when did crkt change to aus 4?

[daryl douthat]

Just found a good price on crkt "alaska bwana"'s. I have one from a few years ago in aus 6 and, while I would prefer aus 8, found the aus 6 to be fine. For those who haven't tried one, they do what they are designed to do very well ( field dressing big game) and I prefer the design to some much better known and highly touted "hunting" knives. The ones that I saw at a bargain price were received by the store in may, 2004. My question: are these the older aus 6 version or the new and not improved aus 4 versions? Anybody know when the aus 4 versions first appeared?

 

[Andy_L]

I think it was when the 205 range came out I shall try and dig up the thread I made somewhere about it.

It seems it it came to light early in 2005

 

[mete]

Having used the Cold Steel Master Hunter in AUS 8 for a while , I find it an excellent steel. I wouldn't get an AUS 6 and certainly not an AUS4.

 

[daryl douthat]

Thanks for the information. I think the ones that I found are aus 6. I too would prefer aus 8 and would be happy to pay for better steel but the design of the Alaska Bwana (the name is lousy) is superb. The aus 6 requires more frequent sharpening but is fine for what I use it for which is cutting up moose in the field and onions in the kitchen. I have a couple of dozen "better" folders (including a Grip in D2 and a Spyderco Wegner) but I like the Bwana too. It's definitely better at onions than either of those and pretty darned good at moose too.

Just as an aside, when I was dressing out a moose head (for "moose head soup"), I accidentally hit the edge of a tooth and took small chips out of the D2. At least with a ceramic sharpener, it's a lot harder to get small chips out of the Benchmade D2 than it would be out of the crkt aus 6.