Which would be better for a bushcraft knife, AEB-L OR 14C28N?

D

Dogman66

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Jan 30, 2025
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Hi, lm looking for a good steel to make myself a Canadian belt knife , it needs to be relatively stainless, tough and hold a good edge while still having the ability to be sharpened easily in the field? At the moment I'm thinking AEB-L OR 14c28n, but I'm not sure which would be the better
. Any info would be appreciated ☺️ 👍
 
People see 14c28n and think it’s a cheap steel because a lot of “cheaper” knives from over seas use it. It’s a damn fine stainless steel.

Aeb-L is I think the more common cousin found in the USA.

But I like them both.

One of my best fixed blades for the money is a $60 fixed blade from Amazon that uses 14c28n. Love it.
 
It's harder to find 14C28N in the US. Alpha Knife Supply carries it and I think Jantz has it if you search on their website for it.
 
Admiral Steel in/near Chicago.....if you Really want it bad
 
I never noticed that it brings you to the aebl page!
 
Kershaw knives was using 13c26 from Sandvik in a lot of their Ken Onion designs at one time. They were excellent knives but had a problem with staining/rusting in coastal areas due to the bead blasted finish. Sandvik designed 14c28n to have improved stain resistance. Not surprisingly, some of the other properties improved also. It’s an excellent steel at a good price.

Hoss
 
I’ve used both. Can’t really tell a difference, but for the most part I use 14C28N. Anecdotally, it seems to not warp quite as much during HT, but, I might just be getting better in my pre HT grinding/shaping etc. I also have had better luck with supplier of 14C28N vs AEB-L.
 
Where are people sourcing 14c28n from here in the states? Like David mentioned, Alpha Knife does not have it in stock. When you click on the link, just like he said, it takes you to their AEB-L stock page. IIRC, AKS told me they were trying to have it stocked by fall of 2024, but as of now, they don't have it. Jantz does not have it on their site. USA Knife doesn't. NJSB doesn't. Pop.s doesn't. Only place I know of is GFS.
 
Admiral Steel. They usually have it in stock. Every once in a while a thickness may not be available, but usually it’s restocked in about 8-12 weeks. What I like is you can purchase quite a few options in 72” lengths.
I don’t know if you can purchase it in sheet form.
 
Just to throw it in the ring, what about GFS SF100?
maritimeknifesupply.com

GFSKS - SF100 Sheffield’s Stainless Steel

SF100 SF100 – Sheffield’s Stainless Steel. Originally conceived as a razor blade steel, SF100 is a fine-grained stainless steel, with a great combination of toughness, corrosion resistance, ease of resharpening and polishing. Similar in composition to AEB-L/13C26/14C28N it is a great...
maritimeknifesupply.com

"Similar in composition to AEB-L/13C26/14C28N it is a great cost-effective alternative. "

C:Cr:Mn:P:S:Si:
0.68%13%0.75%0.025%0.02%0.4%
 
J Lensmire said:
I’ve used both. Can’t really tell a difference, but for the most part I use 14C28N. Anecdotally, it seems to not warp quite as much during HT, but, I might just be getting better in my pre HT grinding/shaping etc. I also have had better luck with supplier of 14C28N vs AEB-L.
Click to expand...

I have one peice of 6 inch 0.098 14C28N that warps as I cut and grind it into the pattern, never seen anything like. With a stress releaving step and clamped quench plates all good.
 
Stuart Davenport Knives said:
Where are people sourcing 14c28n from here in the states? Like David mentioned, Alpha Knife does not have it in stock. When you click on the link, just like he said, it takes you to their AEB-L stock page. IIRC, AKS told me they were trying to have it stocked by fall of 2024, but as of now, they don't have it. Jantz does not have it on their site. USA Knife doesn't. NJSB doesn't. Pop.s doesn't. Only place I know of is GFS.
Click to expand...

Eurotechni also has plenty.
 
AKS is still my supplier of choice - glad to hear ya'll will be stocking 14C28N. I hope ya'll are able to price it similar to AEB-L

While 14C28N is sorta my choice, I'm not sure there is any real world difference between AEB-L and 14C28N, so the choice comes down to price.
 
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Admiral Steel has really good prices on 14C28N but since the pieces are 72 inches long shipping is really high for a small order but if you are buying in bulk it is worth it, like I bought $800 worth to justify the $140 shipping.

Eurotechi has good prices on many of the Euro steels but you can only buy 2-3 pieces before a substantial increase in shipping cost.

AKS is always the best option for smaller orders, hopefully when they start carrying 14C28N it will help the steel become more popular and respected.
 
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