A2 or O1 which is better or which do you prefer?

S

sunandsteel

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Oct 23, 2013
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Shopping around for a fixed blade I came across these two steels and wondering which is the way to go. Is one better than the other or both are good steels but maybe you prefer one over the other. I have one knife with O1 which I really like in that it's easy to sharpen and I find it stays sharp for a long time. I don't own any A2 knives so I can't compare.
 
I've used both, and like both, but A2, in my experience, is a lot more corrosion resistant than O1, so I prefer it.
 
I've never messed with A2, but I can tell you that you can put one hell of an edge on 01. Just keep a little fun oil on it, and it will hold up just fine.
 
Both are good steels depending upon the maker's treatment. I have a knife in each and don't see much difference. They both will rust/patina in a heartbeat around me.
 
I would always go A2 over 01. A2 meets or exceeds O1 in edge holding, toughness, ease of sharpening and on top of that is much more stain resistant.

I had a blind horse knife in 01 and I used gun blueing on it. It worked very well and I was able to make the blade almost black. I tried to use blueing on an A2 blade and it wouldnt work. This speaks to its resistance to staining.
 
I have 2 knives in 01 and one in A2. Both are easy to sharpen, taking a fine edge (a finer edge than stainless steel on the same stone) and hold it well. The 01 knife will tarnish, stain and rust much quicker than the knife with A2 steel. I might give the A2 a little higher lasting edge than the 01. DM
 
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