A2 vs D2 vs O1

SpookyPistolero

SpookyPistolero

Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Messages
6,105
Anyone used blades in all these steels? I've got a D2 that sucks because I hate sharpening it, and O1 blades that I really like (easy to work with, take great edges). But I've got no blades that are A2. Is it a pain in the butt like D2?

The 'pain in the butt' is more about difficulty in field sharpening, I don't use any setups at home that isn't something I can take into the field.

Thanks folks!
 
Great question. I am looking forward to learning the answer too. I have a lot of O1 blades and none of the others.
 


I've used all 3 steels. I take a diamond lap into the field. A diamond lap can sharpen just about anything.

I like 'em all, but am somewhat partial to O-1. But really, I'd buy a nice design in any of the three you mentioned. It may be more of a question about getting the right heat treament.

Anyone try CPM-D2?

 
Dont have any O1 to compare with, but I do have knives in both A2 and D2.

I hear you about the issues with sharpening D2, it's quite time consuming. A2 sharpens up quickly though, no problem touching the blade up with a pocket diamond stone.

I have noticed a pretty big difference in wear resistance during use. I used both knives to slice fiberglass insulation bats and the D2 stays aggressive much longer.
 
I too have an aversion to D2, even though I have three blades in it....and like them each. But sharpening them is very frustrating for me.

All O-1 blades I've delt with so far have been EnZos. I have touched up each one to a very sharp edge and the one knife I kept for myself I reworked the entire edge. I didn;t rebevel it (or more incorrectly "reprofile"), what happened was when I received the blade the tip was bent. A very ugly bend about 1/8" of steel. Although BensBackwoods offered to replace it, I kept it and reworked the tip and after building the kit I kept it. Then, I ground all of the "convex" out of the scandi edge making it as flat as I could get it. Very nice to work with.

The only A2 steel blades I have are convex Bark River knives. ABout 7 of them are A2 I guess, and I've sharpened each knife several times...some more than others because they get more use. One of them has been knicked so I had to drop down to 220 grit and work my way back up. The A2 steel sharpens up very nicely. I have no reservations about it and I'm confident every time I have to sharpen one. That says alot, for me.... the confidence thing. You know, with D2, I know I'm going to get an edge...but what kind of edge this time? I'm uncomfortable and unconfident that the results will be anythng more than just acceptable. BUT: the Bravo-1 and mini-Canadian, two knives in particular, are the sharpest Bark Rivers I have and they're A2. THe mini-Canadian is "scary sharp" in the true sense of the words. Very, very fine edge.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to tell you A2 is a very fine-grained steel, very hard, and moderately easy to sharpen, and I wanted to let you have some confidence in it...hence the detailed explanation.

I hope you get one in A2 Spooky.... I think you'll like it. :thumbup:
 
of them all I like o-1 the best..If you have a problem with your d2 send it to siguy to be reprofiled he'll do a dynamite job than just maintain..also my favorite droid is r2-d2
 
I have a homemade knife in O1 that is actually harder to sharpen than my Gene Ingram in D2...but I did the minimum possible stress relief on it after tempering and I would guess it's around rockwell 61 or so.

I also have an Aurora in A2, which I love.

I like all of these steels, but my instinct is to use D2 on small blades, A2 on medium blades and O1...well, I think O1 is super versatile. My little shaver knife is O1 and you would think it's a hard D2. But then you can soften it a little more and get a good big knife out of it as well.

Hell, steel is great.
 
I find A2 and o1 are pretty similar in sharpening ease and both take a really keen/slick edge. 01 is a only slightly easier to abrade by freehand sharpening.

D2 does take a lot more work initially and can really tear up some stones. But, once you get the bevels set, its all just a matter of maintenance/ touch ups and pretty care free from then on. My Benchmade 910d2 and Cuda Maxx were equally difficult to initially sharpen despite the difference in blade size. D2 is just way more abrasion resistant due to the vanadium and u can feel it when rubbing it to stone. Now, using a small pocket stone would be no problem if I were in the field.

Out of the 3, I'd still pick A2.
 
i got all 3,put away my randals,use my dozier once in awhile but i seem to always use my A2 barkies they can hold an edge jus as long as my D2 but seems tougher to me then the O1,they sharpen up easy,,an are bomb proof....but it might not jus be the steel could be the heat treat of the makers,blade design,edge type,stone using to sharpen,an so on..i use diamond stone to sharpen the D2 an 3G those two are the hardest steels to me to sharpen then i move to the japanese water stones then strop,O1 jus waterstones,my A2 i use sandpaper an strop...aloha
 
Spooky isnt your aurora A2? I thought you had some A2 Barkies.

