AEB-L Urban Performance Reviews

[Stuart Ackerman]

At the end of the day, science does not care about one's opinion.

Science is factual.

I happen to really like AEB-L...

But I am no one of consequence, just a user... :)

And if I have to sharpen, no sweat.

I always have some abrasive with me of some type.

[Doc Dan]

I think Esee would do better to use this steel instead of 440c and maybe even 1095.

[Danvp]

Good thread. However, i am still curious what your day-to-day experiences are with the Urban AEB-L.

I find the ergonomics of the urban very good for a small knife. The AEB-L steel has the tendency to roll over soon. I notice this best when stropping the urban. It will leave marks on my strop. The steel dulls more easy than my urban n690co. Both i can get very sharp at 15dps. I am gonna put 10dps on the AEB-L. See how that works out. Dont mind sharpening often. I like raw sharpness. Maybe thats why i don’t like very hard to sharpen steels. In my experience they loose their initial sharpness quickly to stay working sharp almost forever.

An advantage of the AEB-L what i thought was that the fine rods of the sharpmaker are good enough for touch-ups. For other steel i use the brown. I will also try the coarse finish approach. Have to use my WE for that.

Hope to hear more experiences here.

Dan

[ZrowsN1s]

Steel aside the Urban itself is a fun little knife. Good size for office/public edc. Deep carry wire clip is nice, makes for a more discreet carry. I think I prefer Bi-Directional texturizing, but the square texture works fine. The spring makes opening and closing a deliberate action, which is a good thing in a non locking knife. I like the half stop, confidence inspiring that I won't get my fingers closing the knife. Very easy to use left handed.

[Doc Dan]

Steel aside the Urban itself is a fun little knife. Good size for office/public edc. Deep carry wire clip is nice, makes for a more discreet carry. I think I prefer Bi-Directional texturizing, but the square texture works fine. The spring makes opening and closing a deliberate action, which is a good thing in a non locking knife. I like the half stop, confidence inspiring that I won't get my fingers closing the knife. Very easy to use left handed.

At the price point it is the best slip joint pocket knife extant, as far as I am concerned.

[Ankerson]

They are NOT Chromium carbides however, this has always been the same discussion as some of us had way back.

The information doesn't change, the steel is still the same as it was when it was designed to do what it does.

Sure there will be some carbide in all steels, it just in AEB-L the way it was designed you aren't getting any Chromium carbides out of it.

Anyone that tells you different is pulling your chain.

That doesn't make it bad, it does what it was developed for and has for a long time and that's really all one can ask from it.

Please stop spreading misinformation on the forum.

Going by the standard protocol I am not wrong.

However after finding my information again, took me awhile... AEB-L using the non standard protocol will develop 2.6% Chromium carbides.

That is basically nothing as far as carbide volume goes however, likely won't even see any noticeable performance difference due to the carbides alone. That is debatable however.

[Larrin]

Going by the standard protocol I am not wrong.

However after finding my information again, took me awhile... AEB-L using the non standard protocol will develop 2.6% Chromium carbides.

Please stop spreading misinformation on the forum.

[Ankerson]

Going by the standard protocol I am not wrong.

However after finding my information again, took me awhile... AEB-L using the non standard protocol will develop 2.6% Chromium carbides.

Please stop spreading misinformation on the forum.

http://www.calphad.com/AEB-L.html

[Larrin]

http://www.calphad.com/AEB-L.html

You have misinterpreted what he wrote. Please stop spreading misinformation on the forum.

[Ankerson]

http://www.calphad.com/AEB-L.html

You have misinterpreted what he wrote. Please stop spreading misinformation on the forum.

It's cut and dry so I didn't.

MOST knife makers don't have furnaces that go to 2100F + and able to hold it so they are using around 1950F or below.

[Larrin]

http://www.calphad.com/AEB-L.html

You have misinterpreted what he wrote. Please stop spreading misinformation on the forum.

It's cut and dry so I didn't.

You’re embarrassing yourself. If you want to learn we are here for you.

[Ankerson]

http://www.calphad.com/AEB-L.html

You have misinterpreted what he wrote. Please stop spreading misinformation on the forum.

It's cut and dry so I didn't.

You’re embarrassing yourself. If you want to learn we are here for you.

MOST knife makers don't have furnaces that go to 2100F + and able to hold it so they are using around 1950F or below.

Seen that will some other steels that do better at that temps, they just didn't have the equipment.

But that's another topic.

