JOE X the most brutal knife reviewer on KZfaq destroyed my APO-1S today. Probably the best knife destruction I have ever seen on KZfaq. He deserves more views. Please subscribe to his channel: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mJqpocRyzajUgp8.html

I am starting a new knife destruction series where I want to find out what the toughest steel is. Today I started with breaking my own knife. Next I will take on other steels from other brands. Do you have any suggestions which steels that you want to get compared? Also check out JOE X who does the wildest knife destruction tests: bit.ly/3sD3LAa

I have the 1S and it’s a beast . I have zero reservations after owning it 8 months . NoI have no connections to Lilly . It’s well thought out and it shows.

According to Larrin Thomas, 13c26 and 14c28n, and 5160 are the best for toughness. Toughness is priority for a stabbing knife. The SRK shape is narrow (like historic daggers). It's best to have other knives for most cutting.

I've never had any issues with carbon steel blades, other than their tendency to rust easily. Quite a few of my knives are made of 440 stainless or surgical steel, and ave been pretty reliable over the years with little maintenance. I'm not terribly familiar with AUS-8 steel, but the more I see your APO-1, and its capabilities, the more I want one.

AUS8 is never a bad choice; love that steel!

Trying to order the AOS online and seeing "Sold Out" is no longer a surprise. I wish more people were familiar with the term - Ductility. The ability for a blade to flex and return to its' original geometry without breaking. All the best to you in all future endeavors , from an old mechanical engineer, knife maker and machinist.

My opinion. In a survival situation, I'd rather have a sharp knife than a pry bar. D2 is definitely not the best for a survival knife. Sk85 is essentially the same as Sk5. Aus8 is basically 440A. I'd take Sk5 over Aus8 any day, and I'd pick D2 over it as well. A knife should be a good knife more than a good survival knife.

Grain structure, as well the quality of the heat treatment make a difference. Just because the HRC is meant to be in a certain range for each knife, does not mean that there are not flaws in how they heat treat. Making some parts of the knife weaker then other areas.

I have an SK85 blade on my Japanese Kanna blade in it, and we don't use it like a survival knife, but I am very impressed with how it holds an edge in planning wood, even hard wood. This is compared to 01 tool steel blades in an American premium hand block plane (similar size). So, I thought I share another perspective on SK85. Med and high carbon steels to me are or make good blades. Sharpening is also a general word. I prefer grinding and polishing when describing an edge issue. Since you do not have to grind an edge to fix a dull edge, you may need only to polish it back. That makes a big difference to me in describing failure modes of and edge. Every grade of steel has been formulated for some specific purpose or use orignal purpose, these didnt happen by chance. As we use them in different environments, conditions, or applications, you will have some trade offs in performance, which she stated! Well done there! Columbus Michigan

I love carbon steels for this use. On mine, I often strip the factory coating and use gun blueing for rust protection. They get a great patina, maintain a sharp spine for striking ferro rod (some factory coatings round off the spine), and I've never had anything worse than surface rust and I live in the pacific north west.

My AUS-8 is 2 years old and has to work for a living. No problems at all. Love it.

The take away is - you really need to match your steel selection with the intended task. For example, working by the sea - go stainless (in this case AUS-8 would be best). D2 has it's place but it can be brittle esp. at high HRC so it's not a recommended chopping steel. Another informative vid. Thanks Lilly.

AUS 8 has been my favorite for 40 years it will hold a decent edge, it is low maintenance, it is fairly easy to sharpen and has very good toughness and not bad wear resistance. As a knifemaker I have tried nearly everything in the past 65 years and it is just hard to beat.

Lilly, I appreciate the confirmation of your design parameters. The fact that you keep getting the same results proves your theory and stengthens my confidence in choosing the APO1. I was also impressed with the sheath design. It is not just the typical kydex sheath but has features that deserve to be showcased better. I think you might do well to do a comparrison with the other sheaths too.

Looks like the D2 blade fractured at the end of the gimping, so that was most likely a stress raiser which propagated a fracture. Although is not likely to be an issue in practical use, as no one is going to abuse their survival knife as shown here, if the gimping was polished after machining, to remove any sharp angles, then the blade wouldn't fracture so easily. Also, heat treatment is very important with D2, for the best results.