I am partial to O1, but my experiance with A2 has been great too. Its a great tool steel, and IMO is easier to workwith then D2.
 
A2 and 01 have very similar characteristics, usage and sharpening-wise. Love 'em both!
 
Out of those three, my favourite is easily A2. It isn't as rust-aggressive as O1, and it's easier to sharpen than D2.
 
Thanks for all the thoughts, guys! Very appreciated.

The D2 that I've got is an Enzo, and half the problem is that I got it used with a secondary bevel already on it. I can't find my pocket stones to try and flatten it out!

Jake- Yeah, I basically had some 'long term borrows' that were A2 barkies, they came with a good edge so I didn't have to do anything more than strop them (pretty good indicator though).

The notion that caught my mind to begin with was whether it'd be worth snatching a Skookum is A2 if one popped up used, in case it's all I could find.
 
Oh...I see.:eek:

An A2 skookum would be awesome man....:cool:

I say go for it. If you like O1, you will like A2....:thumbup:
 
I have lots of O1's

Bark River A2's

Charles May D2's

It's hard for me to compare the A2 convexes to the 01's.

My impression is 01 is the easiest to sharpen and keeps a good edge. For me at least, and this sounds weird but- it SEEMS like O1 stays shaving aharp longer but does not hold it's edge as long as the other 2.

On the A2's it seems like they are near as easy to sharpen as the 01's and don't rust quite as quick(but stain pretty quick it seems)

The D2's are the hardest to get sharp when they are really dull. Also water stones don't really work well on them. Seems like they lose the razor edge faster than either the 01 or A2, but stay working sharp much longer. Also as long as I don't dull them really bad a few passes on a diamond plate and they are shaving sharp.

Probably 01 is my favorite. Maybe this isn't based on fact but the o1 seems to slide thru the wood well. Maybe just because it's softer the bevel has more polish? Also the 01 is the best for water stones which I really like to put an edge on with.

The D2 is my next favorite. Once you get the hang of sharpening it with the plate it's great for using when it's wet or if you are cutting stuff that stains. Plus you can just wash it in the sink, let it drip dry and no spots!
 
THe only D2s I have are a Spyderco Military and Paramilitary...Both have taken wicked sharp edges, and thanks to a diamond sharpener have kept them with minimal upkeep. The blade on the Military has taken a few blemishes...nothing Flitz couldn't cure though.

My only A2 Blade is a BRKT Canadian Camp Knife. This blade has also gotten a fantastic edge with a minimal amount of stropping to maintain. The steel for me has been a bit more prone to discoloration...however as it is an entirely different type of knife it gets used differently than the D2.
 
SP,
What are you using your D2 knives for in the field? I ask only because I have a few Doziers that I love, but I only use them for food and game prep. I do not mind carrying more than one knife if I am looking for other camp/field-related chores. As such, I find my Doziers hold an edge for a very long time and are fairly easy to sharpen as long as they are not allowed to get too dull. Under these circumstances, I have found them almost as easy to maintain as my O1 and A1 blades, and they will have a longer-lasting edge than either A1 or O1.
 
on_the_edge said:
SP,
What are you using your D2 knives for in the field? I ask only because I have a few Doziers that I love, but I only use them for food and game prep. I do not mind carrying more than one knife if I am looking for other camp/field-related chores. As such, I find my Doziers hold an edge for a very long time and are fairly easy to sharpen as long as they are not allowed to get too dull. Under these circumstances, I have found them almost as easy to maintain as my O1 and A1 blades, and they will have a longer-lasting edge than either A1 or O1.
Click to expand...

There isn't much of one to start with on my D2 fellow, it's got a secondary bevel on a scandi grind. But even if I cooperate with the secondary grind it's not acceptable. Spent a long time with a hand stone trying to get back the primary grind to no avail. Normally with my scandis it's either sandpaper on a flat surface or a pocket stone.
 
I don't have any knives on 01, but I have several in D2 and A2. The A2 is much easier to sharpen for me than the D2.
 
A2 is straightforward,dependable easy to sharpen steel.It get's a patina, obviously but it's an EVEN patina if taken care of (or if you want to shine it)

D2 is a mystery to me, it's not only tricky to sharpen-it can take AGES-put you can get it serrated or toothy whilst sharpening.It's not so tough in the brittle dept either....additionally, it doesn't get a decent patina it gets spotty quite easily and it looks oddly orange peel like when polished.

I prefer A2 or a decent stainless frankly.I know many people speak well of D2 and have excellent results with it though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top