O1 and wood

[YoungCurmudgeon]

I've decided on a Camp & Trail (slightly modified) as my all purpose camping, hunting, general outdoor knife, but I need to decide on the details. What advantages/disadvantages are there to O1 over a lifetime of use (wear charachteristics, edge retention, and ease of sharpening) compared to one of the stainless steels that JK offers? Also, I like the look of the iron wood scales, but are there any concerns with this wood? Will it last or are there better options? Thanks for your advice.

 

[mqqn]

I don't have any experience to speak of with the stainless, but the 01 is tough stuff! Over your expected lifetime, if you maintain the knife properly by wiping it down after use, keeping it dry and not ever using a grinder or power device to sharpen the knife, it will be in your estate sale.

Ironwood is gorgeous, and it is called ironwood because it is so hard. I don't think I have ever heard of ironwood shrinking out.

The nice thing is that with wood, if you somehow damage the scale, you can always send it back to Mr. K and have him do something else.

I have been a big fan of his torched oak treatment lately, but I started off ordering everything in Maple Burl, then snakewood got my eye, then synthetic materials, and finally now I am back to torched oak.

Any of the woods will be good in service, so buy what catches your eye!

best

mqqn

 

[mykel m]

I don't have any experience to speak of with the stainless, but the 01 is tough stuff! Over your expected lifetime, if you maintain the knife properly by wiping it down after use, keeping it dry and not ever using a grinder or power device to sharpen the knife, it will be in your estate sale.

Ironwood is gorgeous, and it is called ironwood because it is so hard. I don't think I have ever heard of ironwood shrinking out.

The nice thing is that with wood, if you somehow damage the scale, you can always send it back to Mr. K and have him do something else.

Any of the woods will be good in service, so buy what catches your eye!

best

mqqn

Quoted for truth.:thumbup:

 

[JK Knives]

Ironwood is my favorite of all the woods, but I don`t try to push it on customers because it costs extra. Here are a couple of examples.

 

[KYenglish]

Mqqn said it best

 

[YoungCurmudgeon]

Thank guys. I just sent Mr. Kiesaisch an email ordering the knife. I'm going with the ironwood. I think it's better to get what you really want the 1st time than to spend even a second thinking "I should have..." And the slight premium will be quickly forgotten and lost in the annals of time.
As to the knife ending up in my estate sale, I often joke that all of my guns, knives, etc. may end up in a pawn shop when I'm gone, buy my plan is for them to all be WELL used by then and with any luck the kids will actually enjoy the hobbies/activities I teach them and will want to pass my stuff on the the next generations.

 

[cbwoods67]

Ironwood is pretty stuff. Good choice!

 

[YoungCurmudgeon]

Beautiful stuff. I'm confident I made the "right" choice.

 

[Rockywolf]

I have several ironwood handled knives. Tough stuff. Good choice. As far as O1, it is flipping amazing. It will outlive you.

 

[YoungCurmudgeon]

I've got a lot of years ahead of me, Lord willing, to try to wear this knife out. I wanted a knife that will outlive me, though I plan on giving it a run. My hope is that many decades from now when my son inherits it, that it will no longer be a knife, but that it will be "Dad's Knife".