AEB-L Urban Performance Reviews

[Doc Dan]

I've been messing around with my new AEB-L Urban today, it is a new steel for me to own/use/sharpen... so far, it reminds me of V-Toku2, it's easy to get really sharp & easy to get quite dull. More using/sharpening/testing to be done for sure but my knee jerk reaction is if I want super easy to sharpen I think I'll stick to SuperBlue or XHP. Regardless it's always cool to add another steel to the family & to have a little better understanding of IMO. :D

Except with AEB-L you get incredible toughness

True, although for me super tough w/poor edge retention isn't what I'm looking for in a folder, that seems like what I'd look for in a fixed blade I want to baton the crap out of while out camping -- at least, that's been my experience... I had the 3V Tuff for like a week and it seemed to have about the same edge retention as my decade+ old 154CM Manix so I traded it at my earliest opportunity, I just wish the Tuff were offered in a different steel like 4V or S90V, it's a unique and awesome folder design imo.

13C26/AEB-L is a razor blade steel. Not much will stand up to a man's beard or a woman's legs and still keep an edge sharp enough to keep cutting. This steel will do it. I dare say that a lot of the "super" steels would not fare as well. I have to admit I have no way of testing this conclusively, but I do know from experience that facial hair will dull a knife very quickly, and even take micro chips out of the blades.

[shqxk]

From my experience AEB-L only shine at very high HRC like 63+ with really thin geometry.

[p_atrick]

This is such a beautiful knife/steel combo. With my very meager sharpening skills, I laid back the angles a good amount. I love zipping through cutting tasks with my Urban. I'd love to see more AEB-L, but I doubt the market will agree.

[Mattz83]

From my experience AEB-L only shine at very high HRC like 63+ with really thin geometry.

Aeb-l's sweet spot is 61rc. Ive made over 40 knives out of this steel, some skinners that are out performing s30v knives. Edge geometry has a lot to do with it, and you wouldn't sharpen an s30v steel like you would Aeb-l. S30v shines at 600grit final when sharpening, large carbides dont like a mirror polish when sharpening. Aeb-l I take up to 2500grit than diamond paste on leather. My customer who lives in alaska hunting large game is testing two Aeb-l skinners side by side with his s30v knife, they cut longer before sharpening, and strop to hair splitting in no time.

[steelcity16]

It is performing well in my LT Wright Kitchen Knife set. Hoping to see some AEB-L hit the Seki models like the Endura and Endela. An AEB-L / Micarta combo would also be sweet in Seki models and other knives like the Military and Manix XL.

[Woodpuppy]

Dang! I just looked up the LT Wright kitchen knives. Love that Traveller and large Pouter!! Look like traditional camp knives for sure.

[Bemo]

Thanks for this thread. Learned a lot. Would love to see a Mule or other fixed blades in this steel.

[Doc Dan]

I think this would be a good steel for the upcoming Enuff XL.

[Evil D]

facial hair will dull a knife very quickly, and even take micro chips out of the blades.

I've always heard that it's roughly the equivalent of cutting a strand of copper wire of the same diameter. I'd really like to try it with serrations.

[Dazen]

facial hair will dull a knife very quickly, and even take micro chips out of the blades.

I've always heard that it's roughly the equivalent of cutting a strand of copper wire of the same diameter. I'd really like to try it with serrations.

This! Would love to see a non salt version of the Caribbean with AEB-L SE and PE.

[Doc Dan]

facial hair will dull a knife very quickly, and even take micro chips out of the blades.

I've always heard that it's roughly the equivalent of cutting a strand of copper wire of the same diameter. I'd really like to try it with serrations.

I don’t doubt it. If my wife uses my razor for her legs it is no good for my face anymore.

[awa54]

I've been carrying the AEB-L Urban for the last few days, still liking it just as much as when it was shiny and new, no issues to report.

It may graduate to some aftermarket scales, now that it's proven its self over the long term...

[Evil D]

facial hair will dull a knife very quickly, and even take micro chips out of the blades.

I've always heard that it's roughly the equivalent of cutting a strand of copper wire of the same diameter. I'd really like to try it with serrations.

This! Would love to see a non salt version of the Caribbean with AEB-L SE and PE.

Maybe now that more models are coming out in SE and even in different steels we can hope for a sprint or something in SE AEB-L, even just a flash batch. Heck I'd even buy a Mule in this combo if it were easier to produce.

[Zive]

facial hair will dull a knife very quickly, and even take micro chips out of the blades.

I've always heard that it's roughly the equivalent of cutting a strand of copper wire of the same diameter. I'd really like to try it with serrations.

This! Would love to see a non salt version of the Caribbean with AEB-L SE and PE.

Maybe now that more models are coming out in SE and even in different steels we can hope for a sprint or something in SE AEB-L, even just a flash batch. Heck I'd even buy a Mule in this combo if it were easier to produce.

Seconded, especially if Sean’s heat treat is used to get it into the 61-63 HRC range.

[dan31]

Is AEB-L super expensive or unavailable in the desired stock thickness? We have only seen the urban. Nothing for sometime. I thought this was going to be a great option.