Just Bought a 8cr13mov Knife - What's your take?

[sgt1372]

It's fine. Most knives that I give away are 8cr or in that same realm.

I have nice knives though, so an 8cr Kershaw in my posession won't get carried. If you've got a garage full of Porsches and Range Rovers you're not going to drive around in a base model Hyundai either.

I don't know about that.

I have a BMW335i and MB ML350 in the garage but mainly drive my Chevy Bolt. I also have lots of M390/S110V and other premium bladed knives but am carrying an Ontario RAT1 w/an AUS-8 blade right now.

 

[Petunia D. Feeble]

I don't know about that.

I have a BMW335i and MB ML305 in the garage but mainly drive my Chevy Bolt. I also have lots of M390/S110V and other premium bladed knives but am carrying an Ontario RAT1 w/an AUS-8 blade right now.

These things are clearly wasted in you then good sir. Kindly send them my way and I shall see that they are cared for rightly.

 

[rogatsby]

These things are clearly wasted in you then good sir. Kindly send them my way and I shall see that they are cared for rightly.

Look, no one is arguing that premium steel is not better. Obviously, it is. The discussion is aimed at whether you think it is worth using steels like 8cr. Now, based on what i have seen, I think 8cr is fine. If "surgical steel" and tru sharp stainless are classics, and AUS-8 is viewed as acceptable, 8cr13mov seems OK to me.

 

[dirc]

LOL both untrue and irrelevant, but allow me to educate you regardless.
Toughness index puts Aus8 above 8cr. But it also puts 8cr above s90, elmax, 110v, m390 which are all significantly better steel choices. Clearly 'toughness' alone means nothing.

Edge retention index puts Aus8 above 8cr.

Both untrue statements clearly flattened. Thanks though



I'd actually almost agree with that. Aus6 and poorly treated Aus8 used on gas station knives work exactly as well as youd expect. However properly treated aus8 and cryo treated aus8 are very different.

Facts > your feelings

FYI, those are NOT facts - not even close. They are someones estimate of 1-10 values to rate them.
Please read this if you actually care about facts - https://knifesteelnerds.com/2018/09/03/ranking-the-steel-ranking-articles/
it talks specifically about that chart you used - and how it is not accurate

 

[l1ranger]

If "surgical steel" and tru sharp stainless are classics, and AUS-8 is viewed as acceptable, 8cr13mov seems OK to me.

Bingo

 

[Cosmodragoon]

For the past decade, I've almost exclusively carried budget Kerhsaws in 8Cr13Mov. Now, I've moved past it and won't buy any new knives using 8Cr13Mov. In my experience, this steel is on the bottom rung of "okay". It's noticeably better than the mystery stainless on "gas station knives", MTech stuff, or the cheap Pakistani folders I carried way back in the day. It doesn't hold an edge all that long but it is easy to sharpen. Yes, there is value in having a knife you aren't afraid to use or lose. That brings us to the real problem though.

This steel used to be a good bargain in the sub-$50 bracket. Things are different today. Now you can get great knives in better steel within that price range. People have already mentioned the Steel Wills and Ontario Rat series in D2. Ruike has a bunch of knives around the same price as the Atmos but in the more robust 14C28N. The entry-level Civivi knives are incredible for their $42.50 price tag and use 9Cr18Mov. With all those possibilities and probably more, there is just no way I can justify dropping $30 on a knife in 8Cr13Mov.

 

[sgt1372]

These things are clearly wasted in you then good sir. Kindly send them my way and I shall see that they are cared for rightly.

LOL! That's not happening.

I drive all of my cars and carry all of my knives when needed and/or when the mood suits me. My point was simply that just because you've got econo versions of cars/knives doesn't mean that one never drives or carries them. They're all "functional" and I wouldn't have bought any of them if I didn't like them and which I choose to drive/carry simply depends on my needs/mood.

PS: Pardon the typo. That was a MB ML350 in the garage w/the BMW.

The MB is my SUV/highway car. The BMW 335i is my high speed touring sedan. I've also got a Toyota MR2 Spyder soft top sports car for back road fun and an F250 Supercab long bed 4x4 truck for whenever I need to haul stuff. Lastly, the Chevy Bolt is a fully electric vehicle that I use for local travel; I spend very little $ on gas now because I mainly drive the Bolt. Each vehicle fills a specific need/mood.

 

[rogatsby]

For the past decade, I've almost exclusively carried budget Kerhsaws in 8Cr13Mov. Now, I've moved past it and won't buy any new knives using 8Cr13Mov. In my experience, this steel is on the bottom rung of "okay". It's noticeably better than the mystery stainless on "gas station knives", MTech stuff, or the cheap Pakistani folders I carried way back in the day. It doesn't hold an edge all that long but it is easy to sharpen. Yes, there is value in having a knife you aren't afraid to use or lose. That brings us to the real problem though.

This steel used to be a good bargain in the sub-$50 bracket. Things are different today. Now you can get great knives in better steel within that price range. People have already mentioned the Steel Wills and Ontario Rat series in D2. Ruike has a bunch of knives around the same price as the Atmos but in the more robust 14C28N. The entry-level Civivi knives are incredible for their $42.50 price tag and use 9Cr18Mov. With all those possibilities and probably more, there is just no way I can justify dropping $30 on a knife in 8Cr13Mov.

