How good was AUS-10?

[Jim Blooey]

Recently acquired a C41PS stainless Native. It has AUS-10 blade.
What should I expect from this steel?
I have heard it compared closely (but not quite) to 440C and VG-10.
What was the hardness of these older Spydies?

[JD Spydo]

The only Spyderco knife I ever had with AUS-10 was one of the Japan made, Stainless handled NATIVE models. It was probably the same model you have. The one I owned was a combo edged variant and I did use it for a very short time and about the best I can remember is that it was slightly better than AUS-8 but wasn't as good as VG-10. Now I do remember that it was available in full plain edge too.

I wish I could give you more detail but AUS-10 just wasn't around all that long and other than the NATIVE ( Japan made unit) I can't recall any other model they used it with. It wasn't sub-standard but yet it really wasn't anything to write home about either from what I can remember of it. I think it was around 06 to 07 when I owned that one.

[Doc Dan]

It is better than 440C. I would think a little less than 154CM. It is a bit like 440C with vanadium, sort of, but not exactly. I had a knife in it from Cold Steel years ago. The steel was okay.

[The Deacon]

Spyderco used it in exactly one knife, the all stainless Native 2 that was introduced in '98. It was made by a Japanese maker who, at the time, was producing at least a couple dozen models for Spyderco and is still making the majority of Spydercos produced in Japan. Aside from a few custom collaborations, the rest of those knives were either AUS-6, AUS-8, or GIN-1. ATS-55 was also used briefly, when one of the others became hard to get. I'm no steel expert, but the fact that Spyderco stuck with those for a couple more years until VG-10 became their "go to" steel for models made in Japan seems to indicate that AUS-10 didn't bring anything special to the table.

[JonLeBlanc]

Not that this is entirely relevant but I have a stainless Delica ca. 2004 that is AUS-6. It's probably the "lowest" quality steel Spyderco has ever used, but still does the job just fine.

[Jim Blooey]

Anyone know what the hardness was? A couple swipes on a medium diamond and it is scary sharp. :)

[Doc Dan]

Spyderco used it in exactly one knife, the all stainless Native 2 that was introduced in '98. It was made by a Japanese maker who, at the time, was producing at least a couple dozen models for Spyderco and is still making the majority of Spydercos produced in Japan. Aside from a few custom collaborations, the rest of those knives were either AUS-6, AUS-8, or GIN-1. ATS-55 was also used briefly, when one of the others became hard to get. I'm no steel expert, but the fact that Spyderco stuck with those for a couple more years until VG-10 became their "go to" steel for models made in Japan seems to indicate that AUS-10 didn't bring anything special to the table.

Exactly. Nothing special...at all. It is an okay steel, not terrible, but okay.

[Jim Blooey]

But.... any idea what hardness it was heat treated to?

[ABX2011]

Cold Steel started using AUS10 last year in place of BD1. It's on a lot of their models. You might find some reviews.

[Jim Blooey]

I looked it up. Seems it is good steel but no hardness figures.
I like the FEEL of the Native better than the Delica so at least it will be comfy AND purdy. :D
I wanted an engraved Native. My engraver does good work.

[Pelagic]

AUS10 = VG-10. Heat treat determines which is better.

[JD Spydo]

Not that this is entirely relevant but I have a stainless Delica ca. 2004 that is AUS-6. It's probably the "lowest" quality steel Spyderco has ever used, but still does the job just fine.

I couldn't agree more. The two most junky blade steels I ever got on a Spyderco knife were 440A and AUS-6. It's amazing to me how much better AUS-8 is compared to AUS-6. AUS-8 is considerably better than AUS-6 and I would never again ever buy any knife made with either AUS-6 or 440A.

Funny you bring up that Delica because to the best of my memory I think there was also one of the Endura models that they used AUS-6 on. I think they also used it on one of the earlier MEERKAT models if my memory isn't faulty.

