SR101 versus 1095 with good HT?

O

Outdoors Fanatic

Joined
Sep 6, 2007
Messages
1,473
Hey folks, how does these two steels compare when it comes to toughness, edge retention and corrosion resistance. I have a good experience with ESEE's 1095 and Busse's INFI, and I was wondering what should I expect from the famous Swamp Rat's SR101.

Thanks in advance. :thumbup:
 
SR101 holds its edge better, and gets way sharper:cool::thumbup: IMO
 
Hard to beat either one. I would think you would get better edge retention on the sr101. I have used good 1095 for years, K-Bar and ESEE mostly. 1095 can take one hell of an edge and is fairly easy to sharpen, makes a great field knife. I am curious which steel is the most resistant to rust.
 
I personally prefer SR101 to 1095 -- by a pretty long shot. It's tougher than a $2 steak plus holds a wicked edge after a great sharpening.
 
In the end I would have to side with sr101 as well. I do love some good 1095 though.
 
I have a few of both Swamp Rat and ESEE and I am very happy with both. :)

Rowen does magic with 1095, those knives are both tough and great on edge retention.

SR101 has performed phenomenally for me in the field, I have put my Mastiff through more abuse than normal and its come through very well.

In short, you wont be disappointed with either one, in their performance and price.
 
SR101 has really amazed me in it's edge holding. I'd say it beats 1095 in all departments except corrosion resistance......in that department they both suck just as with nearly all carbon steels. A little care and a rub with mineral oil takes care of that though !!!!
 
leatherman said:
I have a few of both Swamp Rat and ESEE and I am very happy with both. :)

Rowen does magic with 1095, those knives are both tough and great on edge retention.

SR101 has performed phenomenally for me in the field, I have put my Mastiff through more abuse than normal and its come through very well.

In short, you wont be disappointed with either one, in their performance and price.
Click to expand...
You said it best:thumbup:
 
I believe SR101 is a proprietary name for 52100, one my favorite steels -- I have a pair of Marble's, a Campcraft and a Fieldcraft in 52100 from Mike Stewart's era there, and none of my knives take a better edge than those. It's a step up (or two) from 1095, with better edge holding, and a tad better corrosion resistance. Our ancestors did just fine with carbon steels so I have no concerns about corrosion susceptibility -- just dry 'em off before you put 'em away. BreakFree keeps my blades in good condition.
 
Alberta Ed said:
I believe SR101 is a proprietary name for 52100, one my favorite steels -- I have a pair of Marble's, a Campcraft and a Fieldcraft in 52100 from Mike Stewart's era there, and none of my knives take a better edge than those. It's a step up (or two) from 1095, with better edge holding, and a tad better corrosion resistance. Our ancestors did just fine with carbon steels so I have no concerns about corrosion susceptibility -- just dry 'em off before you put 'em away. BreakFree keeps my blades in good condition.
Click to expand...

Agreed 100%
Heck, most hunters/fishermen around the world are still using plain old carbon. Most people don't have access to H-1 steel.
 
Most medium sized to larger blades are run at 58-60. Small ones all the way up to 62-64. From my experience SR101 is a better steel than rowen's 1095 in both edge holding and toughness but it is also much more expensive. SR101 is my favorite steel. Compared to INFI the only thing I really noticed was that INFI is very rust resistant. INFI performs like a stainless SR101 and it hold's its edge a little longer when chopping.
 
KalEl said:
Most medium sized to larger blades are run at 58-60. Small ones all the way up to 62-64. From my experience SR101 is a better steel than rowen's 1095 in both edge holding and toughness but it is also much more expensive. SR101 is my favorite steel. Compared to INFI the only thing I really noticed was that INFI is very rust resistant. INFI performs like a stainless SR101 and it hold's its edge a little longer when chopping.
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing. Do you know if the RatManDu is above Rc 60?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top