O1 steel/bushcraft knives ??

N

northern1

Joined
Apr 29, 2007
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562
i think the only steel i dont have a knife in is O1 but thats going to change by next week and is neither here nor there.

here's my question or should i say observation.

i have notice that a whole bunch,if not the majority of traditional "bushcraft" style blade are done in O1.

of course its a great steel but its not the only great steel with those properties.

what do you guys think.i'm certainly no expert in steel or bushcraft so this has me really curious.
 
I have a couple of knives in 01, it is easy to sharpen, seems to hold an edge, it is reliable. If you like A2, you'll like 01 as well. I think the builders like working with it, easy to grind and harden, relatively inexpensive to purchase. I have no issues with it. Some might say it rusts easily. If you use it hard and put it away wet you can expect that. Rusty 01 has not been a problem for me.
 
O1 is a time proven steel. Randall Made Knives have used it for more then 40 years. It's a fine grained deep hardening steel that holds an edge well and is easy to sharpen. There are plenty of other good carbon steels out there. O1 has just seemed to find it's place with outdoor knife users.
Scott
 
My Wright and Sons Bushcraft / woodslore type knife is in 01...it holds a great edge and sharpens nicely, I love it. It was my first 01 blade, and I dont hesitate to purchase 01 because of it.
 
I have about 5 knives in O1. They hold a good edge will rust if you put it away wet. A little elbow grease with a bit of steel wool and they are shiny and rust free. I would buy another one in a minute!
 
O1 and 1095 are my favorites. I have two Breedens in O1, an RC-4 in 1095 and an opinel carbon.

I ended up forcing a patina on them just because my boatwork inevitably gets them wet. There usually comes some point in the day where there is no longer anything dry left on my body to wipe the knife on. So putting a shiny carbon blade away wet, even for a few hours until getting home usually results in some spots and blotches. The patina takes cares of 90% of the corrosion issues and I also think it looks good.

I find it much easier to sharpen carbon than stainless to a desired edge.
 
I like/use O1 because the guys that make the knives I like use it. What Scott said makes sense to me and hold true as I use the knives so - no argument. I do have some A2, 1095 and L6 in "wodsie" knives as well though and they are wonderful performers too.
 
I think it's popular to use because it is cheap, and easy for them to work with.

One of my favorite blades is made out of it and it is easy to sharpen, easier to dull, and a bit easier to rust though.

I think the popularity has more to do with being easy for knifemakers to work with rather than any inherent superior characteristics of the steel. Although I like all my 01 blades
 
Here I go on another rant about heat treat ;), O-1 is used alot because it is hardened by quenching in oil. It is more forgiving to heat treat than 1095. 1095 is very inexpensive when compared to the price of other steels, incuding O-1, however, to get the full performance of 1095, you need to use a water quench, which can lead to alot of cracked blades if not done correctly. Some knifemakers outsource the heat treating ( hardening and tempering) of their blades, but if you are a DIY type bladesmith, the advantage clearly goes to O-1 in the heat treat. O-1 also had some added ingredients that increase it's edge holding ability.
I mainly work with 1095, 1084, or 5160, however if a customer wants a blade in O-1, I will build it that way for them....
 
hollowdweller said:
I think it's popular to use because it is cheap, and easy for them to work with.........
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charlieridge said:
....It is more forgiving to heat treat than 1095. 1095....
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Good enough for me. Whatever works best for the guy building it means he's going to be more likely to give me the best he can build and, from my end of it as the user, it works just fine,.... better than "just fine" so I win with O1.:D
 
kgd said:
O1 and 1095 are my favorites. I have two Breedens in O1, an RC-4 in 1095 and an opinel carbon.

I ended up forcing a patina on them just because my boatwork inevitably gets them wet. There usually comes some point in the day where there is no longer anything dry left on my body to wipe the knife on. So putting a shiny carbon blade away wet, even for a few hours until getting home usually results in some spots and blotches. The patina takes cares of 90% of the corrosion issues and I also think it looks good.

I find it much easier to sharpen carbon than stainless to a desired edge.
Click to expand...

This is a perfect opportunity to post some pics:)
 
Jeff H said:
Whatever works best for the guy building it means he's going to be more likely to give me the best he can build and, from my end of it as the user, it works just fine,.... better than "just fine" so I win with O1.:D
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I do think we as knife fans get caught up in steel debates, and just assume the builder is getting 100% out of the steel. It does boil down to the maker...

O-1 is a fine steel for a knife!:D :thumbup::thumbup:
 
holeymoley said:
This is a perfect opportunity to post some pics:)
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I can't ignore a request to post a shot of the Breedens! Here is the pathfinder and kat in their patina glory. The pathfinder was strapped to my belt during my last 5 d field work trip so you can see the love spots that with the help of a little green scrubby post-trip have blackened pretty good.

The patina on the kat was done with a potato and it is much more uniform than the vinegar one from the pathfinder which has become more weathered from knife usage.

DSC_0005-10.jpg
 
Nice job :thumbup:

I have to admit, I like the patina better than that original satin finish.
 
i love O1 and 1095 steel... both hold a great edge and are easy to maintain while out in the field... O1 throws a shower of sparks from a firestel too..:thumbup:
 
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