Just Bought a 8cr13mov Knife - What's your take?

sabre cat said:
I happen to like Sandvik 14C28N.
It is one of my favorite budget steels. Why choose 8Cr or 9cr over it?
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I really like 14C28N as a budget steel. It offers decent edge retention and reasonable corrosion resistance. It's a solid step up from 8Cr13Mov. Based on my experience with Civivi knives, the exact same thing can be said of a well-done 9Cr18Mov. Based on my experience with Kizer's budget line, we can say the same for Japanese Acuto 440.

I don't have a strong preference between 14C28N, Acuto 440, or a well-done 9Cr18Mov. All three have performed well for me. I think any of these three can be a great option in the price range before choices like VG-10 and N690 become available. I'm really hoping to see more of these three moving forward. Companies like Real Steel, Ruike, and Tangram have been putting out decent knives in these steels for prices comparable to Kershaw or CRKT knives in 8Cr13Mov.
 
rogatsby said:
Let's be clear. I don't prefer 8cr13mov steel. It's not ideal. But in my experience, it holds up well if made and heat treated correctly.

Anyway, one of my favorite knife designs is the Kershaw Atmos. I briefly had it, loved it, but then gave it away because I don't like 8cr13mov.

But I missed it. It had amazing action, was light, and the overall design was beautiful. In short, it is just a great knife with less than ideal steel.

Yes, blade steel is 8cr13mov. Not the best. But you know what? Not the worst. I can sharpen the crap out of it, and it works fine for me.

Question is, is 8cr a deal breaker for any of you guys?
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8cr13mov = CCC = Cheap Chinese Crap
 
8cr13mov (aka Chinese alphabet steel) is plenty good enough for an edc blade. This is an older thread, so it has probably been said a dozen times already, it is plenty stainless, easily takes a nice edge, and is commonly found in budget blades. So this steel has plenty to offer if done correctly. Sure, there are better options out there, but there is nothing wrong with the steel in question.
 
metsfan said:
8cr is fine by me. It’ll cut what needs to be cut and when it needs to be resharpened, it won’t take 30 mins to do it.
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If it's taking 30 mins to sharpen a small blade with a high carbide steel I think you're using the wrong stones are having to repair some damage. With the right stones I get everything sharp in a few minutes, including Maxamet.

Chronovore said:
This presents the question. Why doesn't anyone make a "good" 8Cr13Mov? The process-based praise for 420HC exists because Buck has brought it to market. Given the proliferation of Chinese companies using either 8Cr13Mov or 8Cr14Mov, I imagine that somebody would have stepped up with that better version by now. It might be something that's technically possible but cost-prohibitive versus just starting with a better budget steel.

That said, 9Cr18Mov has a "good version". Years ago, I tried 9Cr18Mov from Schrade and a few other budget brands. It might have been more stainless but I didn't notice a big difference in edge retention from 8Cr13Mov. Then last year, I tried Civivi's 9Cr18Mov. It's at least as good as any 14C28N I've had.
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BBB explained why here.
 
Chronovore said:
This presents the question. Why doesn't anyone make a "good" 8Cr13Mov? The process-based praise for 420HC exists because Buck has brought it to market. Given the proliferation of Chinese companies using either 8Cr13Mov or 8Cr14Mov, I imagine that somebody would have stepped up with that better version by now. It might be something that's technically possible but cost-prohibitive versus just starting with a better budget steel.
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Not being confrontational, just curious. Which knives in 8Cr13MoV have you tried and which ones gave you the most trouble?
 
sabre cat said:
What? You have never purchased a new knife just for a steel upgrade? Or maybe just to try something different?
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I don't think I have, at least not a direct replacement.

I took your question as, is there any reason to choose 8 or 9cr over 14c28n? For me, if all else is equal or the steel is the primary concern, I'd choose the 14c28n. At least in the recent example I've had, 14c28n holds an edge noticeably longer than the many 8cr knives I've had.

