Eafengrow steel type legit?

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DDDYLN

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I'm looking at an Eafengrow EF141 fixed blade in AUS-10 steel. I like the blade shape, and I like AUS-10 stainless steel. There are very few fixed blades made in AUS-10, and almost zero large fixed blades in AUS-10. The question, is whether I can trust a company like Eafengrow, since they've been caught lying about steel types in the past. I don't want to pay $70 for an AUS-10 fixed blade, that's actually 3Cr13.
 
For $70 you could get way better fixed blades than Eafengrow.

But if you're dead set on that I have heard they've fixed their errors in steel and most people that have tested them last couple of years have been accurate.
 
DDDYLN said:
I'm looking at an Eafengrow EF141 fixed blade in AUS-10 steel. I like the blade shape, and I like AUS-10 stainless steel. There are very few fixed blades made in AUS-10, and almost zero large fixed blades in AUS-10. The question, is whether I can trust a company like Eafengrow, since they've been caught lying about steel types in the past. I don't want to pay $70 for an AUS-10 fixed blade, that's actually 3Cr13.
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There’s your answer.
 
I would not be looking at any Eafengrow, made in China and leaving you questioning the steel.
The knife I would seriously consider is the Demko Freereign. Probably th best Aus10 fixed out there right now.
Cons- It costs more than the Eafengrow 141. It does not look as "nasty and tactical and does not come in all black.
Pros- It is designed by Andew Demko who has been part of Cold Steel for a very long time. It is made in Taiwan and you can rest assured it
is real Japanese Aus10 steel. The sheath is extremely well designed. No one who knows anything about knives will laugh at it, unlike the Eafengrow.
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Eafengrow 141.
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Thanks for the input. I'm certainly not dead set on this Eafengrow. I'm vary wary of buying their knives. People say they fixed their erroneous steel type issues. I'll believe it when I see the proof. Transparency, would go a long way to helping their sales. Few people are going to pay $70+tax, for an AUS-10 blade, that could be 420 or 3Cr13. I'm very familiar with Andrew Demko, his invention of the Tri-Ad lock, and his relationship with Lynn Thompson. It's sad that Lynn sold out to GSM Outdoors. Demko's knife is nice, but I was looking for a 6"+ fixed blade. At this point, I might buy the Ontario Rat 6 in S35VN, while they're still available, despite the crappy sheath, and poor fit and finish. I don't typically go for super stainless steels. But, since I can't find a true AUS-10 6"+ fixed blade, it makes sense. If anyone knows of alternative, I'd love to hear of it.
 
I do have a Steel Will Argonaut 800 in Taiwanese AUS-8 steel. I'm wondering if I should buy the Argonaut 810 or 820, while they're still available. My Steel Will Argonaut 800 is in my tailgate, as it's the only decent stainless steel fixed blade I own.
 
DDDYLN said:
Thanks for the input. I'm certainly not dead set on this Eafengrow. I'm vary wary of buying their knives. People say they fixed their erroneous steel type issues. I'll believe it when I see the proof. Transparency, would go a long way to helping their sales. Few people are going to pay $70+tax, for an AUS-10 blade, that could be 420 or 3Cr13. I'm very familiar with Andrew Demko, his invention of the Tri-Ad lock, and his relationship with Lynn Thompson. It's sad that Lynn sold out to GSM Outdoors. Demko's knife is nice, but I was looking for a 6"+ fixed blade. At this point, I might buy the Ontario Rat 6 in S35VN, while they're still available, despite the crappy sheath, and poor fit and finish. I don't typically go for super stainless steels. But, since I can't find a true AUS-10 6"+ fixed blade, it makes sense. If anyone knows of alternative, I'd love to hear of it.
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It's your choice, but consider that AUS-10 is in the same class of steel and is very similar to 440C, VG10, 154CM etc. Personally I would just find a knife I liked and then make the decision on whether the steel is appropriate for my use from a company I at least trust.

As for Eafengrow, they are not a company I would ever buy from regardless. If they have lied about the steel before, who knows whether they do anything properly? Are you going to trust that they did a proper job on the heat treatment even if they have stopped lying about the steel after having been found out?
 
I've looked for 440C 6"+ fixed blades as well. I'm aware they're similar. Again, I wasn't able to find one from a reputable brand, in the blade length I wanted. IMO, VG10 is a bit more prone to chipping. I could be wrong able that. I'm not too familiar with 154CM, and how it different from CPM-154. I quick search says that 154CM is less prone to chipping than CPM-154, which is a positive for a survival knife. I probably should have clarified that I'm looking for stainless steel survival knives. The Spyderco Respect 7.94" Clip Point CPM-154 Stainless Steel knife looks great. The price is WAY out of my range. I couldn't find a 154CM fixed blade with the specs I'm looking for, but I'll keep searching.
 
chalby said:
It's your choice, but consider that AUS-10 is in the same class of steel and is very similar to 440C, VG10, 154CM etc. Personally I would just find a knife I liked and then make the decision on whether the steel is appropriate for my use from a company I at least trust.

