Edge Retention Test! AUS8 vs D2 - Ontario Rat 1 Steel Options Compared 

Thank you. Really appreciate that. You spent a whole lot of efforts to proof and take into some real tests. Rather than tons of other reviews keep talking about hard facts and showing off like 20 of their other knives collections in half of their video. Thanks for making this test.

From what I've seen (Supersteel Steve) D2 is mostly fine, but it's very difficult to heat treat properly, so there's a huge variation in D2 quality out there

Thank you for taking the time to do this test and upload the video. I like practical science like this.

Thank you for doing this and uploading it for everyone else to enjoy and learn from.

I have both versions. They are both great knife steels. They are very different. I can sharpen the D2 to razor sharp by finishing on a 4000 grit water stone and leather strop with green chromium oxide but it takes about three times as long as AUS 8 and greater care. It takes seconds to sharpen either knife on paper wheels and I have seen the D2 sharpen just about as fast as AUS 8 using good diamond plates and diamond paste strop. I can sharpen AUS 8 with the fine side of an axe puck and my belt as a strop. I can put a serviceable edge on D2 that way but it won't be a great shaver. It will get coarse leg hairs but not fine arm hairs. If I had to use one of these knives for processing big game animals in the field I would prefer the AUS 8. (My actual hunting knife is a Buck 110 I inherited from my uncle Randy. ) What counts there is the ability to quickly maintain the sharpest edge while processing 4 or more animals (at least 2 tags for me and 2 for my son). With a little strop in between each and probably one full resharpening out in the middle of nowhere. In town and at work I like the D2 because it will cut abrasive materials longer and I can take advantage of more sophisticated sharpening techniques at home. They are both great but they have very different personalities.

Good video, and it sold me on AUS8 (budget knife - needs to be sharp when I need it, doesn't need to stay sharp for long) considering how fast I rust into everything - including nitride-treated stainless steel. Seems good enough for what I'd use it for.

AUS 8 is similiar to a 440 stainless steel. D2 is a high carbon steel and will rust quicker. In certain environments, the Aus8 is a far better choice. In the simple basis of edge retention, the D2 is a "better" steel. But, the AUS8 sharpens so incredibly quickly and easily, it makes it's worth up in leaps. Plus, the AUS 8 saves quite a bit of money, if you look hard enough. Got both an AUS 8 and a D2 OKC Rat 1. I prefer to daily carry the AUS 8 for I abuse it and almost never rub it down with oil. It simply takes it and doesn't rust. The D2 will rust pretty quick, but admittedly, does hold an edge longer.

I wish there could be more steel test videos like this. Great video and concept. Subscribed.

Nice video, mate! Great to see a local enthusiast, for a change.

Realistic and straight forward . Well done

Very good comparison. Thank you for your time and effort. Cool music too.

Excellent review, very helpful and informative! Thank you!

D2 doesn’t hold an edge that much more than Aus8, but it’s a lot harder to bring the edge back. I’d rather have a edc blade that I can resharpen with the bottom of a coffee cup if I have too.

Was just searching for a D2 cut test and happened to notice how much weight you lost since back then. Great job.

Awesome test video Pete!

My god would you look at that scratch free cutting board. Hang in there little buddy, the next few years are gonna be wild!

What a great video! A worthwhile test with the head-to-head comparison of Aus-8 vs. D-2. Nice vid, man!

Bwahaha! Just having a look at this because I have the AUS8 version....but man, you've come a looong way mate! This is actually pretty funny Pete :o).

This channel is my go to for all my knife related inquiries. He’s done all of the leg work already.... anytime I have a question regarding performance, this bloke has already answered it for me.

It would be very interesting, to see the same blade materials compared, including resharpening times. Actual overall times, of cutting/resharpening needed for 500 cuts.

Aus 8 is less expensive, easier to sharpen and is stainless. Most people would would never notice the difference honestly. Rat 1 is a great knife overall though. I own both and love them.

Thank's for doing this! much appreciated.

Thanks for the video. The rat ones are nice knives. Keep up the good work sir

Glad i watched this video. i had just ordered the aus8 rat 1 for $30 with free prime shipping on amazon. Then i checked out the d2 ones and saw they were $41 plus free shipping but not through prime. i was wondering if i made the right choice but now im glad i did! U got a sub from me

Thank you for the test!

