All purpose fixed blade steel?

rodriguez7

rodriguez7

Gila wilderness knife works
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Messages
1,428
So I'm having a custom made, and I'm having a hard time choosing the steel! It's going to be an all around, hunting blade, main uses are skinning, butchering animals, chopping wood, general camp chores, battoning wood for fires. The steel choices I'm going with, are 52100, A2, 80crv2, and possibly o1.
 
If it was me I would have a hard time choosing between A2 or O1.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
O1 in my opinion is a little easier to sharpen in the field.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I have no experience with o1, only 52100. Which I really like. I'm looking more for edge retention and durability. I usually carry a diamond sharpener anyway.
 
A2 will give you more edge retention over O1. I don't have any experience with 52100 , but a lot of folks love it. A2 will not oxidize as fast as O1.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The old CRK One Piece Range Knives were A2 and they performed great.

I have some older FFG Marbles knives in 52100 that get scary sharp.

I do not have experience with the other steels and defer tot hose with more knowledge that I.
 
rodriguez7 said:
So I'm having a custom made, and I'm having a hard time choosing the steel! It's going to be an all around, hunting blade, main uses are skinning, butchering animals, chopping wood, general camp chores, battoning wood for fires. The steel choices I'm going with, are 52100, A2, 80crv2, and possibly o1.
Click to expand...

What is the geometry of the steel?

I would go with 52100, 80crv2, A2, and 01 in the order.
 
A2, then O1 or 52100. If you have a choice of CPM 3V, that would be my top choice by far.
 
Can you give us more info such as blade length
Blade shape,thickness and what does your maker
Recommend ? Maybe with that info you can get a
Better answer! Good luck with your custom...

Frank
 
I agree with others, any more specs you can provide would be good. I would for instance change my answer to 52100 or something similar if you were going for a large chopper. I just feel that A2 makes a pretty good all around steel for an all around outdoors knife.
 
It's a medium sized blade. Around 6 1/2 inches, around .20 thick. The knives main uses will be butchering animals, skinning, quartering. Then basic camp chores in the wilderness, chopping some wood, batonning, and other general use. Something designed as a durable, somewhat easy to sharpen and good edge holding steel. The knife will be patterned off a fallkniven volcano! I picked these steels due to the price, and simplicity of them. I'm wanting something that can be differentially hardened!
 
Get the one your maker has the most experience with and can heat treat the best.
 
52100 or o-1 then. How would these two compare as far as edge retention and toughness? I have no experience with o1
 
rodriguez7 said:
It's a medium sized blade. Around 6 1/2 inches, around .20 thick. The knives main uses will be butchering animals, skinning, quartering. Then basic camp chores in the wilderness, chopping some wood, batonning, and other general use. Something designed as a durable, somewhat easy to sharpen and good edge holding steel. The knife will be patterned off a fallkniven volcano! I picked these steels due to the price, and simplicity of them. I'm wanting something that can be differentially hardened!
Click to expand...

Im pretty sure if you want a differentially hardened blade all the steels you listed are gonna be pretty tricky to get right. Something like 1095 would be much easier to my understanding. If you take the differential hardening out of the equation I would say all those steels are very good for that type of knife. As deadbox stated whatever steel your maker likes the most would yield the best results.
 
I would prefer a differentially hardened blade, it's not set in stone. I figured 52100 would be the best bet for this.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top