AUS-8 Steel Review – How Good Is It For Knives?

AUS-8 Steel Review – How Good Is It For Knives?

by wpx_admin
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This AUS-8 Steel review will show you the reasons why this material is trusted and chosen by many people in knife products. They love it for not only its rigidity but also the special features this steel brings.

Therefore, you are completely assured when choosing products with materials derived from this steel, especially the knife.

What Is AUS-8 Steel? 

AUS-8, also known as 8A steel, is one of the special steel produced by Japan’s Aichi steel corporation. It has better quality than common steel grades like 440C, D2, or CM-54.

Popular steel now bases on the features to increase or decrease the amount of chromium or carbon in the heating process. For example, to make stainless steel, people will add chromium and reduce the amount of carbon. However, the final product will inevitably be difficult to sharpen as well as reduce the ability to maintain sharpness.

This steel has a very special structure. It is heat-treated and hardened to an appropriate degree, usually around 58 to 59 HRC (Hot-rolled coil). Therefore, although 8A steel has low carbon and chromium ingredients, it ensures durability, stainless, increased sharpness, and abrasion resistance.

Chemical Composition

Credit: @zknives

You should know the chemical composition of A8 Steel to understand its properties. Let’s check the list below to get the composition that contributes to this amazing steel!

Composition:

  • Carbon                 – 0.75%
  • Chromium – 14.5%
  • Manganese – 0.5%
  • Silicon                   – 1%
  • Phosphorus           – 0.04%
  • Sulfur                    – 0.03%
  • Molybdenum        – 0.3%
  • Vanadium             – 0.25%
  • Nickel                    – 0.5%

You should pay attention to compositions that greatly affect the properties of this steel. 

For example, carbon ensures rigidity, provides edge retention and strengthens the overall structure, while chromium contributes to toughness and durability. Or, manganese helps to increase the hardness, reducing the ability of the material to be worn.

These compositions are the vital factors that affect the quality of this steel.

AUS-8 Properties 

You can check the general characteristics of steel below to understand the features of knives made from this steel.

Sharpness

It has great sharpness that can easily cut through anything. Its sharpness can last relatively long without re-sharpening. However, it still depends on your frequency of use. 

Strength

It has a relative amount of chromium with nickel to increase the toughness and mechanical strength.

Edge retention

Knife Edge Retention Chart
Image credit: @kenaveryknives.com

This steel has high hardness thanks to the suitable rate of carbon. As a result, the knife edges are difficult to chip when facing resistant materials.

Corrosion resistance

Stainless properties and suitable chromium help reduce the possibility of corrosion when the steel is affected by chemical substances. However, it doesn’t mean that the knife will not rust. If you continuously use it under wet conditions, it still has the risk of getting rust.

Abrasion resistance

8A steel is made of both carbon and molybdenum. These two substances, when combined, create good abrasion resistance for your knives.

Machinability

The combination of molybdenum and sulfur in the composition makes it easy to be machined into any mold.

It would be difficult to say that all the properties of this steel are excellent. However, in general, the basic characteristics of this steel are guaranteed and maintained at a stable level. It is suitable for any role, from good sharpness to stable durability; AUS-8 steel has it all.

Is AUS-8 Stainless Steel Good For Knives?

Yes, it is.  It is suitable for a mid-range knife because it is also mid-range steel. You absolutely can have good knife characteristics such as stainless, high strength, good sharpness, good abrasion resistance, etc.

Especially for knife manufacturers, it is one of the excellent materials because of its machinability. The suitable hardness and toughness make it easy to be machined in shaping, which helps to minimize risks in the tooling process.

Therefore, the answer to the above question is definitely “yes.” Accordingly, many manufacturers also believe that it is the perfect material for a mid-range knife.

Related question: Is 420HC Steel Good For Knives?

AUS-8 VS Other Steels

AUS-8 Steel Review brings you some brief comparisons between this steel and other popular ones. You will get a great look at this steel and understand why it is classified as “Mid-Range Steel”.

AUS-8 vs 440C

Typically, AUS-8 and 440C steel have relatively similar characteristics in terms of durability and toughness. The only difference is their machinability. The AUS-8 is slightly easier to sharpen than the 440C.

AUS-8 vs VG 10

The similarity between these two steel types is that they have the same level of corrosion resistance. The difference comes from edge retention and durability. VG 10 steel edge retention is better than A8. However, its strength is not as good as A8. VG 10 is also harder to machine than AUS-8 steel.

AUS-8 vs S30V

S30V’s hardness and abrasion resistance are better than A8 steel. Therefore, knives made from S30V are longer than those made of AUS-8. However, the machinability of S30V is lower than A8, so it takes much effort to create an S30v knife.

AUS-8 vs 8Cr13MoV

These two kinds of steel have different manufacturers. AUS-8 is from Japan, and 8Cr13MoV is from China. Although they share the same process, AUS-8 has better edge retention and corrosion resistance.

In terms of similarities, both share the same toughness.

AUS-8 vs D2

These two steel types are similar in edge retention and corrosion resistance. However, when compared to toughness, D2 easily won AUS-8.

Conclusion

Perhaps you are ready to choose this steel as a great material for your knife. Let’s base on the information above and try an 8A knife as it will never disappoint you.

The AUS-8 Steel review above can bring useful information about the amazing steel characteristics and its effect on the knives, so it helps compare products and support making decisions. 

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