I certainly cannot disagree with anything said above, just ad to it...

There is alot of hulabaloo over which steel is better, whether it's S30V, VG-10, 154CM, A2, M2, etc etc. There are undoubtedly differences between each steel, some are substantial. ...but the plain fact is: unless you have access to several knives made from different steels, AND use them constantly (almost to the point of "testing" them), AND some of the knives are of the same steel, there really is no way for the average user to qualify the differences between the steels. That is not to argue that you didn;t notice the difference between your AUS-8 blade and the S30V...you certainly did. But the point is that you may have an AUS-8 blade with an improper heat treatment or sloppy alloy content and another AUS-8 blade that was manufactured correctly. Each will show different edge-wear properties.

I have several knives in different steels, to include S30V (but not AUS-8). Just when I think I've found that one blade holds an edge longer than another, I find myself proved wrong the next time they're sharpened and used again. I'm not a scientist or metallurgist, and I'm not striving to be either. I've just decided that most of the steels used in higher-end knives are going to be just fine, and I won;t really be able to tell the difference between one or the other.... at least not "honestly".

About the only "honest" assessment I feel confident in making is: my two D-2 steel blades are the hardest things I have to sharpen, and I'm pulling my hair out trying to get a "razor" edge on them. ANd when I get them as sharp as I can, while they hold their edges well, I can;t say "wow, this stuff really holds its edge a long time!". I just can't do it.