AUS-8?!?

[rje58]

It used to be said D2 takes a terrible edge and holds it forever. For me, it’s a finicky steel to sharpen. I can get it sharp, but it takes finesse. You’ve really got to f*%# with it a lot to get it very sharp.

Yeah. I've quit hassling with it. I have quite a few D2 knives, so now when I get a nice working edge, I don't drive myself crazy anymore trying to get it as sharp as I really want it. Which doesn't effect the knives functionality that much - it does, some - but it is annoying and bugs me.

 

[AntDog]

Hey, the whole reason I made an account here was to learn, share what I know, and get corrected if I'm wrong! What I meant is that knives made of the softer middle of the road and budget steels are more likely to survive a lifetime of use. I know there are factors that play in to that, I.e. heat treat, blade profile, etc... But in general, my SOG Seal pup will take more abuse without serious damage than a Spartan blades Ronin would. Don't get me wrong, I love a premium steel as much as any other knife nut (s30v included), but I never use my premium knives for 99% of the knife work I do because I know I'll chip or snap it, while my $13 440a pocketknife won't. I know there are exceptions, and the steel industry is working very hard to correct those weaknesses, but in most cases I believe you'll find this to be the case.

Heh. Nah. I guarantee you’re not going to chip, snap, or wear out most S30V. You might on the other hand whittle away your 440A stuff down to nothing sharpening it repeatedly because it doesn’t hold an edge for sh!t.

Cutting a lot of stuff on a daily basis, AUS 8 and on down doesn’t work for me. The edge retention just isn’t high enough. VG-10 on up is where it’s at.

 

[AntDog]

Yeah. I've quit hassling with it. I have quite a few D2 knives, so now when I get a nice working edge, I don't drive myself crazy anymore trying to get it as sharp as I really want it. Which doesn't effect the knives functionality that much - it does, some - but it is annoying and bugs me.

For some reason D2 loves the strop. I have one D2 blade I sharpen exclusively by stropping it on fine sandpaper on a mousepad through a few grits and ending on a leather strop loaded with green compound. It does get very sharp, but it takes a lot more futzing than other steels.

 

[mauser9]

Some good advice and opinions here. Sounds like I need a new decent sharpener for my Trident A-T with D2. Glad it came fairly sharp for now. Any suggestions for a fool proof sharpener I could get that won't F/U the blade. Either that or I will take it to a pro with good stuff to use. Hardly think my Lansky Blade Medic will cut the mustard. Sure do like the new Trident by the way.

 

[coloradowildman]

In 2021 SOG started discontinuing old AUS 8 models and bringing in new ones of much higher quality and better steels. Many of their pocketknives are now D2 or S35VN and their premium fixed blades have now switched to S35VN as well. Prices are a little higher than before, but they have definately taken customer opinions into consideration and released their new products aimed at satisfying those opinions.

Yeah, and this ridiculous trend is happening thanks to all the whining people that don't know how to sharpen blades, which will ensure that only two types blades are available in the future -- cheap Chinese made junk, and knives that are unaffordable for working people. All of the great knives that were affordable are pretty much gone now thanks to all the non-sharpeners screaming bloody murder over "edge retention!! edge retention!!" Just learn to sharpen your knife people, and knife steel will stop being such a ridiculous issue.

Japanese AUS8A is great. Super tough but enough carbon for decent edge retention. And almost as good as 1095 in its ability to get super sharp with simple tools but won't rust like 1095. It was probably one of the best survival knife steels ever made for an affordable knife. Now, aside from the SOG Seal Pup Elite, most of them are gone. Replaced with Chinese steel with bad heat treats that break when you least expect it. Or, you have to spend $200 freakin dollars to get a 3V blade that is tough but too hard to sharpen in the field when you're tired and strapped for time.

 

[coloradowildman]

In 2021 SOG started discontinuing old AUS 8 models and bringing in new ones of much higher quality and better steels. Many of their pocketknives are now D2 or S35VN and their premium fixed blades have now switched to S35VN as well. Prices are a little higher than before, but they have definately taken customer opinions into consideration and released their new products aimed at satisfying those opinions.

