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AUS 8A How does it compare?
- Thread starter -walle-
- Start date
Are you talking about these?
Read this
In short: it is stainless steel, reasonably tough but without good edge retention. It has fairly good corrosion resistance and quite easy to sharpen. And it is quite cheap.
If you want good steel in a folder for good money go with spyderco delica/endura/native (VG10 and S30V) or benchmade griptilian (154cm).
As you will find out Cold steel isn't perceived as a good reputable company here.
Read this
In short: it is stainless steel, reasonably tough but without good edge retention. It has fairly good corrosion resistance and quite easy to sharpen. And it is quite cheap.
If you want good steel in a folder for good money go with spyderco delica/endura/native (VG10 and S30V) or benchmade griptilian (154cm).
As you will find out Cold steel isn't perceived as a good reputable company here.
Thanks for the advice guys, very useful.
I am aware that cold steel doesn't have the best reputation around here, but i honestly don't care about their marketing tactics. As long as the knives are good thats all that matters to me. I'll be looking into the knives you mentioned though.
I am aware that cold steel doesn't have the best reputation around here, but i honestly don't care about their marketing tactics. As long as the knives are good thats all that matters to me. I'll be looking into the knives you mentioned though.
So how would you call it?Archer26 said:
What about that it is in lower spectrum of edge retention?
Excellent for what price? Excellent for $20 or excellent for $200 (as overall price of folder)?Archer26 said:
I don't think it isn't good steel (for some purposes) but I think when any company states AUS8 is premium steel they are simply lying.
My point is not that AUS8 is as good as VG10 or 154cm. It is you suggest that it is a bad steel. It's not!! Russell say
Well I hope not, it doesn't cost the same!!! And for CS claims, no one's going to advertise some as 'not as good as something else, but please buy it anyway' are they?
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Doesn´t "Premium" compare to germans "Edelstahl"?
In that term the companies are right.
I don´t see on what basis you are bashing AUS8 steel. It is not the type of 154CM or a powder steel, but edc wise you will hardly find a difference between those types. You might find differences in long run cutting sessions.
In general it is a nice alternative between tough steel grades with low carbon content around .5% and hard types with carbon contend above 1%. From the papers a good allaround, hard use steel grade.
But mainly it depends on what companies are doing with that steel. Benchmade for example tempers it down to 59 or 60 HRC. So i think there you get the best out of it.
I would care, that CS has no information about the hardness they are aiming for. It wouldn´t make much a difference if it was 154CM or AUS8 if both blades were just 56 HRC hard.
In that term the companies are right.
I don´t see on what basis you are bashing AUS8 steel. It is not the type of 154CM or a powder steel, but edc wise you will hardly find a difference between those types. You might find differences in long run cutting sessions.
In general it is a nice alternative between tough steel grades with low carbon content around .5% and hard types with carbon contend above 1%. From the papers a good allaround, hard use steel grade.
But mainly it depends on what companies are doing with that steel. Benchmade for example tempers it down to 59 or 60 HRC. So i think there you get the best out of it.
I would care, that CS has no information about the hardness they are aiming for. It wouldn´t make much a difference if it was 154CM or AUS8 if both blades were just 56 HRC hard.
Cobalt
Platinum Member
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Can you please quote where I posted it is "bad steel" ?Archer26 said:
It doesn't? Griptilian is around $60 and has axis lock. Recon is around $60 and has something that closely resembles axis lock.Archer26 said:
Griptilian has 154CM and Recon AUS8...
I wouldn't say so:Blop said:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edelstahl
translation by babelfish said:
i've had several knives over the years that were aus 8 and i was very pleased with them. as mentioned above it is not a "super steel" but in my opinion i think it's great for an edc knife. as far as cold steel goes i've had several and have had good service from all of them. i prefer the voyager line which i think still uses the aus 8. that being said i wouldn't spend over $50 on a recon, be sure and shop around the prices vary quite a bit. you might consider a voyager. good luck, and as always if you like it buy it. later ahgar
btw lynn thompson is king of the wigglers.
btw lynn thompson is king of the wigglers.
I have a couple of the Al Mar Ultra light knives which have the AUS8 steel. No complaints.
My son calls my small Al Mar "little Al" and the larger one "Big Al". The short one that looks like a cigar cutter without the hole in it in named "Stumpy".
I went on a family vacation with my in laws which was a beach house rental. What was the sharpest knife there? My Al Mar.
Ric
My son calls my small Al Mar "little Al" and the larger one "Big Al". The short one that looks like a cigar cutter without the hole in it in named "Stumpy".
I went on a family vacation with my in laws which was a beach house rental. What was the sharpest knife there? My Al Mar.
Ric
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- Jan 4, 1999
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- 3,000
It is a Japanese stainless designed to compete with 440C.
I've had several Cold Steel knives in AUS 8. They were the sharpest I've ever owned. As others said, it's easy to sharpen and takes a razor like edge. For a self defense knife, that would not be used for opening boxes, cutting straps and pruning trees, I think it would be fine.
My Cold Steel Knives take a shaving sharp easy to maintain edge. Cold Steel quality is good.
I own a few Cold Steel as well as Benchmade.
Cold Steel AK-47 my main everyday knife, the knife that pisses me off, a $59.00 dollar made in Taiwan extremely strong chunk of aluminum over steel with an axis type locking mechanism and a thumb disk that can be used to wave knife open when removing from pocket. Blade steel AUS 8A razor sharp. Smoothness and precision in this thing rivals any Benchmade period.
