bush knife steel choice?

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meismjg

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Nov 21, 2010
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Supposing I was looking at a knife that was available in O-1, A2, and CPM3v and the maker was equally confident with working in all 3 steels.. what is the good choice?
It seems a lot of makers of bushcraft knives use O-1 steel and the users are happy with it. However, if the you could select between the 3 steels from your favorite maker, all else being equal, would you still select O-1?

Knife would be 5~ inch blade, flat grind convex bevel, .18 - .2 inch thick, for use in always humid, and possibly close to the ocean, climate. I'm leaning toward 3v
 
i love a good stainless, i would go with the cmp3v because it's got amazing edge retention, i love it (one downside is it definitely isn't as easy to sharpen). but on the other hand i have a ton of bushcraft knives in 01 and with the right heat treat its a great steel, easy to sharpen and maintain, holds a good edge and has been very well proven over the years. A2 is also a great steel (hell isn't that bark rivers go to steel)

to me it would depend on the price usually the higher end steels add a good bit to the price.
 
I'd go with O1 or A2. Toughness and ease of sharpening mean more to me outdoors than corrosion resistance and extreme edge holding.
 
I like O-1 and have a few knives in that, but I've ordered my last couple bush knives in A-2 for the supposedly better corrosion resistance. Truth be told, I'd be happy with 1095, A-2, O-1, S30V, or 3V if the heat treat were well done. My Fehrman in 3V is phenomenal. Remember that the edge geometry will also play a significant role in edge retention and integrity.
 
I tend to lean towards O-1 for over-all performance and ease of in the field maintenance here in my environment. If I lived near the coast and the knife was going to be used in a salt water environment or salt air (or worn around my neck) I would go for a stainless steel. Not really all that familiar with CPM3V but I do like CPMS30V with the right heat treat, which is what's really important there.
 
I use knives made from O1, A2, 1095, S30V, CM154, CH420 and 52100. All work well for me. Steel choice is important, bot not nearly so as some folks like to think.,

Grind, bevel, heat treat, handle..............if all are not right, then the steel is of little consequence.
 
I have both A2 and CPM 3V knives from Bark River and honestly I think I'm more comfortable with A2. I found it much easier to maintain.
 
HandofCod said:
I have both A2 and CPM 3V knives from Bark River and honestly I think I'm more comfortable with A2. I found it much easier to maintain.
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This is what I was thinking. But there is something alluring about the reported performance of 3v. I guess that's why some guys on here own small armories..or large ones.. too many good options.

Thanks for the all the replies
 
Just for clarification, CPM 3V is not stainless, that would be my choice. I've found that it's qualities are among the best for bushcrafting, and I haven't noticed that it's any harder to sharpen than O1. I use DMT diamond dua-folds, and if I'm feeling fancy, follow it up on ceramics. Great steel!
 
I've owned all 3 and would be confident in them all. I would say if you want to maintain your knife in the field go with O1 or A2 because they're easier to sharpen. I'd lean towards A2 just because I think it's a better steel, by a small margin, then O1 plus it has a little more corrosion resistance. I would recomend going with 3V if you want a knife you sharpen up at home, take to the woods for a week, and then sharpen when you get back home. It has better edge holding then the other 2 and is more stain resistant. It requires less maintenance then the other 2.
 
Assuming Heat Treat, Geometry, etc. is all good:

I own knives in all 3 steels, but I have the good fortune to live in a very low-humidity climate. 01 is my favorite because it sharpens easily and gets incredibly sharp, but it oxidizes the moment you stop paying attention to it. 3V is very tough, holds an edge forever, and is quite corrosion resistant, but a right pain to sharpen and I don't have diamond stones. A2 is a good compromise between those two. It's only slightly more difficult to sharpen than O1, but much more corrosion resistant.

If I were in a more humid environment I would go for the A2 or 3V and some diamond stones. You could also go with 12c27/AEB-L, which I consider one of the few good stainless options for bushcraft knives.
 
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