D2 is a terrible choice for a hard use field knife. It is brittle and hard to sharpen. For a light use folder it's fine, or maybe a smallish fixed blade hunting knife where edge retention is important. But if you need to resharpen it it's a pain. The S35VN on the SOG Pillar is chip prone. A beautiful and awesome blade, but I didn't trust mine after it chipped during light batoning so I got rid of it. Never had that problem with an AUS8 SOG Seal Pup Elite or AUS8 Flash II Folder. Both sharpened up like a scalpel with little effort.

 

[coloradowildman]

You might on the other hand whittle away your 440A stuff down to nothing sharpening it repeatedly because it doesn’t hold an edge for sh!t. Cutting a lot of stuff on a daily basis, AUS 8 and on down doesn’t work for me. The edge retention just isn’t high enough. VG-10 on up is where it’s at.

440A is certainly not great with edge retention, but I hard used AUS8 and 420HC blades for several years while living off the grid and I didn't "whittle them down to nothing." They were fine. Maybe if you're using a grinder on them, but using normal sharpening tools, they should last many years and look totally normal unless you damage them during use. I'm saying this as someone who was an independent tester for Buck Knives a few years back.

 

[AntDog]

440A is certainly not great with edge retention, but I hard used AUS8 and 420HC blades for several years while living off the grid and I didn't "whittle them down to nothing." They were fine. Maybe if you're using a grinder on them, but using normal sharpening tools, they should last many years and look totally normal unless you damage them during use. I'm saying this as someone who was an independent tester for Buck Knives a few years back.

I’ve never lived off the grid before, but I had a job for 15 years where I had to cut tons of abrasive materials (including aluminum impregnated cardboard) daily. AUS8 and 420HC didn’t make the grade. Not even close. I had to sharpen both every 2-3 weeks or so. At that rate, just putting an edge back on with a stone will whittle your blade to nothing.

The winners in my own personal experience for what I was doing were VG10, SR101, S30V, and S35VN. I had to sharpen anything with less edge retention far too often to be feasible for me.

 

[rje58]

I had to sharpen both every 2-3 weeks or so. At that rate, just putting an edge back on with a stone will whittle your blade to nothing.

I am fine with sharpening AUS8 or 420HC every week, if needed! Because they get very sharp, fast and with minimal effort. I hate to sharpen D2 or most 'super steels' ever, because it's an exercise in tedium and time that could be better spent doing other things.

Different strokes for different folks.

P.S. I guess I night feel differently if I used power sharpeners/grinders, but I've known of enough knife blades ruined by 'expert' or 'professional' sharpeners - including sometimes those at the factory! that it's not an option for me.

 

[coloradowildman]

I had to sharpen both every 2-3 weeks or so. At that rate, just putting an edge back on with a stone will whittle your blade to nothing.

Living off the grid, I stropped/touched up my blade every couple of days. No big deal. Same thing with my carbon steel axes.

I think our perspective is different because I'm coming from a field use/wilderness/bushcraft perspective, and you are using your blades in an industrial setting. I totally understand why you would want better, harder steels for that task as would I, and although I respect your opinion, you are engaging in hyperbole with "whittling a blade down to nothing. " I didn't always live off grid and worked my fair share of labor jobs using a folder to open boxes, etc. The only people I know who whittle their blades down to nothing are literally use a grinder or a file to resharpen them. It's simply not true what you are saying.

Regards,

CW

 

[AntDog]

Living off the grid, I stropped/touched up my blade every couple of days. No big deal. Same thing with my carbon steel axes.

I think our perspective is different because I'm coming from a field use/wilderness/bushcraft perspective, and you are using your blades in an industrial setting. I totally understand why you would want better, harder steels for that task as would I, and although I respect your opinion, you are engaging in hyperbole with "whittling a blade down to nothing. " I didn't always live off grid and worked my fair share of labor jobs using a folder to open boxes, etc. The only people I know who whittle their blades down to nothing are literally use a grinder or a file to resharpen them. It's simply not true what you are saying.

