Every and I mean EVERY knife in 8A I think SUCKS . It not only loses its edge fairly quickly . But it actually loses its bevel profile. AND * I * can't sharpen it . Everyone else says its pretty good stuff . Decent edge retention , easy to sharpen ?!? What the heck ? 8A just dont like me or ??? 14c28n LOVE IT Good ol 440c SUPER STEEL OF THE 80s !!! 1095 even TOPS 1095 that heat treats at 60+ hrc NOOOO problem . 8A ? Melts like butter and atleast for me is about as easy to sharpen as 110v
Hand or angle guided system? I had a time with it myself doing it by hand but not a problem with a angle guided system. I do want to point out right under my screen name so you might want to wait for some of the other knife gurus. I'm sure they have a different view on it. Cheers
sounds like wire burr maybe? it wires easily and doesn't come off easily on stones unless stropped. seems sharp but cut open box rolls and not sharp. some steels depending on stones types trick us with wire burrs.
Well, the stuff isn't really known for its superior edge retention... But I find AUS8 insanely easy to sharpen to a really good edge. I mean hair popping goodness. The fact that it is so easy for me to get this sharp (oh, and the affordable price) makes this one of my favorite steels. What sharpening system are you using? And are you getting your AUS8 blades from a good company?
What exact brands and models are you having these problems with ? Just generally the HT is just as important as the steel type .
Ontario and Cold Steel AUS8A is very easy to sharpen and strop to polish. I will concur that it dulls pretty fast, and will roll before chipping as expected. As mentioned earlier, you may have a wire burr flopping back and forth. This steel feels a bit gummy during sharpening, so a quick swipe on wood then stropping helps.
I agree. Some companies run AUS 8 on the soft side. That can lead to wire edge problems as mentioned above. AUS 8 at a 59-90 hardness is very nice stuff.
I whittle with Cold Steel knives in AUS-8 all the time and while edge retention isn't exactly amazing, it's not terrible either and they sharpen up so easily it only takes a second when they need it.
I thought it was an excellent steel when it first came out (CS Voyagers) and still do. That pinch of vanadium makes a difference. Holds an edge better than 420HC, takes a very fine edge, easy to hone.
Could be the blade angle you're sharpening it to. When I first got into knives I got sog and crkt in Aus 8a. Couldn't figure out why the sog was keeping a better edge. Well now I know it was the blade geo. With my Lansky I wasn't actually getting the same angles because one blade was much taller, and the other was thicker.
Actually 420HC has 0.30% in vanadium...AUS-8 varies between 0.10-0.30%. That low amount gives finer grain structure...not enough to contribute wear resistance. But yes AUS-8 holds it's edge a notch or two better and just as easy to sharpen.
OP - only the first half of your statement holds to me: AUS8A loses the keen edge very fast (usually needs just a few cuts even if the material is not hard). But it is very easy to put a super-refined hair-popping edge.
Soft steels are easy to sharpen quick. You are saying its losing its edge quick, you cant sharpen it, but the bevel profile is changing. That sounds like the angle you are sharpening at is more acute than the edge angle, making you sharpen and take steel from the "shoulder" instead of the edge. Hence the bevel wearing, but knife not being sharpened.
On the contrary I got control of my AUS 8 edge by taking off the shoulders and convex the edge. Much less wear and the edge stays sharp for longer periods of time. It took me many years of use before I had this figured out and it cost me a lot of bladeheight. I am with the others in thinking the OP has a wire-edge. Regards Mikael
