Which knives still in aus8 for 2015?

The Tuff Lite series (sadly) is staying AUS8A, which is a bit of a letdown for me as that knife is basically EDC perfection except for the steel. I'd love to see them blow all of our minds and introduce a Tuff XL with a 3.5-4" blade (like a folding Point Guard...!) and slap some CTS-XHP on there, but that's pretty wishful thinking.

I think the Kobun, OSS, OSI, and the majority of their fixed blades in general are staying exactly what they were. Honestly, you can just go to their 2015 lineup on their website and find out what knives aren't being updated through omission.

EDIT: I just noticed that the Spartan dropped to 5oz in weight, and all of the knives that previously had rust-magnet bead-blast finishes are now STONEWASHED.

Whhhaaaatttt. Cold Steel just ate up my knife budget for the rest of the year, between the 4-Max and the new Holdouts and the new Ti-Lites...
 
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Spartan weight is a misprint .. really 9oz on dealer lists.
 
Comeuppance said:
The Tuff Lite series (sadly) is staying AUS8A, which is a bit of a letdown for me as that knife is basically EDC perfection except for the steel.
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Curious, what is the issue with AUS8a? The way Cold Steel heat treats their AUS8a, even on a daily driver, you AT MOST need to sharpen their knives like once a year. And yes I said sharpen, which means taking the knife to a stone or rod, and removing steel. When these knives edges are not where you want them to be, a dozen passes on a good steel, is all that is needed to rehone the edge back to hair popping sharp.

Using a steel is not sharpening, it is honing. If when a knife losses it's keenness, if the first thing the owner reaches for is not a steel, they are not as knowledgeable about knives, as they fancy themselves.
 
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ursamajor said:
Curious, what is the issue with AUS8a? The way Cold Steel heat treats their AUS8a, even on a daily driver, you AT MOST need to sharpen their knives like once a year. And yes I said sharpen, which means taking the knife to a stone or rod, and removing steel. When these knives edges are not where you want them to be, a dozen passes on a good steel, is all that is needed to rehone the edge back to hair popping sharp.

Using a steel is not sharpening, it is honing. If when a knife losses it's keenness, if the first thing the owner reaches for is not a steel, they are not as knowledgeable about knives, as they fancy themselves.
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You know like 95% of the people on this board consider "honing" and "sharpening" to be essentially interchangeable words?
 
Do you guys really think that Aus8 is a lesser option? Accordying to what? Metallurgical studies and white paper definitions? I mean , Aus8 is a great real life performer. Real steel for real people. Some times I think that too much knowledge gets in the way of enjoyment. I really think that any C.S. knife made in Aus8 will outlive its owner.


Peace.
 
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AntonioAhumada said:
Do you guys really think that Aus8 is a lesser option? Accordying to what? Metallurgical studies and white paper definitions? I mean , Aus8 is a great real life performer. Real steel for real people. Some times I think that too much knowledge gets in the way of enjoyment. I really think that any C.S. knife made in Aus8 will outlive its owner.


Peace.
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I agree. :thumbup:
 
I have a 2014, Rajah3, stonewashed in Aus8. Were/are there any Rajah 2s produced that were also stonewashed, and in Aus 8?:confused:
 
AntonioAhumada said:
Do you guys really think that Aus8 is a lesser option? Accordying to what?
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According to real world experience? My knives in AUS-8 need touching up quite a bit more frequently than my knives in S30V for example, despite being used for the same sort of cutting.
 
I've been grabbing some of the mega folders I've always wanted at great prices since most are getting the steel upgrade. I'm confident AUS 8 will provide more than adequate edge retention on this Ti Lite 6. :D

It will be interesting to see how the upgraded models go over with their significantly higher price point. I know us knife knuts are peeing ourselves over the upgrade, but I imagine we are only a small percentage of CS's sales.
 
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Cold Steel has usually tried to keep the prices of most of their products reasonable. They also offer lower-priced options on several products too.

An example of this would be the Bowie machete compared to the Natchez Bowie.

The newer Carpenter CTS-XHP blade steel is a great upgrade, but calling it a super steel isn't truly accurate.

It is a newer powdered-process and extra chromium-added version of a traditional tool steel called D2.

Some of the newer 2015 knives are available from dealers now. The Recon 1 in Clip- & Tanto-Points are going for roughly around the $100 or so.

This is about $30 to $40 more than the original Aus-8A versions went for. Plus there are still plenty of those available for those that don't want to spend more money. The supply will dry-up eventually though.
 
AntonioAhumada said:
Do you guys really think that Aus8 is a lesser option? Accordying to what? Metallurgical studies and white paper definitions? I mean , Aus8 is a great real life performer. Real steel for real people. Some times I think that too much knowledge gets in the way of enjoyment. I really think that any C.S. knife made in Aus8 will outlive its owner.


Peace.
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Exactly! I have dozens of blades made of Aus 8 and I've never found the steel to be limiting in any way. The obsession with fancier steels in North America is absolutely ludicrous. It seems to me that many steel nerds don't really care about knife design or even fit and finish. It's all about steel composition which they couldn't verify on their own if their lives were on the line and which will make no practical difference to them. How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
 
Larry Turko said:
Exactly! I have dozens of blades made of Aus 8 and I've never found the steel to be limiting in any way. The obsession with fancier steels in North America is absolutely ludicrous. It seems to me that many steel nerds don't really care about knife design or even fit and finish. It's all about steel composition which they couldn't verify on their own if their lives were on the line and which will make no practical difference to them. How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
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I hate honing knives, truly despise it. And I guaran-freakin-tee you, I have to hone my AUS-8(and 8Cr13) knives a lot more frequently than I do S30V knives. That is simply a fact, and if you are arguing that you can't tell the difference between those 2 steels, you flat out don't use your knives. Now, how AUS-8 compares to BD-1 and XHP, I don't know, I only have 1 infrequently carried knife in BD-1 and none in XHP, but as a user of knives, I can say unquestionably that at least SOME steels I've used DO perform better than AUS-8 and that most certainly DOES make a practical difference to me.
 
DShiflet said:
I hate honing knives, truly despise it. And I guaran-freakin-tee you, I have to hone my AUS-8(and 8Cr13) knives a lot more frequently than I do S30V knives. That is simply a fact, and if you are arguing that you can't tell the difference between those 2 steels, you flat out don't use your knives. Now, how AUS-8 compares to BD-1 and XHP, I don't know, I only have 1 infrequently carried knife in BD-1 and none in XHP, but as a user of knives, I can say unquestionably that at least SOME steels I've used DO perform better than AUS-8 and that most certainly DOES make a practical difference to me.
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Does it make a huge difference in price too? Is the compared price worth the "no honing" attitude?
 
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