I actually agree with you to a certain extent. 8cr13mov would normally turn me off. And you mentioned Steel Wills, Ontario Rats, etc. in better steels at similar prices. But the Atmos design is far, far better than those knives in my personal opinion in terms of design, form factor, and action. For me, everything is better in the Atmos than those knives other than the steel. So I will keep my strop around, and I am pretty confident now based on the replies here that the Atmos will serve me well.

 

[Petunia D. Feeble]

Look, no one is arguing that premium steel is not better. Obviously, it is. The discussion is aimed at whether you think it is worth using steels like 8cr. Now, based on what i have seen, I think 8cr is fine. If "surgical steel" and tru sharp stainless are classics, and AUS-8 is viewed as acceptable, 8cr13mov seems OK to me.

No, I get it. Like I said, most of the knives I give are 8cr or the like. I'm not one to give crappy presents, but why give someone a $200 knife when they won't notice any difference between it and a $20 one? I give them a good knife in 8cr and spend the other $180 on something else that they're likely to find value in.

If they made a Sebenza, at the same quality(and location) as the s35vn one, but with 8cr and it was $80 I'd have hoards of the damn things. "Nicer" knives tend to come with "better" steels though, so that's what I carry.

 

[Therom]

For a disposable blade i am fine with 8cr13mov
That is not a great steel for sure but for small escape on a cheap knife I see nothing wrong with this steel
For the price my atmos is very good with this steel. Actually I am more annoyed by the flexibility of the handles rather than by the steel

 

[KVT]

OP, try out the Fraxion line too. $25 all day, many different colors. Bearings, drops shut, crazy light, strong G10, good bracing through the frame. Excellent EDCs. I like 'em almost as much as the Atmos, with the clip being the only gripe. Slightly smaller.

 

[Cosmodragoon]

I actually agree with you to a certain extent. 8cr13mov would normally turn me off. And you mentioned Steel Wills, Ontario Rats, etc. in better steels at similar prices. But the Atmos design is far, far better than those knives in my personal opinion in terms of design, form factor, and action. For me, everything is better in the Atmos than those knives other than the steel. So I will keep my strop around, and I am pretty confident now based on the replies here that the Atmos will serve me well.

The Atmos is definitely one of the nicer Kershaws in that steel. I might agree with your points on the Rat or those D2 budget options from Steel Will. I'm also not in love with D2 the way some people are. It holds a great edge but can take more work to sharpen. It doesn't really offer any better corrosion resistance than 8Cr13Mov and that can matter in a pocket knife. That's where the 14C28N starts to shine but I'm not familiar enough with the Ruike knives to go past that. The Civivi knives are another story though. Aside from the better steel, they've got great actions on caged bearings, G10 scales, good fit and finish... They might be an extra ten or twelve bucks but good gravy. If any of the Civivi designs appeal to you, do yourself a favor and check it out.

I'd also like to give an honorable mention to Tangram. The Acuto 440 seems like a good steel so far. I only have the Amarillo but it's extremely well built for the $20-something I paid for it. It has caged bearings and G10 scales like the Civivi knives. The action is remarkable for a small manual flipper. My point is just that this is the world we're living in now. I'd like to see Kershaw, CRKT, etc. get with the times and stop releasing sweet designs like the Atmos or LCK in suboptimal budget steels.

 

[KVT]

I do wish we saw more USA made Kershaws. And keep them non-assisted. Need a S35VN USA Atmos for $75-$80.

 

[me2]

Love 8Cr13 steels. I used one during no sharpening November. Made it all off October and 2 weeks into November, then had to trade out to another knife. 6 weeks of opening cardboard, cutting packing tape, & breaking down boxes 3 to 4 days a week. It finally got to dull, but I wasn't disappointed.

 

[dirc]

have 14c28n in a usa kershaw leek, it's convinced me it's a worthy sandvik successor, also have a fixed ruike in the same steel, holds up really well in all respects

 

[rogatsby]

I do wish we saw more USA made Kershaws. And keep them non-assisted. Need a S35VN USA Atmos for $75-$80.

Yes, love the fact that the Atmos is non-assisted. And hell yeah, S35VN, I would pay 70-80 for it.

 

[KVT]

This guy below is N690 - a definite step up from 8cr13mov - I wouldn't mind if Kershaw made that their new budget steel.
I don't think the cost would increase too much, unlike the jump to S35VN would..
Kershaw still wants to sell crap-tons of knives, afterall. They are king in the $25-$45 space.

 

[lonestar1979]

8cr13 when properly heat treated can be very good steel for edc with decent edge holding and easy to sharpen.Byrd knives hold edge well,almost like spydercos vg10.aus8 from cold steel I like better,but from most other manufacturers no.aus10 from cs is excellent btw and outperforms vg10 in my opinion,at least ones done by spyderco

 

[whp]

I don't know about that.

I have a BMW335i and MB ML350 in the garage but mainly drive my Chevy Bolt. I also have lots of M390/S110V and other premium bladed knives but am carrying an Ontario RAT1 w/an AUS-8 blade right now.

Agree. But I don t go down as far as the aus 8. I m carrying the Rat 1 with the D2 blade.

 

[GatorFlash1]

If that is all you can afford, or want to pay, go for it. It has been used in knives for years, some good ones, others not so. I prefer my M4 EDC even though it doesn't have the rust resistance an 8cr has. Here a cutting test comparing 8cr vs. S30v. Interesting results.