Retention: 7

Cold Steel:
Edge sharpenability: 10
Edge Retention: 6

CRKT:
Edge sharpenability: 10
Edge Retention: 5

Just my opinion of using these brands and their versions of AUS 8. Hope this helps, J.
 
gustav said:
hows benchmade aus 8 like? ht any good?
Click to expand...

I've handled it, but never used it. My friend says that it's good, but not as good as a company that specializes in AUS 8 such as CRKT. Benchmade's knives that are AUS 8 are made in Taiwan, not here like the good benchmades out there. Benchmade's low stuff isn't as good as CRKT's high stuff. Just a self thought of logic.
 
I have an emerson reliant in aus 8, back up to emerson mini com.

It does get scary sharp quickly, as far as getting dull fast, i really haven't used it enough to make a comparison with the 154cm on the minicom, though it would be a weird surprise if it turns out that the reliant holds an edge better than the minicom.

according to cutleryscience.com aus8's ability to get a real smooth edge makes it perfect for push cutting, so i guess even with just aus8 on my reliant, the blade shape gives me the same push cut capability of the more expensive cqc7, if for only a stab or two at most.
 
once you've seen what ZDP can do, all the AUS series become sub-3 steels.:) Although its nice and cold steel does a good job on their heat-treats.
 
Whoa, this thread was back from when I was batosai117 :D

"The views and expressions of batosai117 have no direct connection to J's Knives-N-More or it's employees :p
 
thombrogan said:
AUS-8 can be awesome when it's given a heat treatment with high hardness and low levels of retained austenite, so-so with a medium-high hardness and low levels of retained austenite, and gross at any hardness with high levels of retained austenite. The problem is that the heat-treatment can vary from knife to knife within the same brand.

I can't give the steel numerical ratings, but I do enjoy using it.
Click to expand...

I totally agree, Have a CS Pendleton in AUS-8 (Older model as now they're made w/VG10) that will hold an edge with the best of 'em! I think this batch had a superior heat treat. a hunting buddy was so impressed he got one too and its no way as near as my particular model's edge retention.
 
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