AEB-L was originally designed by Uddeholm for use as a razor blade steel (similar to Sandvik 13C26 stainless steel). It is famed for a combination of toughness, edge stability and edge holding. AEB-L with its high toughness has very good “edge stability” meaning it is very well suited for high cutting ability edges. Thin edges do not just cut better, however, they also have much better edge retention. That means that when AEB-L is used in knives with thin, acute edges where it excels relative to the more wear resistant steels that have poor toughness, the edge retention will match or exceed those more wear resistant steels. So AEB-L knives can have both better cutting ability and edge retention than more wear resistant steels when used with an edge geometry where it excels. Grinding, Polishing, and Sharpening Another area where AEB-L is much closer to low alloy steels than to other stainless steels is in grinding, polishing, and sharpening. The relatively low wear resistance means that AEB-L excels in this area. It is very easy to grind and finish for the knifemaker, and very easy to sharpen for the end user. For those users that would like to trade some edge retention for ease in sharpening, AEB-L is a very good choice. For knifemakers that need to put a high finish on a knife or to minimize hand sanding time, AEB-L is better than even 440C or CPM-154. The cleanliness of AEB-L is also very good which means that impurities are unlikely to affect the finish. Back-order stock is available within 2-4 business days.
