Why not much AUS 10?

[knarfeng]

Perhaps it depends on the press, and just how soft the steel is at the time of stamping?
Buck has been fine-blanking(stamping) blades since the late '60s(~1968).
They have fine-blanked steels with at least as much carbon as AUS-10; including 440C, 154 CM, ATS-34, BG-42, and Damascus.

No they don't. They fine blank 420HC. The others are laser cut.

 

[Joshua J.]

I remember in a thread on the Kershaw forum Thomas said that 14C28N was the best steel they could press out, 19C27 can't be used as a budget steel because it would need to be laser cut and therefore would cost almost the same as S30V in the end.

Materials is still just a small factor in the overall price of a product.

 

[Buck_110]

No they don't. They fine blank 420HC. The others are laser cut.

440C was employed up through 1980, before they switched over to 425M in 1981.
Outside of goverment agencies, how popular were lasers back in the late '60s?
How many were computer controlled, and what about software development for each knife model back then? Few knew what a computer was back then, let alone anything about them.

 

[RandomAyes]

Perhaps it depends on the press, and just how soft the steel is at the time of stamping?
Buck has been fine-blanking(stamping) blades since the late '60s(~1968).
They have fine-blanked steels with at least as much carbon as AUS-10; including 440C, 154 CM, ATS-34, BG-42, and Damascus.

No they don't. They fine blank 420HC. The others are laser cut.

440C was employed up through 1980, before they switched over to 425M in 1981.
Outside of goverment agencies, how popular were lasers back in the late '60s?
How many were computer controlled, and what about software development for each knife model back then? Few knew what a computer was back then, let alone anything about them.

......

 

[whetrock]

I too have been wondering about AUS-10 I have seldom heard much about it here and have only seen it in a handfull of production knives. I may give into my curiosity and try out an AG Russel hunters scalpel for like 20 bucks.

 

[Buck_110]

......

What's your point? I'm positive he can read for himself. knarfeng and I talk off this site as well.
What exactly are you anticipating?

 

[RandomAyes]

......

 

[RandomAyes]

Oh. Apparently I'm not going to learn what is fine blanked versus laser cut.

It seemed like you two were going to work out an answer. Presumably both are intelligent and knowledgeable. But in this case (AFAIK) only one of you can be right, and I'd like to know the right answer.

I don't need to see egos collide. We all have our egos under control anyway, right?

 

[Planterz]

If my memory serves me, while AUS6 and AUS8 are/were good steels for the price, AUS-10 wasn't as good as comparably costing available steels like ATS-34 and VG-10. Spyderco made a knife or two in AUS-10, but the vast majority of their Japanese made knives were in VG-10, and still are to this day. If AUS-10 was a better choice, we'd see the Delica and Endura in AUS-10. But we don't. To me, nothing more needs to be said.

 

[The Mastiff]

If my memory serves me, while AUS6 and AUS8 are/were good steels for the price, AUS-10 wasn't as good as comparably costing available steels like ATS-34 and VG-10. Spyderco made a knife or two in AUS-10, but the vast majority of their Japanese made knives were in VG-10, and still are to this day. If AUS-10 was a better choice, we'd see the Delica and Endura in AUS-10. But we don't. To me, nothing more needs to be said

I personally like VG10 over most stainless steels in it's class, not just Aus 10. I do like Aus 10 and have several knife blades in this steel including the rare native 2 PE, and a Aus 10 bowie ( .250 inch) from A.G.Russell. I have Junglee, and Cold steel in it too, so I'm pretty familiar with it.

I wouldn't read too much into the "sal chose VG10" thing. It may or may not be true. It could be something as simple as VG10 has a more recognizable name. Perhaps it's easier for the factory to get one steel over another, or they are more familiar working with it, or are better set up for it.Factories have forced steel decisions in the past. The Caly jr ( or Jess horn) was originally supposed to be a non San Mai ZDP blade like the delica and Endura ZDP models. The factory that was doing the knife didn't have a water jet or laser, only fine blanking. Rather than cancel that project it was decided to use a thinner San Mai ZDP/420j, which could be blanked unlike the full width ZDP. The rest is history and it worked out very well. The Caly jr. is still sought after and thought highly of but originally it wasn't supposed to happen that way..

VG1o likely is Sal's choice. It's too good to be an accident but sometimes things aren't always what they seem.

VG10 just sharpens easier and takes better edges IMO.

Joe