The rust on the SK85 carbon steel blade gives it character. I'm still using my grandma's carbon steel kitchen knives 80 - 100 years old! For general purpose outdoors knives, various grades of stainless work good for me.

Why am I not surprised Lilly cuts open her sausages with a giant survival knife?

I’m still using my knives from the 60’s that I only know are carbon steel. I have never needed to change nor have I ever felt the need to know about them. They still perform and hold a great edge. What else do I really need to know? I was recently gifted a new knife though, so I guess that perhaps I should see what I can learn about what I was given whether I ever plan to use it or not.

Could you do a video on sharpening in the field? From everything you've shown it definitely seems that 57 +/-1 is the way to go, but how sharp can one get it in, say, a post-apocalyptic scenario?

Thanks Lilly. I learned a lot from this video. I didn't know the different types of steel, just stainless and hardened/carbon, I didn't realize that it was so much more complex.

Personally I stay away from the super steals. I am 65 years old and have been using buck knives with their 420 HC for over 48 years they’ve never failed me. Stay safe

To be fair, K110 isn't that tough, but it holds it's edge pretty well. If you want powdered steels that are hard to damage, try something like magnacut, cpm3v delta or cpm1v. The last one should be the most difficult to break. However, I don't think edge retention or even toughness are that important in a survival situation, as long as you know how to use your tool. However, ease of sharpening is. So in my opinion you should always have at least one softer knife with you. If it gets dull, you still can sharpen it on a rock. Good luck trying this with someting like magnacut. But of course your blade also has to deliver the right thickness, length and geometry for the job.

You should include more competitive steels. Comparing budget steels and then against an unrealistic test on a steel bar. AEB-L for stainless or CPM-3v for semi-stainless will outperform AUS-8 in any test. (I hear you delete negative comments - let's see)

Isn't it common sense that the harder the steel the less shock resistant it is? Once a steel exceeds a hardness of 58 it becomes too hard to whack. It would have been more useful if all 3-knives were the same hardness. K110 is European D2. It will outshine the other two steel for cutting and edge retention.

People say negative things about AUS8 cuz it's not modern super steel, but with a good HT, it seems a good choice for that application of survival/camp/bush type knives.

I really don't understand all these knife tests everywhere. Is that how people really use their knives? Bend the knife blade, hit a rock, blow it up, throw it into a volcano, and so on and so on. I have never tortured my knives like this. I'm out in the wilderness every other day and I take care of my knives as if they were my babies. Even a budget knife can be great if you just take care of it. If you end up in an emergency, you will not die due to a bad knife but more likely due to how you handle your knife and your equipment.

I got the S1 and i'm really happy with it. You just need to be aware of the steel being a bit softer and needing more care (i.e. resharpening) but i dont think a harder steel is a good choice for larger knives. For smaller knives i'd still prefer something like a M390 which is just a great steel especially for knives that are meant for being really sharp and for a long time (without compromising the corrosion resistance at all). But yea, thats not what you'd need in a larger knife.

I have to add in, super steels are still good for survival knives because we don't expect to be using them in the manner you tortured tested them. Reasonable field use with any super steel will give stellar results.

Hello from Oklahoma! Thanks to all the knife snobs that drove this young lady to do a destruction test. Interesting Video! Thanks for all U do Lilly!👍👍 God Bless!

As a youth I was gave Carbon blade and taught how to maintain as it runs hand in hand with slicking you're firearm after each day out. Lucas knife oil,always care for Carbon and Gun same time. Salt water application I like AEB-L..Stainless that is much like Carbon.. Aus8 is good all around steel,Reason Cold Steel and Lilly Use...Performance Knives. Boeher DNH7 I like on my "Citadel" differential Hardened blades. I love knife talk..

I like the AUS8 for outdoors but I'm starting to like very thin carbon steel for cooking. Good video thank you.

I wouldn't bash the K110 too bad. No one, even in a survival situation will treat it as bad as you did in testing...we will treat it as if it were the last sharp thing we will ever see. Good test though! Thanks.