Regards,

CW

Bullshit. You mean to tell me you’ve never seen an old guy with an Old Timer, Case, or Buck that had toothpick blades just from simple use and sharpening? They’re out there and I have seen lots of them. This happens through nothing more than repeated use and sharpening with a stone, not a grinder or file.

Calling me a liar? I can point you toward many examples of this here on the forums. There are tons of toothpick blades on Buck 110s just off the top of my head. In fact, I can post pictures tomorrow of my own Al Mar Sere 2K that has a significantly different blade profile from new through simply using it and sharpening it a lot. No grinders or files were used on it for certain.

Blade steel is a consumable. As you sharpen and use the knife the edge moves back and it will eventually get to a point where it is not usable and will need to be retired or reground. That’s just the way stuff works. I have seen this with my own eyes, and I’m positive many others on the forum have as well.

 

[coloradowildman]

First

Bullshit.

Calling me a liar?

First off, tone it down or this conversation is over. I said you were engaging in hyperbole, aka that you were exaggerating to make your point. I never called you a liar. And as for seeing ground down knives and axes, oh yeah, I've seen plenty of them. When I lived off the grid in the mountains, I was the local sharpening guy as a side job. And I've never seen anyone grind their knife to a toothpick in just a few years while using proper sharpening tools unless they were abusing it or damaging the blade and then re-sharpening it. Yeah, over a very long period of time, like decades, a knife that was re-sharpened with aggressive stones will definitely lose some of it's steel. But that is not what you said. You said that within a relatively short period of time, just having AUS8 as the blade steel and using normal sharpening techniques that the blade will be "whittled down to nothing." That is definitely hyperbole and untrue.

Regards,

CW

 

[AntDog]

First


First off, tone it down or this conversation is over. I said you were engaging in hyperbole, aka that you were exaggerating to make your point. I never called you a liar. And as for seeing ground down knives and axes, oh yeah, I've seen plenty of them. When I lived off the grid in the mountains, I was the local sharpening guy as a side job. And I've never seen anyone grind their knife to a toothpick in just a few years while using proper sharpening tools unless they were abusing it or damaging the blade and then re-sharpening it. Yeah, over a very long period of time, like decades, a knife that was re-sharpened with aggressive stones will definitely lose some of it's steel. But that is not what you said. You said that within a relatively short period of time, just having AUS8 as the blade steel and using normal sharpening techniques that the blade will be "whittled down to nothing." That is definitely hyperbole and untrue.

Regards,

CW

Nope. You keep moving the goal posts.

It’s possible, and I’ve seen it happen. No power tools, files, aggressive stones, etc. necessary. If I used an AUS8 knife as much as I did my others and sharpened it as often as I needed to it would indeed be gone before long. Believe it, or not. And I’m done.

 

[jbmonkey]

you're both right. AntDog is right ive seen old 110s and other traditionals sharpened only on stones and wore down to nothing, due to lots of use and over sharpening poor techniques. obviously would be a lot harder to do this on a s30v than a 420hc knife as two random examples.

likewise I've seen knives turned into toothpicks.....yep hyperbole used there.....due to bench grinders and other poor sharpening power tools and techniques. with power tools and poor understanding of sharpening, steel wear resistance wouldn't matter a whole bunch.

 

[mauser9]

Cringe when I hear some of those sharpening methods.

 

[rje58]

Bullshit. You mean to tell me you’ve never seen an old guy with an Old Timer, Case, or Buck that had toothpick blades just from simple use and sharpening? They’re out there and I have seen lots of them. This happens through nothing more than repeated use and sharpening with a stone, not a grinder or file.