[Ankerson]

Looking forward to see how people like the knife, getting back on topic. :)

[vivi]

Looking forward to see how people like the knife, getting back on topic. :)

You were the most vocal opponent of AEBL when it was still in talks. Now that its here, you think you could let folks who bought it share their experience with it? Pretty rude to muck up the thread with five pages of negativity we've already heard from you many times. I'm much more interested in hearing what regular users think than hearing your opinion on AEBL again.

[PaleMoon]

Enjoying the debate, but really wish the "steel X was originally designed for purpose Y" argument would go away. You can't possible make a weaker case against the use of a specific steel in knife blades. The vast majority of steels were designed for other purposes, yet we still find pleasure exploring their characteristics in cutlery applications.

I'm surprised that anyone with a science background would favor "real-life testing" over scientific testing. The scientific method is all we really have in our quest to understand the world. Anyone claiming otherwise is wholly unaware of the way humans process information.

[Baron Mind]

Ankerson, reading your recent back and forths with BBB, Larrin, and Banter247 has been a very eye opening experience.

[awa54]

Enjoying the debate, but really wish the "steel X was originally designed for purpose Y" argument would go away. You can't possible make a weaker case against the use of a specific steel in knife blades. The vast majority of steels were designed for other purposes, yet we still find pleasure exploring their characteristics in cutlery applications.

I'm surprised that anyone with a science background would favor "real-life testing" over scientific testing. The scientific method is all we really have in our quest to understand the world. Anyone claiming otherwise is wholly unaware of the way humans process information.

I agree 100% with your observation on steel usage! so many of the best blade steels were conceived for *completely* different applications.

The problem with pure science is that real life rarely duplicates laboratory conditions. Especially in the debates that crop up on forums such as this one, there are always unaccounted variables that it would be very expensive and time consuming to correctly quantify (not to mention finding an impartial person to design the experiments in a way that doesn't corrupt the results), so there truly is value to "user experience", at least in my mind.

Anyway, most of us will choose what blades to carry based on parameters other than objective performance data... and listening to others' opinions, be they praise or complaint can often help to clarify that decision.

[awa54]

Now for the real contribution to this thread:

I just installed a shiny new 12.5 DPS edge to 1200 grit FEPA-F (approx. 3u), then stropped lightly with yellow stone on a firm strop. I'm a bit surprised by all the reports that this is an easy to grind steel... it's hard enough that initial stock removal with a coarse diamond plate felt much closer to XHP than AUS8, the finer grits did go quickly however and once past the coarse stones it behaved very nicely with only a hint of burr formation. We'll have to see what touch-ups are like.

My first cutting impression was that it didn't shave as well as I expected on arm hair... then I push cut some paper and changed my mind immediately!

I'll carry this for a week or so and report back.


***UPDATE***

I just did a 12.5 DPS regrind on my ZDP-189 Delica and the way ZDP ground was more *like* the AEB-L Urban than different... sure ZDP was even slower to get from factory to 12.5, but my take-away from this experience is that we (or at least *I*) got AEB-L at mid 60s HRC in the Urban.

[Marulaghost]

Enjoying the debate, but really wish the "steel X was originally designed for purpose Y" argument would go away. You can't possible make a weaker case against the use of a specific steel in knife blades. The vast majority of steels were designed for other purposes, yet we still find pleasure exploring their characteristics in cutlery applications.

I'm surprised that anyone with a science background would favor "real-life testing" over scientific testing. The scientific method is all we really have in our quest to understand the world. Anyone claiming otherwise is wholly unaware of the way humans process information.

I agree 100% with your observation on steel usage! so many of the best blade steels were conceived for *completely* different applications.

The problem with pure science is that real life rarely duplicates laboratory conditions. Especially in the debates that crop up on forums such as this one, there are always unaccounted variables that it would be very expensive and time consuming to correctly quantify (not to mention finding an impartial person to design the experiments in a way that doesn't corrupt the results), so there truly is value to "user experience", at least in my mind.

Anyway, most of us will choose what blades to carry based on parameters other than objective performance data... and listening to others' opinions, be they praise or complaint can often help to clarify that decision.

You good sir are correct.
H1 seems to be the outstanding of this.
The forgeries can't explain how it behaves the way it does
But it's proven itself, been successful in applications, and even endorsed by Ed Schempp.

[Baron Mind]

Ankerson, reading your recent back and forths with BBB, Larrin, and Banter247 has been a very eye opening experience.

Sorry I feel the need to expand. People have been treating you with respect, and somewhat gently, because they appreciate what you've done for this community. You have taken their show of gratitude, and wiped your *** with it. You shouldn't close your mind to the possibilty that others might know something you don't, and casually dismiss other members of the community in an attempt to constantly prove your superiority.

I'm still willing to forgive your behavior and move on, but an apology to the aforementioned may be a good idea.

Happy 4th everyone.