GEC's 1095 Vs. 01--Performance Difference?

C

Coonskinner

Joined
Mar 28, 2001
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You gentlemen who have used the Bull Nose in 01 and the regular 1095 offering from GEC, is there an appreciable difference in performance?

Edge holding?
 
I would say no appreciable difference between the two. They do patina a bit differently but I believe they hardened to give very similar results (sharpenability and edge holding).

I have one F&F in O1 and mostly like it for the difference in steel. The difference is in name only to me but makes it fun to own. I have noticed O1 patinas more evenly and blue.
 
01 is a tool steal and has better edge retention than 1095. It is a little more difficult to re-profile without using diamond stones. Once sharp, it can be touched up quickly like 1095. YMVV
 
Markesharp said:
01 is a tool steal and has better edge retention than 1095. It is a little more difficult to re-profile without using diamond stones. Once sharp, it can be touched up quickly like 1095. YMVV
Click to expand...

Agree with that and I might add that to me O1 seems to take a bit finer edge than 1095.
 
I agree with the above about the edge retention advantage of 01. However I do like the prettier patina that 1095 develops it the knife is a slipjoint. I prefer 01 a2 for a traditional fixed blade style knife. Simply because fixed blades tend to get more hard use.
 
In my use, they sharpen the same and O1 holds an edge a little longer. However, they are very similar and the way you use your knife may change your results:)
 
I find that they both sharpen up the same but 01 creates a finer edge along higher grits. Polishes up to a mirror polish great as well.
 
Performance difference is mostly academic, like lots of differences between steels. So much so in this case, GEC has been pulling back from O1. I noted this last year, after visiting the factory, Bill Howard expressed the difficulty justifying O1, considering the extra cost in logistics, and lack of distinctive performance when compared with the kind of heat treat they were getting on 1095. It was making less sense, especially when it was used for their low cost line. As a result, we're now seeing the F&F line moving over to 1095. It's not clear that O1 is going to be abandoned altogether. It s clear to me any significant value as a selling point is likely to the different letters being stamped on the tang that only really have meaning to knife nuts. Perhaps they'll use tool steel for occasional premium knives, where that selling point makes more sense.
 
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01 is a great tough steel. But on a slipjoint..... I think it would be hard to tell the performance difference between 1095 and 01. It's not like I'm ever chopping with or batoning my GEC's through cinder blocks.
 
I can tell the difference, not in GEC, but just between one O1 slipjoint and a few others in 1095. The O1 oxidizes easier and holds an edge longer.
 
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