AUS8 better edge retention than M4?! UPDATE: page 3

CrimsonTideShooter

CrimsonTideShooter

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Oct 23, 2010
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I did some cutting tests today with my American lawman and gayle Bradley. The lawman is edge pro'd to 36 degrees inclusive, and the GB is EP'd at 42 inclusive.

Now here's the kicker - when cutting the exact same cardboard the exact same way the edge on the gayle Bradley rolls and deforms while the American lawman's edge doesn't change much at all. The edge on the gayle Bradley looked terrible and after ~30 cuts it was noticeably duller than the lawman.

What gives? I thought M4 was supposed to have great edge retention, so why did the lawman come out better?
 
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I would call Spyderco, sounds like you got a soft one, it shouldn't do that.

Things can slip through once in awhile.
 
I will hazard a guess:

You have an GB with a bad heat treat. Rare, I'm sure, but not an impossibility. I would contact Spyderco tomorrow. My GB at 30 degrees inclusive can certainly take more than a mere 30 cuts.
 
whoa! Sounds strange. My GB has fantastic edge holding properties. Is yours from the "later" run? Mine was from the first batch (the one that quickly sold out, right after they were intro'd). Details please....
 
having both the gb m4 and cs aus 8 i have to think it must be a heat treat issue as well. my GB will outlast a aus8 blade many times over in such a test.
 
Ok I will contact spyderco tomorrow. This GB was made late 20-0, so it's the newer version.

I guess they'll just give me a new knife?
 
Andrew Colglazier said:
Were you cutting on some kind of surface?

Andy
Click to expand...

I was holding the cardboard with my left hand, cutting with my right. The edges never hit anything other than cardboard.

This particular example is perfect in every way except the heat treat I guess. I hope the one they give me is as good fit and finish wise.
 
cold steel knives seem to be able to make a very strong and reliable aus8, could it be that their heat treat process makes their aus8 way stronger than aus8 knives made by other brands that use a differet heat treat process??
 
I haven't used M4, but AUS8 has only had decent edge retention for me. Generally, AUS8 is my divider--below the AUS8 and it's pretty much pointless as far as retention goes.

Sorry to hear about your GB.

I imagine that you're seeing not one but two anomalies: probably a very well treated AUS8 blade against an (accidentally) poorly heat treated M4 blade. That's the only way I can imagine a discrepancy that large.
 
I've found that my CS Voyagers in AUS8 take and hold a very good edge. I suspect they're made in Seki, Japan.
 
Funny, my American Lawman has absolutely terrible edge retention while m Gayle Bradley has been sharpened once and still pops hairs off my arm. I won't even use my lawman anymore.
 
230grains said:
Funny, my American Lawman has absolutely terrible edge retention while m Gayle Bradley has been sharpened once and still pops hairs off my arm. I won't even use my lawman anymore.
Click to expand...

That means you need to sent that American Lawman to me!




The edge retention on my old CS Recon1 is just decent. The steel is pretty tough, but looses it's hair popping ability relatively quickly when cutting card board. It is tough, and reliable, but not super steel, that is for sure! (I am pretty sure that the old Zytel handled Recon1's were aus8a)
 
I tried this out on my Gayle Bradley. It broke this box down into splinters and was still sharp enough to slice paper. Mine's a newer Gayle Bradley too, so it looks like there might just be a few with a bad heat treat.

DSCN0733.jpg
 
When I saw the title of the thread I immediately thought that you had a Benchmade with M4, though even that shouldn't fold (theirs is softer).
Something is very wrong. You either got a fake GB or a bad heat treat.
Send 'er back.

I have a GB from the original batch and two from round two.
Excellent edge retention for all.
No problems to report.
 
So-Lo said:
Maybe a wire edge on the M4? :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm thinking that too. He did say he sharpened it up on an EP in a previous thread I believe. It very well could be a bad HT, but i've never had a dud from spyderco before.
 
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