Lilly , I 'am a hobby knife maker down here in Australia and I use a lot of high carbon steels from 1075, 1080 , 1084 & SUP9 or other wise called spring steel . I would like to know what the grain looks like inside that broken knife . Whether or not it looks rough would mean that it was not heat treated very well and the smoother the better . Most knives are not made for such punishment even though there are some really great knife makers which can make very tough blades which wont break with some rough use .As to the surface condition to your blades pictured I was some what shocked that no care has been given to them such as washing in warm soapy water and drying the blade then rubbing some vegetable oil over the blades to prevent rusting . There are ways to coat high carbon steel blades such as a hot vinegar soak for an hour or sending them of to be ceracoated one could also use demineralized water and ferric acid after the blade has had it's heat treatment and hardened to whatever HRC desired . This is definitely a ppe process with gloves & proper face mask as the fumes are very dangerous also bicarbonate soda is needed for washing your blade after putting in ferric solution . The ferric solution should be kept in a glass jar with a good lid and labelled with a Warning Sign and kept out of reach from children. Stay safe and look forward to your next video 😁

The hardest thing to achieve in D2 steel is hardening, especially tempering. If the tempering is not done at the right temperature and in the right time, the result is in your hands. It is very unlikely to have to cut metal pipes in survival, or in bushcraft, this has never happened to me. Ciao!!

AUS-8 & SK85 should prove to be reliable steels. Optimum hardness should be 55 to 57 Rockwell C with hard spring temper.

For a survival type knife AUS 8 and 1095 carbon are all you need. They sharpen easily , and hold an edge plenty well to get the job done. Mora's carbon steel is also outstanding. My AUS 8 knives are from Seki Japan. I also have 2 SOG Seal Pups made in Seki Japan that are AUS 6. They work to perfection. Japanese stainless is plenty good for me.

A quick wipe down with WD40 prevents rust.

Survivallilly. When you designed your knives you were showing off. Your keeping the best knife design for yourself. Craig the piece of thin 9ft stainless steel chain guy here;) with seperate grappling hook in a secret Cornish woods with some rope. Skipping with the stainless chain made the skin wore my fingers to the bone. Having make some thin alluminium handles from thin poles, beating those on so the chain stays. Now skipping is made easier, taking my fitnesses to take on COVID-19 to a higher level. You can easily beat it with any of your knives but the broken blade will not help:) Thank you Survivallilly. What next Survivallilly?

So, the takeaway here is that as long as you use a knife to cut things and not hammer them K110/D2 is the best, also clean and oil your blades!

Dearest Lilly, Congratulations on reaching your 1 Million viewers mark!! You are the Best!!! 😊

I have owned and used the original APO-1 in both SK85 and AUS8 for about 3 years. Both knives have served me very well. The design is excellent and the fit and finish is first rate. While I have no plans to subject them to these sort of tests, I am very confident about their durability and usefulness.

I love this video! I was going to go with D2 but after watching this, I decided to go with AUS8 steel. Well after doing even more research, I ended up with Buck 420HC knives! They didn't rust as easily like AUS8; are easy to sharpen; held an edge longer than AUS8 (another video); and were the best bang for my buck (sorry for the pun)! Once I received my Buck knives, I fell in love with them and the Made In America company that stands behind their knives!