As for Eafengrow, they are not a company I would ever buy from regardless. If they have lied about the steel before, who knows whether they do anything properly? Are you going to trust that they did a proper job on the heat treatment even if they have stopped lying about the steel after having been found out?
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I found the Benchmade Sibert Arvensis Knife Black G-10 (6.44" Satin) 119 in 154CM. There's also a Joker clip point, sawback Bowie knife in 154CM. The Joker isn't the blade shape I'm looking for (spear point or drop point), and the sheath is a joke. The price is decent though, and Joker makes quality knives. It looks like it's a discontinued model. I'll keep looking. I appreciate your help.
 
DDDYLN said:
I've looked for 440C 6"+ fixed blades as well. I'm aware they're similar. Again, I wasn't able to find one from a reputable brand, in the blade length I wanted. IMO, VG10 is a bit more prone to chipping. I could be wrong able that. I'm not too familiar with 154CM, and how it different from CPM-154. I quick search says that 154CM is less prone to chipping than CPM-154, which is a positive for a survival knife. I probably should have clarified that I'm looking for stainless steel survival knives. The Spyderco Respect 7.94" Clip Point CPM-154 Stainless Steel knife looks great. The price is WAY out of my range. I couldn't find a 154CM fixed blade with the specs I'm looking for, but I'll keep searching.
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CPM-154 should be more chip resistant in general. It is the PM version of 154CM. Depends on the heat treatment though.

There are more than those steels though that will give you pretty similar performance. N690, BD1N and even AEB-L or 14C28N will be pretty similar give or take some edge retention. They are all ingot steels so shouldn't be too expensive. I wouldn't get too caught up in the steel. Geometry is way more influential on performance.
 
Thanks. The myriad of higher quality stainless steel is confusing. I'm generally a high carbon steel guy. That said, it's nice to have a few blades in which rust protection won't be a huge issue. Thanks again.
 
No. LTK has been periodically sending out knives for XRF testing for a long time now. Eafengrow is a repeat offender. While he is generous in his readings, it looks to me like they've stamped "D2" on 5Cr15Mov more than once.

While the company did step up, and blame it on someone else, and promised that they'd fix the problem; they went on to fail again.

AFAIK, Eafengrow is a rebranding distributor like MTech. They don't actually make anything of their own. They just buy stuff, stamp it, and move it. The one exception to their tomfoolery was that they were at one point the exclusive distributor for CH knives, which typically retained original markings. Still, I'd avoid Eafengrow like the plague. There are just too many other brands operating in those prices ranges with honest stamps.
 
I'd honestly not get too hung up on steel either, like a few others have said. You can go on Blade HQ (a supporting dealer here) and search by all sorts of different metrics, which is really nice, and their prices are usually about kind of your standard market prices from what I've seen. I typed in "6 inch fixed blade" here real quick, but the real trick is using all those search buttons on the left of the screen. Also, since you're really interested in steels, I'll recommend looking hard at Sandvik 14C28N. It's a fantastic steel for this sort of application. Not too expensive, strong as hell, easy to sharpen, and has a great reputation among steel enthusiasts.
 
DDDYLN said:
I'm looking at an Eafengrow EF141 fixed blade in AUS-10 steel. I like the blade shape, and I like AUS-10 stainless steel. There are very few fixed blades made in AUS-10, and almost zero large fixed blades in AUS-10. The question, is whether I can trust a company like Eafengrow, since they've been caught lying about steel types in the past. I don't want to pay $70 for an AUS-10 fixed blade, that's actually 3Cr13.
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Don't buy eafengrow. They're ripping off other companies by copying their designs. I would not trust them to use the steel they're saying they use either.
 
LimpCroissant said:
I'd honestly not get too hung up on steel either, like a few others have said. You can go on Blade HQ (a supporting dealer here) and search by all sorts of different metrics, which is really nice, and their prices are usually about kind of your standard market prices from what I've seen. I typed in "6 inch fixed blade" here real quick, but the real trick is using all those search buttons on the left of the screen. Also, since you're really interested in steels, I'll recommend looking hard at Sandvik 14C28N. It's a fantastic steel for this sort of application. Not too expensive, strong as hell, easy to sharpen, and has a great reputation among steel enthusiasts.
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I was unable to find larger fixed blades in Sandvik steel, except a few full sized (15" OAL) Bowie knives. There are plenty of full tang fixed blades available in German 1.4116, but it has a lower carbon content than AUS-10 and 14C28N Sandvik. I'm not sure 4116 will perform as an outdoor knife with 0.55% carbon. It's great for kitchen knives. If you have suggestion for an 6-8" full tang 14C28N survival type knife, let me know. All I can find as thin Bushcraft knives, and a few full sized Bowie knives.
 
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