need your help with my new blade specs

M

murderedsongbird

Joined
Apr 12, 2006
Messages
272
hey fellas. i know i dont post too much on here, but i need your help. Stomper is making me a new blade for christmas and i wanted to get opinions on the specs. it's going to be a compact scout with a 4 1/2 inch blade. what i want to know is whether i should 1/8 or 3/16 blade stock. also should i get
O1 or 1095? thanks for your help guys.
 
Hey Songbird,
It's all personal preference, of course, but mine would be for O-1 (I wouldn;t argue the 1095 either) at either 1/8 or maybe 5/32. I just think the 3/16" would be allmighty thick. SOme guys like that or even thicker to 1/4" for choppers, but a 4-1/2" blade isn;t really going to be a dedicated chopper - like you said, it'll be a compact scout. You can still chop with it, even if it's 1/8", when you need to hack some nubs off or maybe cut a thick branch shorter by chopping around the circumference, but I wouldn;t think you'd need 3/16.

My preference would be either steel at 5/32 I think, with a slight bias toward O-1..
 
01 & 1095 seem to have the same performance in my experiance. Ive found 1/8 inch stock to be the perfect blend of strength and optimum cutting efficiency. Have fun with your new toy.

John
 
I'd recommend 5/32", it's not too thick but is very stout and makes it comfortable for your thumb/fingers on the spine of the blade for finer work, in my opinion.

O1 is a good steel, I think it holds an edge a bit better in my experience. Either one is good, 1095 it kind of depends on the heat treat for me. If it's done good it's a great steel, if it's not 1095 is just okay. I have no idea how John's heat treat is on 1095, but I have one of his blades in O1 and it is pretty good.
 
I'd recommend 1/8. I'd really recommend .1, but i'm crazy :D

Either steel is fine, but i'd be picky on a diff. temper on 1095. O1 is a good steel, all around.
 
Either steel would be great with O1 having a slight edge. I wouldn't go over 1/8 th thick for that length blade as it would give no real added benefit or improvement in performance or strength, and actualy decreases cutting performance.
 
thanks a lot guys. i think the verdict is in. i'm going with O1 at 1/8. getting that and a new maxpedition falcon II. best christmas ever!!!.
 
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