Steel for camp knife/bushcraft

Sharpski

Sharpski

Joined
Jun 10, 2012
Messages
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I have been wanting another scandi ground blade and I think I have settled on a particular model. The problems is I have a choice of steels.

I can get o1, D2, or n690. I have had all the steel at one particular time or another but for this knife I can't decided which to go with.

This will be used for mainly bushcraft and carving. It has a proper scandi grind and is in the 3.75" range. It might serve to do a little fire kindling baton work but most of that is covered by a dedicated batoning knife. No chopping as this will be done with an axe.

I like o1 because it is easy to sharpen and maintain, it's tough and durable. It holds and edge pretty good as well. Down side is rust and it may not hold an edge quite as well as below.

The D2 might have slightly better edge retention but I worry about accounts of chipping in harder use that I have heard about. This is also not as prone to rust as o1 so that is nice.

I have had a folder in n690. I like that and was able to get a keen edge but it was on my wicked edge. I don't remember ever sharpening by hand or stropping. So I don't know how easy it is to maintaining n the field. Another plus is that it's stainless.


I should say in the field I mainly use my whetstones and my strops to maintain. It is absolutely pivotal that I have a knife that I can keep sharp. In my opinion in the woods I would much have a knife that is easier to sharpen than a knife which requires more time to sharpen even if it does fold and edge longer.

I have never had D2 or n690 in a fixed blade so I am just looking for input. Thanks!!
 
Disclaimer I have no experience with any of those steels.

If I were you I pick up the O1 if you like it and from what your saying you value a knife that you can easily maintain in the field which the O1 sounds like your pretty comfortable with doing just that.
 
Bob6794 said:
Disclaimer I have no experience with any of those steels.

If I were you I pick up the O1 if you like it and from what your saying you value a knife that you can easily maintain in the field which the O1 sounds like your pretty comfortable with doing just that.
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Thanks I would agree with you but I really like the n690 in my folder so it has been tempting me. I just don't know how it would do in a bushcraft environment.
 
Hard choice. If you're camping in a moisture environment and/or if you're planning to use your knife for food prep as well, I would go with something with a little more chromium in it than O1 (that has around 0.5% chromium). Personally I'd prefer coated A2 (5.5% Cr), CPM 3V (7.5% Cr) or Busse's INFI (8.5% Cr) for a general camping knife, but out of the three you mentioned I'd be doubting between D2 and N690Co. I think I tend towards the latter. But honestly, most hardcore bushcrafters would probably go with 01, out of the three you mentioned, I guess.
 
Jeru said:
Hard choice. If you're camping in a moisture environment and/or if you're planning to use your knife for food prep as well, I would go with something with a little more chromium in it than O1 (that has around 0.5% chromium). Personally I'd prefer coated A2 (5.5% Cr), CPM 3V (7.5% Cr) or Busse's INFI (8.5% Cr) for a general camping knife, but out of the three you mentioned I'd be doubting between D2 and N690Co. I think I tend towards the latter. But honestly, most hardcore bushcrafters would probably go with 01, out of the three you mentioned, I guess.
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Yea I agree I was surprised to see that they didn't offer in A2 steel. I am looking at the scandi ground Enzo knives. I'm kind of leaning towards the n690 at this point because of it's ability to get such a fine edge, and as you mentioned it's much more rust resistant. That ability to get a keen edge is the one thing that really sticks in my mind from using and sharpening the folder that had it. I don't think it's don't remember it being that hard sharpen either so I'm hoping that shouldn't be a problem.
 
I prefer 3v when available. Of the choices, D2 when done right is as close to flawless as it gets, unfortunately IMO Dozier is one of the few to do it right. O1 is always reliable. I'd start w O1, and if it doesn't meet your needs hit up D2 next.
 
I like 3V a great deal and my Koster is a wonderful knife for so many tasks. (I've got one of his full flatground bushcrafters, not the scandi anymore.)

That said, if I were looking for something more rust resistant, I believe that I'd be happy with n690. I like it on my Spyderco for solid rust resistance, edge holding (which is pretty good, but not super) and ability to get it sharpened up quite nicely. It reminds me of VG10 which is used in Fallkniven a lot. Seems that European makers use it more often than others, but I'd like to try more knives in this steel.

Doesn't Enzo use n690 in some of their models?
 
PB Wilson said:
I like 3V a great deal and my Koster is a wonderful knife for so many tasks. (I've got one of his full flatground bushcrafters, not the scandi anymore.)

That said, if I were looking for something more rust resistant, I believe that I'd be happy with n690. I like it on my Spyderco for solid rust resistance, edge holding (which is pretty good, but not super) and ability to get it sharpened up quite nicely. It reminds me of VG10 which is used in Fallkniven a lot. Seems that European makers use it more often than others, but I'd like to try more knives in this steel.

Doesn't Enzo use n690 in some of their models?
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They do and it's rather temping! I liked it my my Curtiss..
 
I don't see any reason to be worried about N690 steel. In my experience with it, it has been a great steel. I know carbon steel is the traditional steel for bushcraft, but it certainly doesn't have to be. I love not having my knives rust or stain while out in the field. Here is a video I did about a "bushcraft" knife, whatever that technically is, in N690:

[video=youtube_share;Yw6JvidVN5M]http://youtu.be/Yw6JvidVN5M[/video]

The knife received more use and abuse in that one video and trip than a lot of knives get in years, and was none the worse for wear. And let me add this: Throwing any knife that's not a throwing knife is abuse, but this one suffered no damage at all. And the last sequence where I test the edge was the VERY last sequence filmed. So it was done after all the carving, batonning, and throwing, much of which never made it in the video. Somewhere I did a writeup on it as well. Mario is an excellent maker, and very easy to work with. I can't recommend him highly enough.

Sam :thumbup:
 
Sharpski said:
What problem do you foresee in n690 if you don't mind me asking? (Price is the same)
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Not a problem, but I just think the properties of the other steels mentioned would be better for bushcraft (if you can keep the blade clean)
 
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