Nice test.Made my hands hurt to watch. Thanks for sharing

Just found your channel the other week. God I fucking love you and your channel. Amazing quality and content. You are a godsend.

great test! its a $5 upgrade currently. just ordered my od green in D2! I've had several in aus-8 over the years so it will be interesting

Does D2 perform better with a toothy or fine edge? What grit do you prefer stopping at?

these videos are so relaxing

Brainstorming here, maybe if you staple some small section of tube or pipe to pass the rope through that's a slightly larger diameter than the rope you can save your hand on those m390 tests. FFT. Needed this exact review. Size of the rat2 is perfect but D2 has so much more edge retention. That carbon fiber is sweet too.

What is the resharpening like for a average/poor sharpener? I wondered if the AUS8 would get its edge back easier where the D2 would make those extra cuts and then be very difficult to resharpen for the average guy (me).

Like your channel. Keep up tge good work!

Thank you. Helped me decide between the two! 🔪🗡️

I've been lately on memory lane and using and testing my old recon1 in Aus8a and im surprised how well it holds it's edge, i had waaay back an KA-BAR dosier in aus8 it didn't nearly hold it's edge as well as cold steel.

Yes enjoy these blade test results. Aus8 is in the 440b class of steel .its a good fair cutting steel .i like it. Old steel to .thanks good work.

Very nice to see. Great video. Going to look at that D2 option right now.

Rewatching this in March 2021 and the comment about D2 at the end "getting toothy" instead of dull has me thinking this is a good candidate for #dualgrit #thegabemethod sharpening. Can't wait to try it out.

Thanks for this test.

I watched all of the slicing. I couldn't look away, in fact. It was...mesmerizing.

Is the rope used 3/8 in sisal or 1/4 in" ? THANKS 😁

I Love These Knife Blade Tests People Do,,,,,,,I Got The SRK In 3V Steel & It's The Best I Ever Had !!!! I Wish You Tubers Would Do MORE Tests On 3V Steel Blades !!

Great work

D2 done right is a good working steel.

I wonder how much of the dulling is due to the sisal vs the cutting surface (wood board)? 🤔

Great comparison. Thanks!

love these vids!!!

Can we get a VG10 vs D2? Just got myself an Esee Avispa D2 and a Bestech Pebble. Esee Avispa might see some heavier use, but both are kind of just EDC for me.

Thanks- good video and useful information.

D2 has around 3% vanadium(different sources may have more or less)The gets toothy instead of just dulling.This is one of the reasons D2 is one of my favorite steels.

Do you have a spreadsheet available with all your data for the different steels

Looks like I'll be ordering a new rat, never knew i could get it in different blade steels

I was just watching hing to see you cut your fingers off, good skill mate

Quality review with Great Music too

G'day, great vid. Just wondering if you could suggest some places to buy folding knives in Australia. Im not keen to pat 3 times the price that the US pays. Thanks

I know this is an old one -- maybe you have a different procedure now (and I have seen your 1 hour long compendium video on edge retention). But....I think it would have been a good data point to note how well each of the knives in these experiments were able to recover sharpness by a it of stropping. First, of course, how easily a knife can recover from getting dull is nearly as important as how quickly it dulls. But secondly, I'd still love to learn more about what really HAPPENS when a knife dulls; perhaps some of these knives would recover by stropping, and some others WOULDN'T.

You're from SA?! That's so cool. Me too! Fairly new follower to your channel but really enjoy all your videos. Got my first folder I carry daily last year. Can I send it to you for a review? Byrd Raven 2 (CTS BD1) am curious how this steel stands up to your testing!

Hello have you did any test on the HCR 13 mov if so can you tell me the test results or the name of the video thanks and I love your videos lots of great information

The D2 model seems to be discontinued am I right? It's very unfortunate because as much as I like that model I think I'd rather get a better steel than AUS 8, but that's the only version of that knife available right now...

what is the title of the intro music?

Good test. Seemed very fair.

Here right now in the US the aus 8 is 1/2 to 1/3rd the D2s if you go with carbon fiber on the black D2. The normal D2 is about a $10 difference though.