It is sad to compare #6 to #8 because those two blade steels are completely different from each other. I loved my CATCHERMAN models with AUS-8.

[JonLeBlanc]

Not that this is entirely relevant but I have a stainless Delica ca. 2004 that is AUS-6. It's probably the "lowest" quality steel Spyderco has ever used, but still does the job just fine.

I couldn't agree more. The two most junky blade steels I ever got on a Spyderco knife were 440A and AUS-6. It's amazing to me how much better AUS-8 is compared to AUS-6. AUS-8 is considerably better than AUS-6 and I would never again ever buy any knife made with either AUS-6 or 440A.

Funny you bring up that Delica because to the best of my memory I think there was also one of the Endura models that they used AUS-6 on. I think they also used it on one of the earlier MEERKAT models if my memory isn't faulty.

It is sad to compare #6 to #8 because those two blade steels are completely different from each other. I loved my CATCHERMAN models with AUS-8.

That's pretty cool, I don't have any experience with AUS-8 so I can't really speak to the subject of this thread (sorry bout that don't mean to derail) but it really puts into perspective ones tendency to be a steel snob lol. That said, I do have my preferences, and they don't involve corrosion resistance or edge retention :cool:

[JD Spydo]

Not that this is entirely relevant but I have a stainless Delica ca. 2004 that is AUS-6. It's probably the "lowest" quality steel Spyderco has ever used, but still does the job just fine.

I couldn't agree more. The two most junky blade steels I ever got on a Spyderco knife were 440A and AUS-6. It's amazing to me how much better AUS-8 is compared to AUS-6. AUS-8 is considerably better than AUS-6 and I would never again ever buy any knife made with either AUS-6 or 440A.

Funny you bring up that Delica because to the best of my memory I think there was also one of the Endura models that they used AUS-6 on. I think they also used it on one of the earlier MEERKAT models if my memory isn't faulty.

It is sad to compare #6 to #8 because those two blade steels are completely different from each other. I loved my CATCHERMAN models with AUS-8.

That's pretty cool, I don't have any experience with AUS-8 so I can't really speak to the subject of this thread (sorry bout that don't mean to derail) but it really puts into perspective ones tendency to be a steel snob lol. That said, I do have my preferences, and they don't involve corrosion resistance or edge retention :cool:

And I can understand your way of looking at it. Because right now at this point in time, in the Year Of Our Lord 2019 my current favorite blade steel is still M390. And I've had steel snobs over at the other forum (Bladeforums) more or less tell me how wrong I am>> but I've liked that blade steel ever since I got my M390 Military and it's going on 3 years now and I still love it. I do like some other supersteels but as of now M390 is my "go-to" blade steel for EDC uses.

Now getting back to AUS-10. The short time I used that Native model I had with AUS-10 I did kind of like it. But to be honest I think for sure I like VG-10 just a bit better. There's a reason that it had such a short tenure with Spyderco. Because when they find something good they usually stick with it for a while.

Now one guy stated that "heat treatment" has a lot to do with determining how good that AUS-10 and VG-10 both are going to be in a knife blade. And I can't disagree with that either. I've heard the same said about D-2 and 3 other steels I could mention. Because as much as I liked ATS-55 it went away quickly when Sal realized that VG-10 performed better. And it's been here ever since then too.

[demoncase]

It seems we all had an all steel, combo edge AUS-10 Native........ Was there only one of these that somehow changed hands to each of us, one after the other? :D

To the point- I used mine very lightly and found it to be unremarkable in performance compared to my VG10 Natives.
No worse.
No better.
Maybe (and picture squinting eyes at the careful thought) a bit less edge retention? But not enough to cause any heartburn.

One thing mine did annoy me was the number of hotspots on the knife compared to my all steel Endura and Delicas- the inside of the scales were actually quite sharp, especially around the choil

[RamZar]

I like AUS-10 a lot for what it was 20 years ago.

[Doc Dan]

I still much prefer VG-10 and the like.