Calling me a liar? I can point you toward many examples of this here on the forums. There are tons of toothpick blades on Buck 110s just off the top of my head. In fact, I can post pictures tomorrow of my own Al Mar Sere 2K that has a significantly different blade profile from new through simply using it and sharpening it a lot. No grinders or files were used on it for certain.

Blade steel is a consumable. As you sharpen and use the knife the edge moves back and it will eventually get to a point where it is not usable and will need to be retired or reground. That’s just the way stuff works. I have seen this with my own eyes, and I’m positive many others on the forum have as well.

B.S. Really? You seem to be taking this very personally. I don't think anybody is calling you a liar. I'm not even calling you a liar for comparing the steel in Case knives and Old Timers to AUS8... I would like to see those images you have of the AUS8 blades that have been 'ground down to nothing' without using a grinder, though. But only if they're handy and it's not an inconvenience. Don't want to get anybody riled up.

 

[Asher Sympson]

D2 is a terrible choice for a hard use field knife. It is brittle and hard to sharpen. For a light use folder it's fine, or maybe a smallish fixed blade hunting knife where edge retention is important. But if you need to resharpen it it's a pain. The S35VN on the SOG Pillar is chip prone. A beautiful and awesome blade, but I didn't trust mine after it chipped during light batoning so I got rid of it. Never had that problem with an AUS8 SOG Seal Pup Elite or AUS8 Flash II Folder. Both sharpened up like a scalpel with little effort

D2 is a terrible choice for a hard use field knife. It is brittle and hard to sharpen. For a light use folder it's fine, or maybe a smallish fixed blade hunting knife where edge retention is important. But if you need to resharpen it it's a pain. The S35VN on the SOG Pillar is chip prone. A beautiful and awesome blade, but I didn't trust mine after it chipped during light batoning so I got rid of it. Never had that problem with an AUS8 SOG Seal Pup Elite or AUS8 Flash II Folder. Both sharpened up like a scalpel with little effort.

I'm not saying Aus 8 is bad. My entire first post on this thread was about it's benefits. I have to disagree with you on D2. As long as it is heat treated correctly, it will outperform Aus 8 in durability and edge retention, although you'll need to watch for rust.

 

[Asher Sympson]

Bullshit. You mean to tell me you’ve never seen an old guy with an Old Timer, Case, or Buck that had toothpick blades just from simple use and sharpening? They’re out there and I have seen lots of them. This happens through nothing more than repeated use and sharpening with a stone, not a grinder or file.

Calling me a liar? I can point you toward many examples of this here on the forums. There are tons of toothpick blades on Buck 110s just off the top of my head. In fact, I can post pictures tomorrow of my own Al Mar Sere 2K that has a significantly different blade profile from new through simply using it and sharpening it a lot. No grinders or files were used on it for certain.

Blade steel is a consumable. As you sharpen and use the knife the edge moves back and it will eventually get to a point where it is not usable and will need to be retired or reground. That’s just the way stuff works. I have seen this with my own eyes, and I’m positive many others on the forum have as well.

It all depends on how hard you use your blades and what you use them for. I know older men who know how to really take care of their knives and keep them looking good as well. They mostly strop. I also know men who have "toothpick" blades on their knives. They normally use stones. It varies person to person. Personally I would suggest that people try to keep their blades in good shape. As long as you take care of your knives, they should last indefinitely.

 

[Asher Sympson]

Keep the chat informative. Nobody is here to argue or throw insults. If that's what you're here for then you're on the wrong forum.

 

[shinyedges]

When I was learning to butcher and process animals I saw knives that were HEAVILY used and sharpened. People who use knives daily as tools and resharpen them accordingly will wear out knives much faster than a lifetime.

I have seen many a case knives with the blades significantly shorter and thinner than new. To the point of worn out.

If you use a knife sparingly and NOT as a full time cutting tool, yes they can last a lifetime but even that depends on the frequency it is sharpened at and how much material is removed every sharpening.

Obviously some one who is conscious of preserving the life of the blade and strops or steels significantly more than sharpens will make a difference in life span of the knife.