my thoughts on sandvik steel...

65steve65

65steve65

Joined
Dec 9, 2012
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Hey guys i am still somewhat new to knives, but i am slowly learning more about them. I know that i hate AUS8, but the Sandvik 14c28n that kershaw uses just really impresses me. The Aus8 in my old edc was very bad about chipping, and i only had the knife for about a month before corrosion and rust started coming up even though i take great care and maintain my knives. This knife obviously wasnt a Kershaw so i am not going to get into what i think of it. But this 14c28n is just terrific, no chipping, no corrosion or rust, pretty good edge retention, and easy to get razor sharp, and since i am new to sharpening too that is saying something lol. Just wondering what some of you 'vets' of knife collecting think? I am new to this but i do know there are better steels, but am i wrong for thinking this steel at the price point of say a Skyline (my fav edc) heck up to the $80 price range could stand toe to toe with any steel at this price point?
 
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Whoops!! My newbishness is showing sorry for the typo in the title guys! don't come down on me too hard haha!!
 
I like the 14C28N the best out of the "budget" steels. Definitely holds an edge longer than my CRKT AUS8 knives ever did.
 
NeverMore1701 said:
I like the 14C28N the best out of the "budget" steels. Definitely holds an edge longer than my CRKT AUS8 knives ever did.
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I agree, I absolutely hate AUS8 now, i know different manufacturers have different ways of heat treating steels so maybe some provide a good AUS but i am totally turned off to it from my other knife, it was only a $30 knife but so was the skyline is the difference is rediculous
 
I like it as well .I have seen where some say its make up is better than Aus 6 but on par with Aus 8 just alittle better in a couple categories .I can't find where i read this right this second i'm not a steel guy lol .I think its better than Aus 8
 
65steve65 said:
I agree, I absolutely hate AUS8 now, i know different manufacturers have different ways of heat treating steels so maybe some provide a good AUS but i am totally turned off to it from my other knife, it was only a $30 knife but so was the skyline is the difference is rediculous
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I only have two AUS8 knives left. The CRKT M21-04 takes an absolutely amazing edge, but doesn't hold it for as long as I'd like. The Boker Burnely Kwaiken also takes a very nice edge, not quite as good as the CRKT, but close. It does hold it a bit better though.
 
i never had a problem getting the aus8 to get a razor edge, but retention wasnt great and i just can't get over how easily it rusted even though i oiled it weekly and it never touched water, and humidity wasnt really an issue then either
 
I haven't had a problem with rust, but then again I live in a pretty darn dry area. My Sandvik blades don't get quite as sharp, but the hold their edges quite a bit longer for my use.
 
I have an Ontario rat folder and can't get the AUS-8 to sharpen even in the slightest (thought about throwing in trash out of spite).

I also learned how to sharpen on my beloved skyline and after lots of practice and giving it poor sharpening scrapes I find the 14c28n hard to beat!
I'm looking forward to my BFC skyline which will be my first S30v knife, and I just got an ELMAX blade aswell.

If someone told me the 14c28n was just as "high-end" as those two mentioned, I'd believe it, and who's to say it isn't true for the type of use these knives get.
 
Sikmike said:
I have an Ontario rat folder and can't get the AUS-8 to sharpen even in the slightest (thought about throwing in trash out of spite).
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I have never had a problem getting my RAT AUS8 razor sharp. I can get mine to pop hair with my Sharpmaker.
 
They both are fine for me. AUS-8 or any of the Sandvik's. I think I like 13C26 better than 14C28N, but both are better than 12C27 (hope I got all those numbers correct). But the AUS-8 that is in my SOG knives works great, gets razor sharp, and keeps its edge extremely well. All freehand sharpened.
 
In my experience, 14C28N and AUS-8 are both about the same in regards to ease of sharpening and the ability to take a fine edge. Retention-wise, it feels like the Sandvik keeps a working edge a bit longer. I do touch-ups on them at about the same interval (weekly). As part of my touch-up process, I usually slice paper to gauge where each stands. The Sandvik knives tend to cut more smoothly (less fraying on the cut line, fewer snags), but that could also be due to the blade grind (hollow grind on my Skyline and Blur vs. FFG on my RAT-1 and SOGs). I haven't had rust/corrosion issues (not as much of a problem where I'm at), but I have read accounts of 14C28N resisting corrosion better than AUS-8.

I see similar edge retention on 8Cr13MoV and its variants, but I can't consistently get those as sharp as 14C28N or AUS-8. My speculation is the 8Cr13MoV has a less uniform composition, so it doesn't wear/grind as evenly when sharpening. I can get 420HC about as sharp as the Sandvik and AUS-8 steels, but its edge retention is noticeably less.
 
Just a friendly heads up for those that may not know it. Sandvik 14C28N was a special steel that the guys from Kershaw and Sandvik cooked up on their own.
 
I haven't tried AUS8, but I have a Skyline with 14C28N. I love it, holds a really great edge. I haven't had to sharpen either of my Skylines, so I can't speak for the ease of sharpening.
 
My Skyline is what really turned me on to the 14c28n, i had to sharpen it for the first time this weekend, and it was a piece of cake!
 
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