Which steel?

C

Cr4zYH3aD

Joined
Apr 28, 2005
Messages
95
Yeah i know, newbie question.

I want to buy a CRKT Corkum First Strike,
cr-firststrike-catalog.jpg


Unless there's something better at that price ($76).

the black edition is nice but it's 440A, and there's the AUS 6M, which one is better ? the AUS 6M might be a tad softer but with the added vanadium it might hold a better edge,

thanks
 
I like the AUS-6 myself. I have several knives with that steel. seem to hold an edge pretty well.
 
I prefer AUS6 to 440a. It takes a keener edge and is easier to sharpen.

I am not sure about edge holding. Though AUS6 needs to be honed often.
 
I have some Cold Steel knives with 440A, and so far they're much better than I hoped for. The first version of the Recon 1 featured a great handle, an axis lock and a 4-inch blade made of 440A. Then there was the Pro-Lite and the Night Force, both of which also have kept remarkably sharp blades. The blades all came out of the boxes with razor edges, though I noticed the serration patterns in the 440A knives were a bit beefier and a just a bit more blunt. I also have carried and used a CRKT M16-13Z (AUS6), and I bought a few Ryan 6 fixed blades (also AUS6). From what I'd read here, I expected them to go dull quickly, but they held up okay, though not great. I could get the blades very, very sharp, and if I didn't stare at it too long, it stayed sharp. Given my druthers, I'd take 440A, but then, Cold Steel treats their steel a bit better than CRKT, so it might be a wash.

ColdSteelNightForce_2.jpg


The Cold Steel Night Force keeps an edge quite well.
 
AFAIK, the First Strike used to be made in AUS6M, and is now made in 440A.

In other words, I don't think there's a choice in the steel for that knife - it's 440A.

Even if you do find an older one in AUS6M, CRKT does not mark the knife with the type of steel - so you'd have no way of knowing if you had a 440A knife or an AUS6M knife.
Short of going to a lab...

My pick of the two is AUS6M; it seems to hold its edge somewhat longer than 440A does.
 
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