Something near 0.8% carbon seems to work reliably in large beater knives and has worked for a long time. The 80CRV2 alloy used by the Varusteleka/Terava line works well. It is essentially SK85 with a tiny bit of chrome and vanadium added to get a little bit harder. That's the traditional "low alloy" approach (O1, O2 also) that adds a little dusting of chromium carbide and vanadium carbide without taking away the alloy's toughness, but is still close to 1080 or 1095. Condor likes 1075, which is close to that standard. They make durable knives, not pretty knives. Ontario Knives has moved from mostly 1095 to 1075. The very reliable Tramontina machetes use 1070. When knives get larger and have to take a bigger beating, then 5160 (low alloy 1060 or 1065) becomes the reliable steel, such as in the traditional heavy kukri knives which are practically hatchets. Then the real beaters, hatchets and axes, usually settle into 1045, 1050 or maybe 5160. The 5160 axes/hatchets are for high performance and have a higher risk of chipping, while the workhorse hatchets/axes are usually in 1045 and just get sharpened a lot. I am all for a small, hard knife and large durable knife. My favorite combo is a Mora Garberg (1095) or Terava Jaakaripuukko (80crv2) for carving. Ideally, it would be a Bark River Bravo 2 in A2 or CPM3V. And then an Ontario SP53 (5160, 10" blade) for chopping and splitting wood. Or maybe a Terava Skrama (80CRV2, 9.5" blade). But I will still have a pocket knife : Benchmade Freek (S30V), Ontario Rat 1 (D2) or Gerber Gator Drop Point (154CM) for small work and long edge retention. The Gator actually has the best handle for outdoor work, but it makes it a little lumpy in the pocket for EDC, so it's more of an "outdoor EDC". For a true one knife solution, you have to settle back in to the 1080 range for reliability. Of my current knives, that would be either the Jaakaripuukko 140 (80CRV2, 5.5" blade) or the Cold Steel Drop Forged Survivalist (52100, 8" blade). For knives that I don't have yet, the smaller Terava Skrama 200 (80CRV2, 8" blade) would be a very good choice, or maybe an Ontario Ranger RD6 (5160, 1/4" spine, 6.6" blade). I don't live in very wet places, so I would rather get some of the extra hardness and toughness of a non-stainless blade. The South Amercans (e.g. Tramontina) just bring a little jar of Vaseline for their carbon steel blades. I made some fixin' wax from beeswax, mineral oil and jojoba oil that is a little bit stickier.

D2 has its place. Did you see that edge compared to the other 2. All these different steels have their place according to the application use. Thanks!

I specifically searched out a D2 knife for deer hunting, for which it works very well. I would agree that for a survival knife, a tougher steel is better even if you need to sharpen it more often.

I'm sorry to do this but I can't help myself, the knives are made in Taiwan not Japan it's stamped on the blades

Well done. Ive done survival all over myself & i would absolutely agree w/ your assessments. At the end of the day though i think it comes to whats best for you & what your going to be doing. I prefer carbon steel in most all cases but i have very 4 very specific reasons for choosing it. 1)centuries of proven toughness 2) i can reforge it in field if i need to 3) if all my other ignition sources fail I can get sparks from my knife & a rock 4) its easy to sharpen even if im tired & weak. Incidentally 1095 is best for shorter blades but i prefer 1075 for longer ones. Just my 2 cents on the matter i guess.

I have the same opinion as a few others who have posted comments here as in they both have their place. Harder steels for smaller knives for more delicate precision work and softer for the larger knife for heavier more abusive jobs. I have a few of each. I still need to get out and use the APO1S a little more but the little I have used it carving and batoning or just cutting up dinner it has proven to be a very nice blade so far. I have found the APO1S to have a more comfortable grip than some of my other survival knives as well. Well done Lilly with the steel choice and design! Keep up the great work!

This would be great to see in 12c27 or AEB-L

Great respect for your testing efforts, but keep in mind one company's Aus 8 is different from the next. Just as Buck has almost perfected the hardening process with boss 420 stainless the next company may not be as resilient. In short it's not always the steel but how it's heat treated.

And they say sk85 and aus8 are just fancy term for Japanese steel. I say BS, she just proved it that it’s all in the heat treat and the expertise of the maker. Great video, love it.

I really appreciate your test. I have some AUS 8 knives. I have read that they are not good for holding an egde. You showed that this is in fact an excellent steel.

Nice demostration. D2 acted like D2, but Aus 8 was like ok, well heat treated quality Aus 8 has the potential to be very good, but SK-85 was the real surprise here. The SK-85 didn't perform very well at all, which was kinda interesting, because that kind of light abusing should not have damaged the blade like it did in youre video. It souldn't have damaged it at all, but it looks like it did? My vision is blurry from time to time but the SK-85 damaged pretty heavily? I suppose you don't know that something has gone seriously wrong in making of that SK-85 knife blade, so this is propably a surprise for you as well. The steel could have been poorly produced, perhaps something went wrong accidently in the steel factory or perhaps there has been some kind of a issue heat treating, tempering or belt sanding the blade, etc. But it sure, does look to be left way too soft. Quality control didnt see there a problem either for some reason? Can't say for sure, but the SK-85 should perform better, is this a normal result for you Lilly?

