advantages of 01 in a fixed blade?

cbach8tw

cbach8tw

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I have been going back and forth about 01 steel for awhile, I know it is perfectly good steel, as evidenced by all the knives I see made for bushcrafting or camp knives, but it has only increased my curiosity as to why and what makes it such a good using steel? Once I heard that 01 was less abrasion resistance, I got concerned if it would hold an edge for any length of time. So I asked a couple of my favorite makers here on the forums and they both gave me some good info, that because of the less abrasion stuff, it actually is easier to sharpen in the field, on a rock, on a windshield or on the bottom of a coffee cup. And I figured that Jk knives knows a thing or two about 01 too, as they are good knives, so now I want to hear your reasons and experiences with 01 steel, will it hold a good edge, etc? The advantages and the disadvantages.
 
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Moderator, can we move this to the general forum for me? Posted here by mistake.
 
My main belt knife when in the woods is a Bushfinger in O1, granted I don't use it on cardboard or other man-made materials very often but the edge has held up brilliantly with continued outdoor usage, only had to sharpen it once in over a year of taking and using it on all my camping trips.

Sure, O1 has less edge retention than the fancy bushcrafty steels like D2 and M4, but compared to more popular carbon steels like the 10xx series I think it outperforms all of them including 1095cv/CarbonV.
 
Thanks, hopefully the moderator got my message and will transfer this thread to the General discussion section to get more traffic.
 
:DYes, but I certainly hope you were a Scout and know your knots before you start flipping.
 
01 and 52100 done right make great knives with outstanding edge potential. 1095 is easy to sharpen in the field as well, just another reason it too is loved.
 
Thanks for the comments, keep them coming. Does anyone have a favorite knife in 01, any pics to add to your comments?
 
i like 01 as it holds an edge very well in wood working and foliage chopping. fron ky experiences with it. so great for use in woods.

so easy to get sharp again...one of its best attributes for me anyways. easier than 1095 or 1095 crovan. only major downside is rusting but that can be kept up with.
 
I have a buddy that swears by 01 but w all these super steels out there it's hard for me to justify buying something in it . I've heard it's like a nonstainless version of 154
 
I Brian Goode custom is my favorite knife. It can dress a deer and still shaves arm hair. I also use it to chop the pelvic bone with ease. His heat treat is great.
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Advantages over? A2? 3V?

I had a BHK Woodsman's Pro in 01 several years ago and it was fine, but ended up selling it.

Never had an issue sharpening it or keeping it sharp.

I agree with a comment above regarding other options in "super steel" being more favorable - especially considering price, available options, and corrosion resistance. So many options in the sub-5" fixed blade knife market.
 
Don't sweat O1, or John's HT, he does a really good job on it.

I was out fat wood scrounging one day and I forgot my Becker BK2, which is my goto knife for the job. I guess it is the 1/4" thickness that does it for me, but I digress.

I only had one of my JK's on me, and I recalled a while back, John told me to just take it out and beat the hell out of it, just see exactly what the knife was capable of. So I took him to task.

I used this knife to cut, pry, dig, I batoned it through pine knots (in the summer), I generally beat the hell out of it. While the knife would not shave hair, it would still slice magazine paper. The edge was fine except for one spot where I hit a rock imbedded in a piece of pine. It took a few minutes with a ceramic rod to get the roll back into shape, but that was the day that John earned my respect as a Knifemaker.

Straight up, honest, doesn't sugar coat things, and makes one hell of a knife.

For picture content, I offer up my USK. Customized from the ground up. Jimping, semi-wharncliffe, green micarta slabs with yellow liners. Matching ferro rod and a tapered "K" tool.
2017-07-01 22.06.23.jpg
 
I wouldn't worry about O1, it works. Think about it, it's a fairly simple steel with proven performance. It works well for forging, it works well for stock removal, and it's relatively easy to get a good heat treatment. And it's economical enough for mass production. Almost anybody can make a good knife out of O1. Some make a great knife from it. If they didn't we wouldn't be having this discussion. There's no such thing as a bad knife steel, just bad design. And unreasonable expectations...
 
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Thanks, Justfed, it is a good steel, and as long as the heat treat is correct, and the design is well thought out, it will make a good knife. Much appreciated.
 
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