As to answering the OP's question, I have no problem with 8cr so long as the rest of the knife is good, the company is reputable, and the price reflects the budgetary nature of the steel.
 
MarkN86 said:
Not being confrontational, just curious. Which knives in 8Cr13MoV have you tried and which ones gave you the most trouble?
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I've owned lots of knives in 8Cr13Mov. Kershaw has been my favorite brand in 8Cr13Mov. More memorable ones include the Fraxion, Clash, Chill, Zing, Volt II, Oso Sweet, and Brookside. The only real "trouble" was occasional rust spots on the bead-blasted models. Besides that, 8Cr13Mov suffers from mediocre edge retention. Sure, it's relatively easy to sharpen and you can get it very sharp. It's just that you'll have to do it more often than you would with 14C28N or another better budget steel.

There was a time when 8Cr13Mov was welcome. I remember being excited about it back when Kershaw was still using a lot of AUS6. I'm still okay with 8Cr13Mov on knives that cost around $20 or less. The problem today is that too many companies are offering better budget steels at competitive prices. Now it's hard for me to justify $30 for 8Cr13Mov. Recent $40 and $50 examples from CRKT are a hard pass. :eek:
 
Chronovore said:
Recent $40 and $50 examples from CRKT are a hard pass. :eek:
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Crkt has been doing that for quite a while now. It is as if they don't realize what other companies are doing. Too bad, because they always have interesting designs from lots of makers. There is just now way I can justify the price with such materials and poor execution to get a cool design.
 
Chronovore said:
Recent $40 and $50 examples from CRKT are a hard pass. :eek:
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I agree on that. Good build quality, ball bearings, and good materials do cost money. Kershaw has regularly done it, with an effective HT, for under $40 out the door. I will pay a little more for Spyderco because of the name on the blade and the quality that usually goes with it, but outside of that there are much better choices in the $50 range.
 
MarkN86 said:
... there are much better choices in the $50 range.
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That's true. The list keeps growing and dips well below the $50 mark. Just off the top of my head:

Chinese D2 - Bestech and Civivi have a bunch of nice knives around $50 including the Elementum. CJRB (Artisan's budget brand) is making a splash with this steel in the $30-40 range. Ganzo and Kubey both have D2 knives on bearings in the $20-30 range.

9Cr18Mov - Civivi really knocked it out of the park last year with this steel. Their initial release models are still $42.50. New models are closer to $50.

14C28N - Real Steel makes a lot of knives in this steel with some right around the $50 mark. Kershaw has the Skyline and various models of Leek for less than $50. Ruike has a bunch of knives in this steel for $30-50.

Acuto 440 - Tangram (Kizer's budget line) uses this steel exclusively. They can usually be found for $20-40. I really like their Santa Fe model.
 
Chronovore said:
That's the main bullet point. The list keeps growing. Just off the top of my head:

Chinese D2 - Bestech and Civivi have a bunch of nice knives around $50 including the Elementum. CJRB (Artisan's budget brand) is making a splash with this steel in the $30-40 range. Ganzo and Kubey both have D2 knives on bearings in the $20-30 range.

9Cr18Mov - Civivi really knocked it out of the park last year with this steel. Their initial release models are still $42.50. New models are closer to $50.

14C28N - Real Steel makes a lot of knives in this steel with some right around the $50 mark. Kershaw has the Skyline and various models of Leek for less than $50. Ruike has a bunch of knives in this steel for $30-50.

Acuto 440 - Tangram (Kizer's budget line) uses this steel exclusively. They can usually be found for $20-40. I really like their Santa Fe model.
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Ganzo sucks and are rip off artists. Don't recommend them.
 
craytab said:
Ganzo sucks and are rip off artists. Don't recommend them.
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I dread this every time I mention Ganzo but it was relevant to the conversation. They make relatively decent knives in Chinese D2 that run on bearings and only cost $20-30.