Pointless test. It's like comparing cars by driving against a concrete wall over and over again. The best car is then the one that you can drive against the wall the most often. The result says nothing about the driving characteristics, the top speed, the fuel consumption. The things that really matter are not tested.

I guess lower HRC is best for a survival knife but if you're looking for edge retention then something like s90v or Maxamet is the way to go. There will never be one perfect knife it all depends on what the user wants from the knife. Thanks for your experiment though, very useful.

It's clear at this point. Austrian people hate knives. Jokes aside, great test, fair and realistic in testing sheer steel properties.

I have the APO1, love it! Keeps it edge very well. NOT going to bang on any concrete blocks any time soon. Going on 2 years now, pretty much the best fixed blade I own.

@SurvivalLilly, gave you ever tested a Steel Will Argonaut in AUS 8 steel? They aren't full exposed tang like your knife, but they seen decent.

For survival I would take the softer steel. It probably would do better in very cold conditions.

the sounds with the concrete and pipe tests were so nice

CPM D2 fixes the issue

Knife testing like none other! Good job Lily. Just wondering, how difficult to sharpen those knives again and can they be restored to a useable edge?

Thanks Lilly,another great video

First impressions from reading the description D2 steel - Breaks AUS 8 Steel - Survives SK85 - Survives I hate the prevalent use of D2 steel in outdoor knives, because it is a hard steel and prone to break. 8Cr13MoV steel from a chemical standpoint looks like an excellent steel for outdoor knives, but the poor quality control is the downfall of that steel.

Yes you are so right I like 1095 and aus 8

5160 is good, cheap, and easy to forge and heat treat and takes a very wicked edge..enough to shave with. I also like my fallkniven blades with COS steel..take crazy sharp edge

That was a good test. I agree that in a survival situation a tough blade is the way to go. I have one of your knives and love it. Congratulations on both your marriage and going over the 1m mark. You deserve it.

Just a point if you touch the blade with your hand. It will turn it rusty. Also in salt water it will turn it rusty. If you clean your knives after use and oil them, they wont turn rusty. And oil them from time to time when not in use, this will also prevent them rusting. Hope it helps

I really wish you would stop telling people that AUS8 is a good steel. Would you actually depend your life on a knife made out of AUS8? It’s cheap for a reason. I wouldn’t depend my life on any of the steels in this video. All super steels are not brittle. You’re cherry picking to make AUS8 look better than it actually is.

If you’re relying on a knife to survive you surely don’t want it to break. Purchased a Aus8 steel knife. Even though it might get dull it’s still usable if it broke I’d be in a world of hurt. That’s the great test that you performed it makes me feel confident in the purchase of your Knife.

Lilly really goes for it on these tests, she just abuses them so hard. Real life use of these knives is nothing compared to this

Deine Messer sind spitze liebe Lilly! Liebe Dein APO1 und würde mir lieber den Arm brechen als das Messer ;) Schönes Wochenende Euch! Sepp

Thank you Lilly. This is informative. I have your 1S and I’m quite fond of it. With luck we will see how well it does cutting up a Bison.

Awesome video! I’m just becoming acquainted with your content and I’m enjoying it! Are your knives still for sale in the US? And how does Aus-10 compare to Aus-8?

Die schönen Messer, ein gruseliges Video.

You can take the rusty knife to a bench grinder with a wire wheel on it, and it will clean the rust off. Use a cloth buffing wheel to smooth out any pitting caused by rust.

Great test Lilly , I use 1095 steel in my camp knife . Thanks for your time! Love your channel in Texas !

Excellent video again Lilly. Very well done comparison of different steels with exactly similar knifes. Maybe you could make new version of APO-1S with SK85, because that carbon steel is really good steel and people like to use carbon steels like me.

