Folding knife and blade steel

[IronMonkey]

I am in the hunt for a new folding knife.  Gerber Harsey Air Ranger (44.99) AUS-8A steel, CRKT fire department M16 (49.99) AUS-8 steel, Kershaw Vapor Framelocks (24.99) AUS-6A steel, Bear Cutlery Sideliner Locks (59.99)  Damascus 512 layered.  All are within my price range once I sell my TC barrel  Which steel would be the best?  All of them look good.

[Joel]

The AUS-6  and AUS-8 Steels are the improved Japanese versions of 440A and 440B respectively.  The improvement involved adding a very small amount of Vanadium, which acts as a grain refiner and hardener, and improves edge holding.  The Choice is up to you, I don't have any experience with either steel.  As far as Bear's damascus goes, can't find any reference at their webpages what steels they are pattern welding to produce what they sell.  I do know it's a high carbon damascus, which I wouldn't want personally in a hard use knife.  The etched pattern wouldn't probably hold up too awfully well under hard use and constant abrasion, and what little I've messed with the stuff, you're not gaining any kind of edge advantage with it.  Not having used any of the products/steels, I can just pass on this little node of knowledge(heh!)

[Tony]

IronMonkey,

I have experience with AUS-6 steel. Pesrsonally I will probably not ever buy another knife that uses that steel. I do not think that it holds an edge very well and does not sharpen real good either. I have a friend that has a fillet knife that is made from the AUS-6 steel. It was razor sharp when he first got it an after cleaning 3 to 4 salmon he thought it was still sharp. I was using his knife one day to show him how I filleted salmon and I was so disgusted how dull his knife was after cleaning so few of fish, I decided to use my own knife made with 440A. The fact is that I have used my fillet knife to clean 15 red salmon before I had to touch it up again. I do ont have any experience with AUS-8, but if its performance is like AUS-6 then I know I will stay away from it also.

[TimWieneke]

Hey Monkey,

I had an AUS 8 pocket knife before.  Can't remember who manufactured it but I do remember it was nothing noteworthy.  Sharpened easy, but dulled easy.  I've been carrying a little (3 1/2" blade) SOG with an americanized tanto blade and have been really impressed with performance of it.  I had forgotten that it was a BG-42 blade and have heard good things about BG-42.  This is one of the very few times I've found the marketing of a high tech stainless steel to match it's actual performance.  Oh yeah, the SOG should be right about at the price range of the knives you're mentioning.  

As to carbon steel damascus, I have to agree with Joel.  You'll lose the decorative lines with use.  Pattern welded steel (another way to term damascus or layerd steel) was developed to save money on blades at a time in history when high carbon steel was freakin' expensive.  Welding high carbon steel and low carbon (cheaper) steel together made a very usable blade that saved material costs.  It has been revived as an art form - not for "superior" performance.  Wootz (also sometimes called damascus, or dendritic steel - not the least bit confusing right? :-) ) is another matter for another (bigger) thread.  When you hear of damascus steel that "sharpens itself" with use, they're talking about wootz (or their misinformed, or lying :-) ).

Tim