My candidate competitor is my $128.00 Axis Lock Benchmade Snody resistor which I brought later. Benchmade spring clip tension is too weak for me so I removed it, bent it inward and reinstalled it now tension is great. I lost a mini grip due to weak clip tension. I am thinking of dremeling a wave into Snody. Then it will be on same level as AK-47. I doubt it will be as strong as AK-47 overall, but Snody is still extremely strong, over engineered, and way above good enough. Blade on Snody is 154 CM which according to this forum holds edge longer.
I prefer American Made and am willing to pay more but AK-47's design is too practicle and useful to ingnore. I want to see American made knives with as well a thought out design as the AK-47.
I haver other knive in AUS 8A and they all take a razor sharp edge
I own a few Cold Steel as well as Benchmade.
Cold Steel AK-47 my main everyday knife, the knife that pisses me off, a $59.00 dollar made in Taiwan extremely strong chunk of aluminum over steel with an axis type locking mechanism and a thumb disk that can be used to wave knife open when removing from pocket. Blade steel AUS 8A razor sharp. Smoothness and precision in this thing rivals any Benchmade period.
My candidate competitor is my $128.00 Axis Lock Benchmade Snody resistor which I brought later. Benchmade spring clip tension is too weak for me so I removed it, bent it inward and reinstalled it now tension is great. I lost a mini grip due to weak clip tension. I am thinking of dremeling a wave into Snody. Then it will be on same level as AK-47. I doubt it will be as strong as AK-47 overall, but Snody is still extremely strong, over engineered, and way above good enough. Blade on Snody is 154 CM which according to this forum holds edge longer.
I prefer American Made and am willing to pay more but AK-47's design is too practicle and useful to ingnore. I want to see American made knives with as well a thought out design as the AK-47.
I haver other knive in AUS 8A and they all take a razor sharp edge
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What ahgar said.
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IMO AUS-8A is acceptable for a budget-priced knife. In my experience - which of course is highly influenced by heat treat of the different manufacturers' knives I've owned - it holds an edge significantly better than 440A, but not as well as 440C, or even Sandvik 12C27Mod.
Again IMO, AUS-8A doesn't compare with VG-10. I find VG-10 much easier to sharpen because it doesn't tend to form a wire edge like AUS-8A can, which can be troublesome to remove. VG-10's edge retention is significantly higher than AUS-8A, generally speaking.
Like others who've posted I wouldn't spend too much on an AUS-8A blade.
Again IMO, AUS-8A doesn't compare with VG-10. I find VG-10 much easier to sharpen because it doesn't tend to form a wire edge like AUS-8A can, which can be troublesome to remove. VG-10's edge retention is significantly higher than AUS-8A, generally speaking.
Like others who've posted I wouldn't spend too much on an AUS-8A blade.
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The only experience I have with it is in a SOG Flash Tanto.
As stated above it doesn't hold an edge as well as VG-10/154cm etc, but it does hold one for a decent about of time. Very easy to sharpen and very corrosion resistant.
Overall I like it as a general use steel. There are better but there are also far worse.
As stated above it doesn't hold an edge as well as VG-10/154cm etc, but it does hold one for a decent about of time. Very easy to sharpen and very corrosion resistant.
Overall I like it as a general use steel. There are better but there are also far worse.
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AUS-8A has performed fine for me when I EDC it. I have a few CRKT-M18's that I picked up for very cheap ($28 for one, and $13 for the others) that have served me well. It will dull out much faster then my VG-10 and S30V blades, but it does sharpen up to a nice edge when you can eliminate the burrs, which can take some practice. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a cheaper knife with it, but since I discovered Spyderco's VG-10 offerings in the $40 range I find it harder to justify spending close to that on an AUS-8A knife. Hell, the Byrd line and it's 8Cr13MoV steel at around $20 is hard if not impossible to beat for value, and the steel has performed slightly better than AUS-8A for me in terms of edge retention and ease of sharpening (mainly due to less burring).
Well here's the deal. AUS8 isn't that great of a steel nor is it that bad. It is in the middle. Easier to sharpen than some of the 440c out there I have found. Depending on what you are going to use it for it should be adequate. As for the Recon 1 folders, well I just picked up a tanto version, vendor sent me the wrong one, and I just bought a clip point version of the same knife. Outstanding values in the knives. CS pays a royalty to BM for using the "axis lock" as I understand it. These knives are very well made and butter smooth to open. Haven't used the tanto a great deal but have used it. No complaints, but it isn't sheeple friendly. If you can get past all the BS L.T. puts out there CS makes some pretty decent folders and fixed blades. keepem sharp
I've owned several knives that use AUS8 blade steel, and the steel, when treated properly, is good for an EDC blade. That said, I've owned knives made of 154cm, and currently EDC a Spyderco Endura 2 with a VG-10 blade. AUS8 is a great budget steel, but is far from a premium steel. It does, however, work very well in situations where one is exposing it to the elements, as it resists corrosion pretty well. Unfortunately, while it can get to be razor sharp easily, it does not hold the edge well. VG-10 and 154cm tend to be much harder to sharpen, but they seem to be able to get (and maintain) a sharper edge then AUS8.