Help identifying blade steel on an old Gerber AR 3.0

[TXoutback]

I have an old, found-on-the road Gerber AR 3.0, and I gotta say I love the design and ergonomics except for the rubber bits on the handles.

From my research, these were initially made with AUS8 in Taiwan, then with 440A in Taiwan, then later on with something like 13C... in China.

Mine says Gerber International on one side of the blade and Taiwan on the other side in the typewriter-like font that you always see Taiwan spelled with. Is there any way to tell whether this knife is AUS8 or 440A?

 

[unwisefool]

Best way is taste test

 

[OrangeBlueOrangeBlue]

Have you sharpened it? 440A will likely be pretty soft, even compared to AUS-8.

 

[TXoutback]

Have you sharpened it? 440A will likely be pretty soft, even compared to AUS-8.

I have a few other aus8 knives, and I have sharpened this one... I can't recall a difference, but I'll do some side by side testing to see if it's noticeable.

 

[Mister Coffee]

Best way is taste test

That only works on the edge of the knife.

 

[knarfeng]

Have you sharpened it? 440A will likely be pretty soft, even compared to AUS-8.

That's going to depend more on the heat treat than on the alloy.
Both can be hardened to about 60HRC, though both seldom are run that hard.