Opinion on AEB L

Deweyknives

Deweyknives

Joined
Nov 29, 2006
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Anybody here using AEB L? I've had requests for stainless kitchen cutlery but have been a 'carbon' guy from the start. After a long discussion with Aldo [thanks Aldo, enjoyed our chat!!], we thought AEB L might be what I need. Anyone have an opinion on this steel? Preferably from experience.

I would be doing my own heat treat [digital oven] and would like to hear about your HT methods as well.

Appreciate your time, guys. Stay safe!!
 
I have not used it, but have used similar steels like 12C27. It is very close to 13C26, if not identical. Takes a very sharp edge at low angles (<= 10 degrees per side) and holds it for a while in kitchen use. Check out some youtube videos of Richmond Knives. I've seen it out cut 52100 at the same hardness (61 HRc) in CATRA tests.
 
I was looking into a similar question last year. AEB-L seems to be well liked.

Personally, I don't like how AEB-L grinds - it's gummy like a stainless steel. So I've been using S35VN for kitchen cutlery because I was able to get it in thin stock.
 
I've heard good things about AEB L from kitchen knife enthusiasts, and they are pretty darn picky about their steels. Devin Thomas uses it and makes some wicked pieces.

The other popular steel they tend to love is CPM 154.

Here's Devin's chart for some properties of steels he's used:

chart.jpg
 
Don Nguyen said:
I've heard good things about AEB L from kitchen knife enthusiasts, and they are pretty darn picky about their steels. Devin Thomas uses it and makes some wicked pieces.

The other popular steel they tend to love is CPM 154.

Here's Devin's chart for some properties of steels he's used:

chart.jpg
Click to expand...

I use it for my kitchen knives (all I make really, and only a few of them) and like it, Devin heat treats it for me.

It takes a very sharp edge and is easy to sharpen, but of course suffers a little in edge holding compared with more specialised highly alloyed cutlery steels especially powder metallurgy steels. I would rather sharpen often and easily and have it super sharp.

I do find it scratches quite easily. It is extremely corrosion resistant in the kitchen and plenty tough enough. I have little experience grinding other steels so can't comment much on that.

https://sites.google.com/site/alexnharvey/home/knifemaking/second-gyuto-chefs-knife
 
Is this when I come in and shamelessly plug my .110 and .130 AEB-L and 52100 or due I wait a little while longer :)
 
Thanks for your input.

Aldo, plug away my friend!! :thumbup:

Tait, how would you compare the two in sharpness & sharpenability?

Thanks for the chart, Don. I find it interesting that Devin graded it that high for 'edge stability'. From what I was reading, there was some question about rolling and deformation because of super fine grains and marginal carbon.

Thanks, me2. I wonder why they chose 52100 to compare to? Interesting statistic anyhow.

I was talking to a chef friend tonight and asked him what was more important to him, Super sharp and easy to get or longer edge retention with harder to sharpen.

Of course, his answer was 'Depends on the knife...' :)
 
It is great for a kitchen knife. Super cheap, can be ground ultra thin and not warp in HT, gets very sharp, super corrosion resistant, but does take light scratches easily.
 
Deweyknives said:
Thanks, me2. I wonder why they chose 52100 to compare to? Interesting statistic anyhow.
Click to expand...

There were several steels compared. 52100, 1084, AEB-L, Wootz, and a couple of others. 52100 and AEB-L have a similar microstructure, ie high hardness matrix with very small carbides. The study even treated the 1084 to have fine carbides, which is not the normal way to do things. I'll link to the study. Anyway, I think of AEB-L as stainless 52100, with better wear resistance.
 
I love AEB-L, it is my favorite stainless. A sub-zero/cryo treatment is a MUST. Needs to be taken down to at least -95. Here is how I H/T it.

1. Heat to 1560 and equalize.
2. Heat to 1975 and soak for 10 min..
3. Plate quench.
4. Sub-zero/cryo.
5. Double temper 2 hours each time.

350=HRC-60
400=HRC-59
450=HRC-58
500=HRC-57

These tempering temps. may vary depending on your equipment. I usually temper at 375. Give it a try and let us know what you think.
 
