O1 or A2

[Favorite Blade]

Which do you prefer for a hard use outdoor knife?

I see both of these steels being used for knives that are used outdoors. Is there a difference worth noting? Do you have a preference?

 

[Monofletch]

I have both. BHK in 01 seemed to never dull no matter what I do to the knife. My A2 blade is a Bladeforums custom maker. It is fantastic. Holds an edge just as long and still looks new.

Both are great steels- it depends on the idiot doing the heat treat that matters.

 

[sarge1967]

Oh that is a tough one. I have had both and both have performed quite well. I had a Blackjack Trail Guide that was made of A2. The only thing I ever had to do to that blade was strop it. I have a custom Bushlore clone that is made of O1 and it has performed just as well.
I agree with Monofletch, it depends on the quality of the heat treatment.

 

[skyhorse]

Comparing two blade steels is difficult because the end results could vary.Personally the A2 by Bark River has really impressed me.I have great results bringing back a screaming sharp edge on just a strop with black and white compound.

 

[Riz!]

A2 is a very good steel and I prefer it over 01 for all the reasons stated above, plus it is more corrosion resistant than 01

 

[chiral.grolim]

A2 should be tougher and more wear-resistant and feature some level of corrosion resistance that O1 lacks. That said, A2 needs to be properly HT'd to avoid excess retained austenite that can lead to inferior weakness and fracture. O1 is often talked of as "forgiving" for the maker and it is inexpensive, so it is very popular in custom/hand-made knives where the maker can spend more money/effort on other details of the design including handle materials, sheath, and especially blade geometry. Given the same geometry, an A2 blade may be somewhat tougher or MUCH weaker than an O1 blade. Rather than worry about the differences in the steels, buyers should focus on the skill of the craftsman and the overall design of the knife itself. The steel could be O1 or 1095 or 1084 or A2 - whatever the maker is good at working with to produce a strong enough blade that is still capable of efficient cutting. LOTs of good makers using O1, including legendary Randall Knives. Given the choice of simple alloys, my preference would be... SR101