AEB-L vs M390??

[The_Knife_Man]

How do theses steels compare when used for pairing and chief knifes? Assuming same geometry, heat treatment, ect

Would I notice any difference in sharpening, edge retention, roll & chips?

 

[dirc]

they are literally opposite ends of the stainless spectrum in steel...

aeb-l is tough, simple, and will not have high edge retention
m390 is pm tech steel, expensive, holds an edge an incredibly long time (but gives up a lot of toughness to do that)

aeb-l will sharpen very easily & is excellent for quick touch ups... m390 is a pain unless you have diamond/high end sharpening system

aeb-l won't chip unless the ht is screwed up, m390 is much more chippy (but is usually tempered at a higher temp to help avoid that)

 

[Currawong]

Dirc's advice above is correct.

AEB-L is closest to what you would use for a 'normal' chef knife. It gets very sharp (it can support a stable thin edge), and will dull but is easy to quickly touch up. It will handle (slightly) abusive use without damage, so you don't have to baby it or have exceptional skills. Many custom chef knives are made with AEB-L, but I haven't seen one in M390.

If you're happy to sharpen, you would probably only switch to M390 if you had to cut some kind of 'abrasive food', though I can't think what that would be. If you were regularly slicing veggies on a ceramic chopping board it would be much better than AEB-L. But if you're giving it as a gift to someone who never sharpens their knives, then M390 would be the way to go.

 

[Rhinoknives1]

How do theses steels compare when used for pairing and chief knifes? Assuming same geometry, heat treatment, ect

Would I notice any difference in sharpening, edge retention, roll & chips?

I’ve Used AEB-L for around 20 years for my Culinary Chef, Parer & Boning Fillet etc Knives . It’s all you’ll ever need or want in a Culinary Steel......M390 is more for folders etc. see above posts for a honest look at the two steels...

 

[Ourorboros]

If you're happy to sharpen, you would probably only switch to M390 if you had to cut some kind of 'abrasive food', though I can't think what that would be. If you were regularly slicing veggies on a ceramic chopping board it would be much better than AEB-L.

Vegetables like spinach that aren't cleaned and full of grit? Skinning game that also has a lot of dirt in the fur?

Seriously though, modern steels have gotten to the point where it just takes too long to sharpen for my taste. I'd rather have a steel that sharpens quickly and takes a fine edge.
I think there is a reason HAP40 and ZDP-189 never got much market share in the culinary world.

 

[Rykjeklut]

Vegetables like spinach that aren't cleaned and full of grit? Skinning game that also has a lot of dirt in the fur?

Seriously though, modern steels have gotten to the point where it just takes too long to sharpen for my taste. I'd rather have a steel that sharpens quickly and takes a fine edge.
I think there is a reason HAP40 and ZDP-189 never got much market share in the culinary world.

Or Maxamet...

 

[shqxk]

From my experience both sharpen easily but M390 will hold an edge far better and also resist rust better too. Toughness wise, I never chipped or break any of them.

M390 also easier to HT to high HRC like 62HRC while it's quite difficult for AEB-L to achieve that range (require cryogenic and really low range tempering)

 

[Karl H]

How do theses steels compare when used for pairing and chief knifes? Assuming same geometry, heat treatment, ect

Would I notice any difference in sharpening, edge retention, roll & chips?

Fundamentally, each steel is optimal for different grinds and abrasives. AEB-L is best suited for thinner grinds (with the expectation that you will probably need to hone more often), resembling razor blades and scalpels. M390 is better suited to thicker grinds, so it will not roll or chip. AEB-L is relatively easy to sharpen with Aluminum Oxide or Silicon Carbide abrasives. M390 is relatively easy to sharpen with CBN or diamond abrasives

My personal opinion is that HAP-40 is the best option available if your primary concern is resistance to edge rolling and chipping in thinly ground knives, if you have CBN or diamond abrasives.