@Randy,

I didn't ever subzero AEB-L, so I can't give a good comparison. It wouldn't be all that hard to make a test blade out of some scrap (just grind an edge of some piece down) to try it. If I had any laying around, I'd send you some. On the other hand, I CAN send you a small piece of S35VN if you like. I have some pieces of .065 and (I think) .110.

@Darrin,

Thanks for the receipe - Why do you love AEB-L - what is it that you like?

@me2,

It seems like small carbides would usually be a good idea - do you have any idea why is it not normal to heat treat 1084 for small carbides?
 
1084 is essentially a eutectoid steel. When it goes above critical, its generally assumed all the carbides dissolve. There are probably a few still around, but the treatment used in the study intentionally left them for improved wear a nd to have a microstructure closer to the other steels tested. It would be tricky to replicate this heat treatment without exceptional temperature and heating rate control. Well, exceptional for most users of 1084.
 
Thanks me2, makes more sense now. It's encouraging to see it outcut 52100 after hearing about shortcomings in edge retention. Can't be too bad a performer.

Thanks for the receipe Darren. Straight forward HT, just need to set up for cryo. Probably go with dry ice & Kero if I can track down dry ice local.

Thanks Tait. I was going to jump right in with a couple pieces of AEB-L. Might be smarter to test AEB-L, cpm154 and s35vn. In hand testing is usually worth more than 20 pages of reading. As I'm new to stainless, it'd be a good exercise for me!!

Anybody have issues with weak edge or deformation? I know it's not a chopper steel, but a hectic commercial kitchen can be a pretty brutal place sometimes. Any cooks/chefs I know just will not deal with a sub-standard knife. [I guess the answer to this would be clear w/ testing!!]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the input!!
 
Deweyknives said:
Thanks me2, makes more sense now. It's encouraging to see it outcut 52100 after hearing about shortcomings in edge retention. Can't be too bad a performer.

Thanks for the receipe Darren. Straight forward HT, just need to set up for cryo. Probably go with dry ice & Kero if I can track down dry ice local.

Thanks Tait. I was going to jump right in with a couple pieces of AEB-L. Might be smarter to test AEB-L, cpm154 and s35vn. In hand testing is usually worth more than 20 pages of reading. As I'm new to stainless, it'd be a good exercise for me!!

Anybody have issues with weak edge or deformation? I know it's not a chopper steel, but a hectic commercial kitchen can be a pretty brutal place sometimes. Any cooks/chefs I know just will not deal with a sub-standard knife. [I guess the answer to this would be clear w/ testing!!]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the input!!
Click to expand...

I tried to chop through a chicken bone and took a bite out of my edge (<0.5mm deep) but any very thin chefs knife could fail like this I think and mine is ground very thin. It is plenty tough enough for most abuse I throw at it and I never have to 'baby it" but the knife I have made is not a meat cleaver.
 
Thank you, ernestrome. Could you tell if it chipped or rolled over? Do you know what Rc Devin is tempering to?

Nice looking knife. Keep at 'em!! :thumbup:
 
I made a couple chef knives from AEB-L with great results. I had Peter's do the HT to 61 Rc. Ground the edges to about .005" before sharpening. I thought it had great edge retention qualities, but what I did not like was that it did not have the meat slicing ability like other steels I have used. I guess the really fine grain did not have the carbide presence like 3V or 90V. I have gotten good feedback though from others not as picky or peculiar as me though.
 
I use the same 600 grit Silicon Carbide compound on all my knives. It normally leaves a toothy but polished edge, but not on AEB-L.
 
Deweyknives said:
Thank you, ernestrome. Could you tell if it chipped or rolled over? Do you know what Rc Devin is tempering to?

Nice looking knife. Keep at 'em!! :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Definitely chipped, it was big enough to see the chip left in the bone. It has cut through smaller chicken bones before but this legbone was too much. This one was at 61, it is my prototype and personal user. I would probably not take a knife down quite so thin again though especially if selling, the second one I linked to is a little thicker and still performs well. Thanks for the compliment.

Big Chris, I am normally sharpening mine with a final stone (shapton) 12000JIS (1.2micron) and not seeing a problem slicing meat or any other food. I would say the majority of kitchen knives are sharpened to at least 1000JIS. Maybe you could try going a little higher.
 
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