Now, does the company "suck" because they are "rip off artists"? Well, the knives I'm referencing here are original designs. So where do we get this idea? In the past, Ganzo has released several models that closely mimic existing designs or borrow design elements such as the Axis lock. What people tend to forget is that (1) different countries have different intellectual property laws, (2) foreign companies sell in a variety of international markets, and (3) Ganzo seems to have gotten their start making knives for other companies, possibly including the ones they've "ripped off". As Kevin Cleary pointed out, some of the people up in arms about this issue might have a Ganzo-made knife in their pocket and not even know it. The point here is that the issue might be more complicated or have more nuance than it first appears. It also might be worth asking if that past, however understood, will forever cloud any original product they make until the end of time.
 
Chronovore said:
I dread this every time I mention Ganzo but it was relevant to the conversation. They make relatively decent knives in Chinese D2 that run on bearings and only cost $20-30.

Now, does the company "suck" because they are "rip off artists"? Well, the knives I'm referencing here are original designs. So where do we get this idea? In the past, Ganzo has released several models that closely mimic existing designs or borrow design elements such as the Axis lock. What people tend to forget is that (1) different countries have different intellectual property laws, (2) foreign companies sell in a variety of international markets, and (3) Ganzo seems to have gotten their start making knives for other companies, possibly including the ones they've "ripped off". As Kevin Cleary pointed out, some of the people up in arms about this issue might have a Ganzo-made knife in their pocket and not even know it. The point here is that the issue might be more complicated or have more nuance than it first appears. It also might be worth asking if that past, however understood, will forever cloud any original product they make until the end of time.
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Stop promoting a known rip off company. Then there is no reason to dread mentioning them. Simple.
 
craytab said:
Stop promoting a known rip off company. Then there is no reason to dread mentioning them. Simple.
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I'm not "promoting" Ganzo. They came up in a legitimate conversation about budget brands and low-cost alternatives to 8Cr13Mov. The thing I dread is that you can't even mention Ganzo here without someone throwing a zero-detail two-second hatchet attack. Since I think the issue is more complicated, I get stuck writing an actual response when someone does that to one of my posts.
 
David Richardson said:
If it's taking 30 mins to sharpen a small blade with a high carbide steel I think you're using the wrong stones are having to repair some damage. With the right stones I get everything sharp in a few minutes, including Maxamet.
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So what you’re telling me is if I switch out these old medium grit sharpmaker rods with something better, it’ll make everything go quicker?
 
Chronovore said:
I'm not "promoting" Ganzo. They came up in a legitimate conversation about budget brands and low-cost alternatives to 8Cr13Mov. The thing I dread is that you can't even mention Ganzo here without someone throwing a zero-detail two-second hatchet attack. Since I think the issue is more complicated, I get stuck writing an actual response when someone does that to one of my posts.
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It's not a budget brand, they are a clone, knock off, rip off brand, and in fact, a counterfeit brand (when the axis lock was still under patent).

There is no legitimate "knife" discussion to be had here of them. Doing so is to spit in the face of the companies they rip off (those that support and contribute to this community). That is what you do when you casually bring them up. There is nothing complicated about this.

Don't want to hear about it? Don't bring them up. If you want to have a long winded detailed discussion about them, start your own thread and see how it goes. Or, do a search and see how the many many other threads have gone on these dirt bag clone brands. I realize you are new here and you may not know.
 
craytab said:
It's not a budget brand, they are a clone, knock off, rip off brand, and in fact, a counterfeit brand (when the axis lock was still under patent).

There is no legitimate "knife" discussion to be had here of them. Doing so is to spit in the face of the companies they rip off (those that support and contribute to this community). That is what you do when you casually bring them up. There is nothing complicated about this.

Don't want to hear about it? Don't bring them up. If you want to have a long winded detailed discussion about them, start your own thread and see how it goes. Or, do a search and see how the many many other threads have gone on these dirt bag clone brands. I realize you are new here and you may not know.
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Question:
How do you feel about the Strider SNG clones that surfaced in the past decade?
 
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