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AstroBev
80
Jan 12, 2018
$40 for 8Cr13MoV seems a bit high to me. You've got the RAT knives in AUS-8 at this price point and the Cutjack and RAT in D2 for not much more. This does have G10 over those though to be fair.
Kados
249
Jan 12, 2018
AstroBevIKBS also.
AstroBev
80
Jan 12, 2018
KadosI missed that bit, thank you! That justifies it a little bit more, but I personally would prefer that before they add the frills like G10 and IKBS they get the main part of a knife, the blade, right. I'll fully admit to being a bit snobbish about steel though, and for people who are ok with 8Cr13MoV I'm sure this is a good higher end choice.
JeremyHeld
47
Jan 12, 2018
AstroBevNot saying this in anyway to be argumentative but more out of genuine curiosity--is the importance having good steel matter to you because of how you use the knife or is it more a matter of liking the superior product simply because it's superior? I guess my point is that I've only recently gotten into knives and I still can't tell a practical difference between the various steels on blades (Even though i obviously understand there is one). So I'm just curious if it's a case of just wanting the superior product or if there is an actual practical (and not a hypothetica) reason for people that need the higher end steels on knives.
YCHE
3
Jan 12, 2018
AstroBevI dont think 8Cr13MoV is that different from AUS8A performance wise. But $40 is a little too much since you can get much more value from those Chinese brand, like Sanrenmu, Ganzo, Ruike and Tangram. The only factor here is do you like the design.
AstroBev
80
Jan 12, 2018
JeremyHeldI won't deny that part of it is the knowing the steel is more higher end, otherwise it wouldn't bother me that knife that's meant to a gentleman's folder aka light duty knife is in a budget steel. Realistically if you use this knife as a gentleman's folder it would probably stay reasonably sharp for a good while. However once you move out of light duty, the differences in steel become more apparent.
I cut a lot of cardboard, and so wear resistance is important to me. Knives with low wear resistance dull and start snagging in cardboard after a relatively short period. Since I don't have a sharpening system, it's worth it to me to get something that will be good for breaking down cardboard for a good long while before I have to send it off for sharpening.
Someone who sharpens their own knives will probably also appreciate wear resistance so they're not sharpening every month or so. Some of the more wear resistant knives are tough to sharpen however, so people who do their own edge maintenance will want something that won't take them forever to sharpen.
People who are hard on their knives have to worry about chipping, so it may be worth it to get something that isn't so brittle.
People who are near moisture or water (or the worst of them all, salt water) will probably prefer something that is more rust resistant, though this can be mitigated somewhat with coatings.
Some people need knives that can take a very fine edge.
I'm sure there are more traits I'm forgetting as well. But the idea is that there is no perfect steel, no one steel embodies all of those properties perfectly. So you can get steels that try to do better in all those categories, or steels specialized for one in particular.
So for some people it is practical to get a higher end steel. There is certainly a good chunk of people however who would probably be happier with budget steels. Not everyone cares if they get snagged cutting through cardboard, not everyone is going beat up a knife and risk chipping an edge, not everyone is going care if there's a speck of rust on the blade. For them buying a higher end steel would be like spending extra for the truck that can tow a trailer when at most they'll be hooking up a Radio Flyer wagon. It be impractical for them to buy a higher end steel. So while I think there are practical reasons to want a better steel, you have to weigh them yourself and decide whether those are worthwhile reasons.
Hopefully that was somewhat helpful, sorry to all others for rambling in this thread haha.
Subiesaurus_R3X
137
Jan 12, 2018
JeremyHeldIt is certainly both the functionality of the superior steel and the knowledge that you have it. Like others have said, really the biggest advantages are edge retention. How sharp it gets and how long it remains that sharp is the key. When you start sharpening your own knives you quickly realize how soft some of the steels are compared to the high end stuff.... and subsequently how much more time it takes to sharpen.
MonTex
17
Jan 13, 2018
JeremyHeldI have over 75 pocket knives in my collection ranging from a budget Browning folder all the way to CR Mandi. There is a difference but it is very little to tell the difference for daily cutting tasks like cutting packaging tape, Amazon boxes, mail, strings, zip ties, etc. It's more about the grind of the blade and angle of the primary bevel that makes the difference to me. Super steel blades are a little bit harder to sharpen but they do retain the edge longer. Some of my sharpest are made with Japanese AUS-8 and it's a fine, no issue at all. VG-10, M390, S35VN, etc...are good steel but it still depends on the grind of the blade imho.
Fatkido1369
23
Jan 13, 2018
YCHEThe steel is similar but where they have issues is their heat treat many times it is off from batch to batch leaving many knives unable to achieve a decent edge
YCHE
3
Jan 13, 2018
Fatkido1369Bad HT can happen to any steel, not exclusive to cheap Chinese steel. If a company can not get the HT right, I won't buy anything from it.
KennyS
138
Jan 14, 2018
AstroBev 8Cr14MoV is very comparable to AUS8, this knife has G10 and IKBS bearings as well. $40 is a fair price for this knife imho. I think it's a cool looking knife and will be easy to sharpen. Spyderco's chinese line of knives are very popular and use the same steel. Usually knives with G10 and IKBS are a little more pricey, so this seems an easy way to get those nice features without spending too much money.