AEB-L Urban Performance Reviews

[ZrowsN1s]

So, who's got the new Urban?

What do you think of the Knife?

What do you think of AEB-L?

Let us know :D :spyder:

[Pelagic]

I'm sure it's quite the hair whittling machine

[ZrowsN1s]

Not as stainless as I thought, got a tiny bit of discoloration cutting strawberries. Liking the nice sharp edge though. 15dps and high refinement. Definitely will split a hair.

[jpm2]

I like the urban and have used the k390 a lot.
Been using the aebl since I got it. Edge a little sketchy at first, but I know not to jump to conclusions till it's had at least a few good full hand sharpenings. It has since settled in and doing much better.
It would be highly unfair to compare aebl to k390, a better one would be to my bd1 cat. Stay tuned.

[ZrowsN1s]

I like the urban and have used the k390 a lot.
Been using the aebl since I got it. Edge a little sketchy at first, but I know not to jump to conclusions till it's had at least a few good full hand sharpenings. It has since settled in and doing much better.
It would be highly unfair to compare aebl to k390, a better one would be to my bd1 cat. Stay tuned.

Ya k390 and abe-l are in different leagues.

[TkoK83Spy]

I like mine so far as well. Maybe more so the model than the steel haha. Once I'm finished reprofiling my Para 3, this will be the next one to get the treatment. I haven't cut many foods with it besides a few lemons for lemon water, cucumbers, banana peppers. At work it performs well and touches up easily...once I figured how to compensate for the uneven grinds. Well worth the $65 IMO. I've had way worse over the years in that price range!

[Doc Dan]

I still don’t have my urban yet. There’s so much corruption at customs. They keep changing the amount that I need to give them. This is based on how much money they think I have. And any case I think that you guys would like aeb-l Once youplay around with it a bit. It will take a screaming sharp edge without much issue and it won’t chip Based on performance and other knives I have in this steel.

[Stuart Ackerman]

I do not have an Urban, but other blades in AEB-L I have used have reinforced my liking it.
I need to do a really thin blade and slice and dice in the kitchen for a week or so.

[steelcity16]

I still don’t have my urban yet. There’s so much corruption at customs. They keep changing the amount that I need to give them. This is based on how much money they think I have.

What country are you in?

[ZrowsN1s]

Chopped a bunch on Mushrooms to see how it did on a cutting board at 15dps and high refinement. Sailed through the Mushrooms, nice clean cuts. When I was done I checked the edge and found a little millimeter section that reflected light (must have been where I was hitting the cutting board). A few passes on the fine stones, ultrafine, and a little stropping and good as new.

[elena86]

I will be brief : I like N690Co more....

[Doc Dan]

I will be brief : I like N690Co more....

Actually, I can understand that.


The handle color is better on the coyote. :p :D

[elena86]

I will be brief : I like N690Co more....

Actually, I can understand that.


The handle color is better on the coyote. :p :D

I will be brief : swop ...

[ZrowsN1s]

Interesting comparison. Especially taken in consideration of Larrin's excellent article on AEB-L. https://knifesteelnerds.com/2019/03/04/all-about-aeb-l/

[awa54]

Chopped a bunch on Mushrooms to see how it did on a cutting board at 15dps and high refinement. Sailed through the Mushrooms, nice clean cuts. When I was done I checked the edge and found a little millimeter section that reflected light (must have been where I was hitting the cutting board). A few passes on the fine stones, ultrafine, and a little stropping and good as new.

What's your cutting board made of?? You shouldn't ever see edge damage from just one cutting session on a wood or plastic board... slight dulling sure, but not a flat spot.

I once sharpened a white steel yanagiba for a friend, it had tons of chips and the entire edge was flat... Turns out their "cutting board" was a granite pastry board lol!

[aesmith]

Ya k390 and abe-l are in different leagues.

In which ways? I guess I'm seeing a lot of interest in AEB-L but it's not clear what exact advantages it gives. Or more to the point if someone already has the Urban in Elmax and in K390, what's missing if they pass on the AEB-L?

[Ankerson]

Ya k390 and abe-l are in different leagues.

In which ways? I guess I'm seeing a lot of interest in AEB-L but it's not clear what exact advantages it gives. Or more to the point if someone already has the Urban in Elmax and in K390, what's missing if they pass on the AEB-L?

Nothing.

Other than having to sharpen a lot more.

AEB-L is one of those steels that looks great on paper and to the Scientists, but as far as performance goes..... Well there are a lot of better options, just about anything does better that's above pot metal.

The Scientists ogle all over it, largely due to the book that was written so they are just parroting what they read.

All AEB-L is really is a razor blade steel for commercial disposable razor blades.

I am glad that Spyderco made the knife in AEB-L so people can see how it really performs.

One would have to make it a serrated edge to get any sort of real performance out of it.

I still think a Mule Team would have been better, but that's just my opinion.

[Marulaghost]

I got mine scary sharp yesterday!
I bled a lot at work...

[Ankerson]

I got mine scary sharp yesterday!
I bled a lot at work...

It's VERY easy to sharpen, not much to the steel really.

[Deadboxhero]

Ya k390 and abe-l are in different leagues.

In which ways? I guess I'm seeing a lot of interest in AEB-L but it's not clear what exact advantages it gives. Or more to the point if someone already has the Urban in Elmax and in K390, what's missing if they pass on the AEB-L?

Nothing.

Other than having to sharpen a lot more.

AEB-L is one of those steels that looks great on paper and to the Scientists, but as far as performance goes..... Well there are a lot of better options, just about anything does better that's above pot metal.

All AEB-L is really is a razor blade steel for commercial disposable razor blades.

I am glad that Spyderco made the knife in AEB-L so people can see how it really performs.

One would have to make it a serrated edge to get any sort of real performance out of it.

I still think a Mule Team would have been better, but that's just my opinion.

The idea is it can go very hard and thin and not be as prone to blow out.
Good for those that like that front end sharpeness over raw edge endurance.
The microstructure is finer than most PM steels just the carbides are not as hard, or at huge volume yet they are the nicer Cr7C3 carbides.

In the past, I thought it was capped at 62-63.

It can go up to 64-65rc actually