Nice comparison, nice to see how you came to the decision of the APO1S I am so fond of in my bag. Have a great day stay well stay prepped

Hey Lilly - Have you been watching Forged in Fire again...? 🤣🤣 That certainly was a destruction test! I love your content. Yours is one of the most interesting channels on YT. Thanks for all the hard work you put in to make this an awesome channel.

I hate to be obvious but no body I know will use a knife in a survival situation the way you tested these knives. There fore I suggest the best knife is the one that corroded the least and you have to use for food prep. Which means stainless steel. The one between the two stainless steel blades the AUS8 would and is my choice of metal. It has less corrosion and needs less sharpening. Ideal for survival situations. I carry two knives when I out in the wild. One is a Mora carbon steel for carving and fire starting and the other is a Survive 7.7 with a AUS8 blade that is almost identical to your newest APO-2s. I bought it in 2006 and used it a lot and it still looks new. I do have to sharpen it often but more like a hone to keep it sharp. It splits, chops, cuts, and carves great. The Mora bushcraft black does feathers and caves a lot easier.

what good is the edge, if the knife got split in north and south.

SEE PEOPLE THATS a real test. That’s what I have been telling my Facebook family about knives. Your still good at what you do little lady. KEEP’EM coming. Never stop educating the public. Take care for now and thanks🤨🤓😉😘 Semper fi

Pocket knives can use super steels but I think anyone who has experience sharpening in the field will tell you the last thing you want to do is try to repair an edge on a super steel especially under pressure. Aus 8 anyday

Sweet video Lillly. Keep up the good work.

I would have a preference for Steels, like a 60Ni20, a new steel for forging damask and which contains enough carbon to take a good temper. and enough nickel to stay very clear after the reveal.

I think it is a crazy test, a knife is for cutting, axe and machete have lower hardness for chopping.

can't believe how fast the black apo1s sold out, I snagged an uncoated one however. It is PERFECTLY balanced. Love it

I only use my Kbar ( 3 of them ) , but it was good to see the tests you put these knives through. Thank you for your informative and enjoyable posts.

The title says AUS-8 vs SK-85, vs D2. Instead of D2, your knife is made of K110. Are they the same thing?

Thanks Lilly, best blade I have is the Esee 4 1095 carbon steel with a lifetime guarantee.

When i was young and stupid, i tried to mimic the buck knife ad, put the knife's edge, against a bolt, hit it with a hammer. Result; 1 dead buck. I use d2. I take care of my knives and firearms, don't need, or like stainless. My rifles, all have walnut stocks, don't like plastic. That's me.

Hello from California Lilly. I have a question, here in the U.S. we are being informed that Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank has had approx. 130 of it’s branches in Russia closed and assets frozen, while Russia’s Sberbank, and VTB have done the same to all of their accounts outside of Russia. Is this true ? I hope that you have been able to avoid the chaos, but you are as well suited to handle adversity as anyone. I hope you and yours are safe and well.

Awesome test!! it makes you rethink D2, but it will be super fun to see you restore the banged up knives back to their sharpest states... thnx Lilly

I have your original AUS8 AP1. I loved it very much, but the handle screws came loose and were lost. How can I find new ones? Can you. Send me some?

CPM 3V would be a better super steel to compare to SK85 and AUS8. Same carbon content, but better alloying elements and powder improvements in consistency. Tough as hell with decent edge retention. It is a little pricey though. The heat treat is a lot more complex and labor intensive.

Don't understand what the purpose is of beating a blade to pieces. Can't think of any bushcraft scenario that involves chopping concrete.

You could be a knife salesman going door to door.

I definitely seen argument for both sides but at the end of the day it's what are you gonna be using it for I guess overall if you're just gonna absolutely beat the living snot out of a knife then yes the stainless steels that are a little bit softer will do the job But there is that saying right tool for the right job sometimes you need something with a little bit more edge retention when doing fine work or Like processing an animal a lot of times I end up taking multiple knives for different jobs Good test though I really like to watch it thank you for your time and also donation of the knives in question.