Sick and Tired of 8Cr13MoV! PLEASE GO AWAY!!

G

GlockandBalls

Joined
Jul 30, 2013
Messages
362
I really don't want to complain about this Chinese steel in my first post ever, but I am sick of it! I actually do have several blades with 8Cr13MoV and they are decent budget knives I guess. I am just tired of seeing it on every darn value knife out there. I don't feel this way about AUS8 because I actually like it on ontario, kabar, and CS folders. It dulls fast but sharpens well, and the coated blades stay corrosion free with basic maintenance.

Does anyone else feel this way? I realize the obvious solution is to pay for better steel and I do have a bunch of blades with Carbon, VG10, Crucible, and other good steels. I just like buying knives and adding to my collection, and I want to find some values out there without this Chinese steel.

OK I VENTED!

-Steve
 
Not that bad IMO. I love Aus 8 but quite frankly I don't want every knife having it on a budget blade. 8cr13mov takes a razor sharp edge fairly easy and holds it long enough to be useful for awhile.
 
You have to make the decision to buy chinese or not. I made that decision a long time ago.
 
I have no problem with 8cr13mov it takes a razor edge and hold it well and it easy to sharpen for the price I think there great value. I really like some of my knives in 8cr13mov.
 
I know its decent. I am just sick of it. To buy Chinese or not to buy Chinese? that is the question, and I think I am over it. Japan and USA is all I will buy from now on.
 
Well what exactly do you WANT to see in a budget knife? You're not gonna be getting S30V or M390 or D2 or Elmax or whatever in a $20-25 knife. If you're not getting 8Cr13MoV or AUS-8 you're likely gonna be getting something crappy like 440A or 420J, and I sure as hell don't want THOSE on my budget knives, do you?
 
My Spyderco Resilience has become a full time kitchen knife and I even throw that thing in the dishwasher. All in all the steel is holding up nicely. There's some mild staining but nothing too shocking. I can live with 8cr13mov on a budget blade.
 
8cr13mov is not a good EDC steel in my opinion.
Way back I carried a Tenacious as a work knife, basic use (wood profiling, thick insulation cutting, etc.)
I was amazed how easy the edge chipped, then I used A CRKT Drifter (8cr14mov), no chipping what so ever ?!?! (only rock lock :D)
All about the heat treat I guess ?
Now I use a PM D2 as a work knife, problem solved ;)
 
GlockandBalls said:
I know its decent. I am just sick of it. To buy Chinese or not to buy Chinese? that is the question, and I think I am over it. Japan and USA is all I will buy from now on.
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Might not want to limit yourself quite that much. Germany, Italy and Spain all have cutlery industries that go back for literal centuries, South America produces some of the best machetes you can buy, there's a vibrant community of South African knife makers and Taiwanese OEM is pretty much on par with anything the US or Japan is producing. Even in China, Kizer and Reate seem to be pushing original designs and premium materials very hard.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
Might not want to limit yourself quite that much. Germany, Italy and Spain all have cutlery industries that go back for literal centuries, South America produces some of the best machetes you can buy, there's a vibrant community of South African knife makers and Taiwanese OEM is pretty much on par with anything the US or Japan is producing. Even in China, Kizer and Reate seem to be pushing original designs and premium materials very hard.
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Excellent post.

Zieg
 
Sick of it? Then don't buy anymore of it. No need to make a thread complaining about it...

Me? I don't mind it in a <$30 budget knife. Love how sharp it gets with minimal effort.
 
I dont mind 8cr13mov and really dont have a problem with other budget steel. Im getting older though so for me super steel these days is way overrated for my needs. I much prefer ease of sharpening to edge longevity. I think you forget though just what price range we are talking for 8cr13mov. Your in the sub 40 market all day long. There just really isnt a whole lot that can be offered in terms of steel in that price range. Hell, in most cases when your in that price range you're lucky if they even tell you what steel it is to begin with. So in that price range I consider it a good thing if they list it. I simply dont see a way that brands could offer a higher end steel and still keep it at the same price. And with that said, yes it would be easier just for you to buy a knife with better steel as with both scenarios you will be paying more whether its the company upgrading or you choosing to buy better stuff. One of those options is much easier to get done.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
Or you could buy the Chinese knives that come in VG-10, S35VN and M390.
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Can you even buy a Chinese-made knife that uses these steels.

I thought VG-10 is Japanese and it's not available outside that country. I know Spyderco (maybe others) has knives made in Taiwanese factories with steel imported from USA. But China?

Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
I just wanted some other suggestions and also wanted to see if other people felt the same way. That's the beauty of this site.. We are allowed to create a thread and complain if we want to and people can either respond or not. I also hate that the Pacific Salt and Salt 1 are pinned with no ability to take apart or adjust. As a matter of fact, I am going to post a thread complaining about that. And if anyone doesn't like it, they don't have to respond. Or they can respond in one of 2 ways; They can give me insight as to why the design is as such, or they can be dismissive and tell me not to buy those knives. We shall see..
 
Lee48 said:
Can you even buy a Chinese-made knife that uses these steels.

I thought VG-10 is Japanese and it's not available outside that country. I know Spyderco (maybe others) has knives made in Taiwanese factories with steel imported from USA. But China?

Correct me if I'm wrong.
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Kizer is made in China and uses VG10 and S35VN. Reate is China-based as well and uses S35VN and M390.
 
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