I live on the west coast of Florida and no one has mentioned the ability of D2 to rust ... I guess it was a convenient omission ... Great effort with the video ...

so d2 can hold an edge longer maybe harder steel does that mean it cant flex as well? wonder which would flex better

which watch do you wear?

To everyone saying D2 is better, D2 seems a lot better at staying sharp. Keep in mind that it isn't better for every knife and every person. I would bet that it rusts easier, is more brittle, and is harder to sharpen.

Very nice thank you

i like high end steels but i still take a knife to the ceramic stone well before 56 cuts

Nice practical review... D2 is definitely a step up from AUS8. Any chance you could name or link the music you used?

Really interesting results, just saw a similar test with quite different results, bro science. Love the info, thanks for the Vid 👍s up

Your wristwatch.. what namebrand and model?

What model is that Victorinox watch?

Now, how much effort to bring each blade edge back?

4:10 what song is this?

And this is why D2 should be the budget steel of choice. (less you live in humid environments). That said.. Budget steel. These knives I see in D2 for $100+ are insane IMO.

Informative review’! I really appreciate concise, succinct relevant reviews! I guess that’s the DR in me.

Very nice vid. Thank you

Thanks just what I wanted to know

Great vid, thanks! What was the background music? Loved the vibe. EDIT: hah, just realized I'm like the 5th person to ask that and the answer is "imovie stock music", lol.

Was the d2 sharper to begin with? It appeared to be in the video.

Awesome, FANTASTIC reviews. YOUR TEST METHOD is an Extremely high-value reference point, and YOUR TESTS are my first stop when I'm curious about a particular steel. MANY THANKS for your tenacity. You deserve success and respect for your content.

I might add I am a very experienced HT, maker of D2 knives

Benchmade's CPM D2 is insane. My Benchmade 51 is still sharp after 7 months EDC.

I came for the review...and stayed for the music

darn nice music too!

On that note I have to make a recommendation here based on a recent purchase: Y-start Jin02. Its a similiar knife, its made from D2, has ball bearings and g10 scales and a axis-style lock. Fit and finnish is perfect. And its like $15. Its quite possibly the best value folder on the market right now beyond any Ganzo, Sanrenmu or similiar chinese brand. Dont think about it, buy it and thank me later. (On a side note, it actually fits in the elastic loop on the side of a letherman sheath thanks to being more rounded than the RAT). I never heard of the company before but I expect to see alot from them in the future.

Do you prefer the carbon fibre scales or the standard scales on the rat 1? Thinking of picking up the D2 model at some point. Good video as always.

What is the song

Is there a way I can get a copy of all your results somewhere? It’s literally a very useful guide for me

I really appreciate the test. Can u tell me the songs in the video please

Nice video man. I have 4 AUS8 & 2 D2 bladed versions. I prefer the D2. Take care.

I like my aus8 aus10 a bit more but I hate sharpening d2. Takes to long.....

I think the table is more what's dulling the knife rather than the rope

Just bought two AUS 8 rat 1’s at Walmart for $13.99 each. Oregon

i noticed that you varied your cutting technique. with the aus8 version, you used a conventional cutting motion. yet later, with the d2 version, you began to push cut with your finger on top of the spine. obviously, this adds greater leverage. hence, a greater mechanical advantage. .. just something that i noticed...

I'll go with the AUS 8 because honestly how often are you going to use it everyday. It's cheaper and won't rust as easy as D2. The only thing is you'd need to sharpen your knife more on Aus8 then you would have to on D2.

Ok I was curious because u thought those numbers were very low so my aus8 rat 1 with a 17 degree edge did 150 and it still razor sharp..now I'm wondering if my favorite cut test channel is even close to actual results?!?..I know I could cut another 50 possible 100 before this edge showed wear.. disappointed and confused!?!?

I've had AUS 8 before. I'll NEVER pay for that garbage again. I've had D2 on many knives and NEVER a problem. Thanx for the video my Bladed Brother 👍 ⚔️ ✝️ 🇺🇲

There's a reason D2 steel is still used in quality knives. These new steels might be slightly better, but not by as much most think

How a serrated knife with less quality steel compare in cutting rope vs a plain edge premium steel? you don’t have such a test, would be interesting. If cutting rope is your primary comparison test.