A2 or 80crv2

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Dec 18, 2020
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Would you choose A2 or 80crv2 for a general camp knife and why? How do they compare.

Same question for a bushcraft knife?
 
General camp more robust knife (5” to 5.25” blade 5/32 or 3/16” thick), used for general fire prep (batoning included), general meal prep, white tail hunting, etc... will be used as a primary blade

Bushcraft knife (3.5” to 4” blade at 1/8” thick and scandi grind). Uses include all of the above minus batoning and adding finer “carving type work”. Will be used as a backup blade 99% of the time.

For the discussion, I’m buying both knives and only need to know what steel would be best for each
 
80crv2 is tougher— I might have guessed that! What about edge holding?
A2 should hold an edge longer. Also, if this factors in at all for you, A2 should also be more corrosion resistant.
 
80crv2 is tougher— I might have guessed that! What about edge holding?

A lot depends on the edge profile, grind, and heat treat.. but I'm going to say A2 will likely hold an edge a bit longer but I've also had some A2 chip.

When things like strops and super fine stones exist where you can literally get back to razor with a few swipes on 80crv2, I myself don't see the merit of a tiny bit of edge retention in the field.
 
80crv2 is tougher— I might have guessed that! What about edge holding?

Only for lower HRC (< 61). You can go tougher and more stainless at higher HRC with other steels, including A2, which might be better for kitchen duty ?
 
General camp more robust knife (5” to 5.25” blade 5/32 or 3/16” thick), used for general fire prep (batoning included), general meal prep, white tail hunting, etc... will be used as a primary blade

Bushcraft knife (3.5” to 4” blade at 1/8” thick and scandi grind). Uses include all of the above minus batoning and adding finer “carving type work”. Will be used as a backup blade 99% of the time.

For the discussion, I’m buying both knives and only need to know what steel would be best for each

Thank you. I was not trying to be difficult. I truly hate the words "bushcraft knife". Any knife I have with me out in the woods is a bushcraft knife. Any knife I have with me while camping is a camp knife. "Bushcraft" is quickly becoming what "tactical" was in the 90's - meaningless and overused.

Your response with your intended usage is far more meaningful than "camp" or "bushcraft".

In real-world usage, I cannot tell the difference between A2 and 80crv2, regardless of blade length. In a smaller knife with a thinner edge geometry, I would give the nod to A2 with regards to edge retention - but not by much. Either steel will work for your intended applications.
 
80CRV2 will be tougher, although I doubt most people could tell the difference compared to A2. I've made swords from A2 and they have all held up.

A2 will hold and edge longer.

Either should be fine for your uses.
 
A lot depends on the edge profile, grind, and heat treat.. but I'm going to say A2 will likely hold an edge a bit longer but I've also had some A2 chip.

When things like strops and super fine stones exist where you can literally get back to razor with a few swipes on 80crv2, I myself don't see the merit of a tiny bit of edge retention in the field.

This was part of what I was looking for. I was looking at a bark river bravo 1.25 in A2 or a 5.25” jaguar by Plknives in 80crv2.

Then I was looking at a bark river gunny scandi (possibly in 3v). I don’t have an alternative yet for the smaller knife
 
You certainly can get a good knife in steels with A2 or 80CrV2, but you can get much tougher blades with better wear resistance with steels like 3V, Cruwear, Vanadis 4E, M4 and such.
 
You certainly can get a good knife in steels with A2 or 80CrV2, but you can get much tougher blades with better wear resistance with steels like 3V, Cruwear, Vanadis 4E, M4 and such.
How much harder is 3v to sharpen with a water stone ? That’s my biggest hesitation.
 
How much harder is 3v to sharpen with a water stone ? That’s my biggest hesitation.
I don't use water stones, just diamonds. But the better steels with superior edge stability will allow you to use a thinner, more acute blade geometry, which makes sharpening (and cutting) easier. You can also go with a microbevel, which is very easy to resharpen.
 
All I know ia A2 @ ~62 Rc. It',s a fine steel and holds an edge well, but that is convex chisel ground. A2 does like to rust.
 
I haven’t used it but similar steels will take a frighteningly sharp edge with minimal effort.

For such rough use type knives I prefer a more easily repaired steel. My current project knife is 1055 at about 52 HRc. It’s going to get damaged for my uses, and I don’t see a need to use a harder steel. I want to be able to quickly repair it with a file and stones. I anticipate hard accidental rock impacts and dirty targets like wood that has been laying in dirt/sand for years at a time.
 
I have heard A2 can take a scary edge. Can 80crv2 take a scary edge too?
From what I've been told by friends who own blades in that steel and read online it sure seems to be the case. Most steels can, generally.
 
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