AUS-8 would be perfectly fine for a moderately used EDC, but D2 has about twice the edge retention.
A lot of people recommend diamond stones for sharpening D2, which isn’t needed for AUS-8. If you plan to perform sharpening/stropping regularly and don’t plan to use it hardcore, AUS-8 is perfectly acceptable.
In my experience, if you keep D2 dry, you shouldn’t have any problems with rust. Just don’t store it wet.
Are you looking at a Rat 1 or 2?
AUS-8 is a decent ‘Gen. 1’ stainless steel which has been surpassed over time, much like ATS-34 and 154CM. Not bad to have, but those have been bettered through science.
Knowing what the knife will be taxed with, will help you decide what steel to seek out.
I have a lot of pimpy knives, such as a signed Pat Crawford Combat Tanto, Boker Lever Lock automatics, a Benchmade AFO auto, a Randall #1, just to name a few and to be honest, for the past 7 years, I’ve carried a Victorinox SwissChamp in a Zermatt leather holster and the lowly 420/440 is fine for what I need it to do.
I do a lot of ‘handyman’ crap and it’s a great tool IMO. Before that, it was a Leatherman SuperTool v.1 for a dozen years.
Chris
Thanks, its aus8 from Bladeops
Aus-8 is about the same level as 8cr13MoV or 440C in most terms.
It’s a lot about the heat treatment but imo even more about the blade shape.
Swiss army knives have a low value steel but a slim blade, so it’s all fine. Sharp when in need, easy to sharpen when needed.
I have a slim bladed knife in 8Cr13MoV that I wanted to gift (it has a bottle opener, perfect for a beer buddy) but now I use it myself.
A big chunk of steel like those 4mm blade stocks that were popular for a while, with a fat blade behind the cutting edge (often .8mm and more)
need a high sharpness at the cutting edge itself. A thin blade will glide through the material much better and won’t need this extreme sharpness.
AUS-8 is the easiest steel to sharpen, its a big bonus. Any decent steel is more than enough for casual use. SAK is very popular and they use no-name cheap steel.
There is a lot of mythology that gets repeated on the internet. For instance, that Chinese D2 will give twice the edge retention of AUS-8 or that AUS-8 is on par with 8Cr13Mov. Neither of those is usually true. However, the highlighted portion from Adahn is absolutely true. For instance, 440C can be a good EDC steel with a decent heat treatment or it can perform like 8Cr13Mov with a cheap heat treatment. Some steels seem more sensitive to this than others. For instance, I don't notice much difference in 8Cr13Mov between makers but I do with 9Cr18Mov.
In my experiences, AUS-8 is only similar to 8Cr13Mov in corrosion resistance. AUS-8 is almost always better than 8Cr13Mov in edge retention. Depending on the heat treatments, AUS-8 will sometimes rival Chinese D2 in edge retention. AUS-8 is definitely better than D2 for corrosion resistance. Personally, I prefer 12C27, 14C28N, and either Acuto 440 or 9Cr18Mov from a company that treats them well. Those steels offer decent edge retention and increasingly superior corrosion resistance (in the order listed).
When evaluating the performance of a given steel, the factory edge is not the best indicator. I actually wonder if that is part of the reason confusion persists about the edge retention of these steels. For those who sharpen, have you ever noticed your subsequent edges lasting longer than the factory edge? It might not just be the edge geometry. Apparently, factory grinding can heat up the steel along the edge and cause a little fatigue. If you are interested in this topic, check out Outpost 76 on YouTube. Here is his video comparing the Rat 1 in AUS-8 vs D2. The test results might be a surprise...
@chronovore The only AUS8 blade I own (I think) is the Ontario RAT 2.
I really like that knife but the steel (on mine) is getting dull like a freshly opened tin can.
My SRM 710 or 9306 in 8Cr behave much better. Still I’m with you, in budget steels my favourite is 14C28N.
My best D2 blade is on my workday edc knife, the Green Thorn Mouse 3, the clone of a Slysz custom knife.
If they made a legitimate production knife with the same specs I’d probably get another one, it’s just so perfect for my needs.
