AUS6 Steel Questions - Pentagon

P

panama

Joined
May 10, 2007
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128
Is this steel any good. I know aus8 is but not sure on this. I am not an engineer or chemist so please keep it simple for me. Thanks for the help.
 
AUS6 won't hold an edge like the premium steels but it doesn't have to since the Pentagon is mainly a self defense knife. Premium steels (such as D2 or S30V) are more suited for knives that get used a lot. The hardness is what gives these steel longer edge holding properties. The downside is the hardness makes it more brittle than a softer steel such as AUS6.

For a self defense piece, I think I'd prefer a softer steel. One advantage is that the tip would be less prone to breaking. Also, AUS6 is very corrosion resistant if that matters to you. SOG's heat treatment of AUS6 is very good. Their AUS6 knives are all made in SEKI JAPAN. An area that is well known for their cutlery since ancient times (when katana swords and other Japanese swords were, and still are, produced there).
 
To support john's post, my opinion is AUS6 is about the same as Sandvick 12C27/13C26 or 440A without trying to split hairs on the topic. It is more resistance to corrosion than something like AUS8 or 440C but doesn't hold an edge like AUS8 or 440C. But again I'm splitting hairs again. AUS8 has the edge over AUS6 but not by much. There is a lot science behind these different steel compositions that is way over my head. Bottom line is there isn't enough difference to make a difference if you keep it sharp.
 
I like the AUS 6 on the Sogwinder, sharpens up real easy and looks great. Most of my blades are VG-10, S30V, or 154CM and there is certainly a noticable difference, I used the sogwinder to punch holes in a jar lid and the edge was visibly manngled but a few strokes on the crock stick cleaned it right up.
 
I have 3 Pentagons, A standard Pentagon, Mini Pentagon and a Pentagon Elite 2. The Fixed blades in AUS-6 hold and edge nicely for me and are easy to sharpen. Used to use them in the kitchen on campouts and in college. My mini Pentagon is wicked sharp!! Took them camping last July and again they were my Pairing/steak knives. :) And it was nice not having to worry about rust while camping durring the summer storm. :thumbup:

The Folders were AUS-8 then they were upgraded to VG-10. My only experience with VG-10 is a Spyderco Centerfanti III. Seems to hold a good edge about as long as my PE-II... Then again it could be do to what I cut with it. LOL!!!

Heber
 
What I feel may make some with an attachment to a paricular steel want to debate it but in truth I doubt you'd be able to tell in use an AUS6 blade from AUS8 steel and for that matter it seems likely to me that you'd be hard pressed to tell it from the 440C, 420HC, or 154CM blades out there in the hands of users. I own several knives each in these various steels with various blade shapes and similar edge profiles and I would have to say that one blade does not really hold an edge or need touch ups any less frequently than the other based on what I've experienced in my own uses everyday. I used to be more 'snobbish' about the steels I used but once I started testing and evaluating them more I woke up to a new way of seeing things I guess.

This does not mean there are not slight performance advantages or toughness advantages from one to the other. Just that to the average user these difference would be very difficult to see I think. Perhaps in a very specific test geared toward closely following the results of each steel where you compared their performance in various mediums one could note differences and maybe even some marked differences that made one stand out as a bit better than the other but to the average end line user I doubt there would be any way they'd know which was which in a blind test with blades of all steels and none marked to tell you which was which.

They are all more than adequate steels for everyday carry beater upper folders. I might also point out that steels can vary at times from batch to batch. I've had blades in all the above steels that were for lack of a better description, crappy performers. I've owned for examaple two of the same model folder made in the same year at different times using the same steel and yet one markedly outperformed the other and noticeably took a better edge to begin with even though both were sharpened to the same angle on the Edge Pro and both were done using the same stones and hones. This could also be heat treat related and one blade may not have been properly done or somehow was not as hard as the other. We've all seen things like this so the only way to really judge steel is to use more than one and more than two of the same steels over time to get a good idea of what it can or can't do.

So, when one is bad I think it can indeed stand out at that time, but you can't judge the entire industry stockpile of that steel by your one bad blade. However consistancy is good these days and most are on par with each other but we are afterall just human and we can make some mistakes.

I've got some AUS6 blades that I find quite good at keeping up with anything else I have available to me in my safe to pull out on any given day. One of these is a great little folder that was inexpensive and yet somehow keeps up with all the so called big boys and in many ways out shines them. Go figure. In general AUS6 is tougher than all the above mentioned steels by the way. Its a good mix of great toughness, corrosion resistance and good edge keeping in a nice Japanese quality stainless steel.

STR
 
Lots of my knives are plain old 1095, 5160, AUS-6 and AUS-8. And for me they work great. But I just remembered that a BG-42 folder I have tends to hold an edge longer when cutting cardboard compaired to AUS-8. I almost bought a Spyderco Dragonfly in VG-10 for cutting boxes and packages at work but since I lost my job I don't need it anymore. LOL!! I can now go back to carrying my BIG SOGs all the time. :)

Heber
 
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