I use it everyday to cut up to 3mm vegetabaly tanned leather, 20mm EVA foam - or a thread at the sewing machine 
For sharpening I clamp it at the edge of the table, mark the edge with a sharpie and file it with my appr. 600 grit diamond file.
When the burr occurs, I do the other side. Then stropping only to remove the burr.
This “toothy” edge lasts much longer than a mirror polish, in between I strop it or I use a diamond honing steel (maybe 1000 grit)
I only made the mistake once to sharpen it to a very acute angle, 20 deg per side or less, chips where what I got.
Back to something around 25 deg and it handles everything I’m throwing at it.
The small form factor (15cm open, 6cm blade) is also easier to control at heavy cutting, a big knife is only good for show or maybe for bloody stuff (I’m not a wilderness guy)
Thanks for all the help guys...
Watched that vid, guess blade steel is like most other things, hard to trust any claims till a trusted source proves it out.
Seems aus-8 can be a decent blade and possibly on par with d2, at least from certain companies anyhow. Maybe the company heat treat process is more important than the actual claimed steel composition in some cases. If claimed steel composition is even correct..?
Btw, is that guy in the video a trusted source.?
You are welcome. To summarize the important points: the type of steel certainly matters but so does the heat treatment and the blade geometry. Some companies do better than others. Edge retention can improve with sharpening and initial factory edges aren't always the best indicator of quality. Advertising and long-repeated internet opinions do not always match reality.
Yes, Outpost 76 is a trusted source. He does a good job controlling variables. For instance, he always tapes off a 1" section of blade. He always cuts the same sort of material. He puts the same sort of edge on what he tests. He always does a few sharpenings to get fresh steel and tests in between edges to ensure stable results. He's also been doing it for a while and demonstrates a good understanding of what he is doing. The results obviously speak to a specific type of edge on a specific type of medium but much like gel tests for ammo, the point is to create a standard medium for comparison. His results do seem consistent with my general experiences on the steels I know.
As far as trusting the steel stamp on a particular knife, most well-known brands can be trusted to use what they claim. There are a few bad companies out there like Fura and Eafengrow. Luckily, there are people doing independent testing to check. If you are curious about a brand, feel free to ask.
Does anyone have a EOS Prawn? Is it a decent knife? I have had one on my list for quite some time but have never ordered it. I am not big on watching Youtube reviews. I’d rather hear it from someone who actually has one and uses it.
Reviews depend on the reviewer. Some channels seem to showcase new product without being too critical. I prefer channels that use, carry, or test knives in preparation for a meaningful discussion.
I'd actually never heard of the EOS Prawn. I looked it up. It appears to be a discontinued product from Elite Outfitting Solutions. It looks like you can get different scale materials with prices ranging $100-200. It's made in the USA but that still feels expensive for D2. The blade seems a little chunky at 2.1" long and 0.15" thick. It's hard to rule something out without firsthand experience but stats like those would prevent me from gaining firsthand experience.
Knife Center seems to have the EOS prawn in stock. However $175 for D2 does seems steep. I’d also be careful with any blade that has those little speed holes that can trap debris and moisture in them, especially for a non-stainless steel.
All excellent points. Thank you. I think I shall move on to more proven products. Honestly it was the looks that got me.
I concur. Nice looking knife, but these issues caused me to move on to others.
Sounds like marriage… :smiling_imp:
We’ve all been there, right?
My wife says I look old. Obviously she’s overdue for her next eye exam. 
The Bestech Engine looks similar to the EOS Prawn. I just got this one from Drop.com for $135. It’s nice, but the handle is just too short for me.
Oh yeah, forgot about that one. Thank you. I have a Bestech Pebble and it is a mighty fine knife. The Engine might be a better choice than the Prawn. At least the odds of it being good are better anyway. Put that on the list so I don’t forget it.
I’ve really been trying to slow down on my knife buying. I am not so much a collector so I feel guilty when a knife just sits around not getting used. My friends on the other hand love it when I get to feeling that way because I start giving them away.
Checked my email to find that in there. How nice looking is that? Never mind that, not a collector thing above.
