Steel Selection Question? O1 or A2?

Stratmeister

Stratmeister

Joined
Feb 6, 2009
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Got to admit, I still have a lot to learn about the types of blade steel and how to put them to their best use. I have been wanting a Recluse for a while, waiting for the right one to pop up, but in drooling over the production Fiddlebark's I see that Bark River is making them out of A-2 steel, whereas Andy primarily uses O-1.

What would be the factors in determining the best steel to use for a knife like this? Bushcrafting, hunting, general outdoor use. Why choose one of these two over the other? Thanks for any advice, opinions, knowledge you may feel like responding with.
 
Here is an article I see several websites list. It may not answer your question, but goes over the different steels and their advantages. I seem to prefer a blade material that I can sharpen manually without too much trouble. Some of the new blade steel may be too difficult for me to sharpen to what I like without a tabletop belt sander. I think I need one anyway. I don't think you could go wrong with either one.
http://www.knifeart.com/steelfaqbyjo.html
 
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Just my two cents and Im sure it will ruffle some feathers but I think to much is made about steel performance. Ive owned knives with 1095 up to the super steels and while edge retention is better the time to sharpen really is a drawback for me. On a knife that that I intend to use and maintain any carbon steel with good heat treat will work for me. I can use a knife with 1095 or 01 for quite awhile without having to sharpen, only light stropping is needed. That being said I prefer full flat or convex grinds so Scandis might be a whole other ballgame.
 
Listen guys, both of these steels are fantastic blade steels. I prefer 01 for sharpenability, and edge holding. When I tried A2, and the reason I think it is more popular, is because it doesn't rust as easily. As a knifemaker it is more expensive, and harder to grind both before and after heat treat. Personally, I wipe my 01 blade on my pants, and re-sheath. Oil occasionally. I have no rust on mine. It has a patina now though. IMO, it makes it mine.
 
That makes a lot of sense to me, and I have no problem with O-1 either. I just wondered when it made sense to consider A-2 or even D-2. My Hunter is A-2, Ladyfinger and Shank are stainless, the rest O-1.

There are so many types, and after reading some web articles it's even more confusing. Bevel angles, grinds, sharpening methods, whew. What happened to getting a good knife and just getting used to it?

I think the best piece of advise I read was to ask the maker what he would use and why. Thanks for answering Andy!
 
I think Andy nailed it. O1 takes a very keen edge IMO. I like it. My BF is CPM154 and does fantastic as well but giving a good carbon steel some personality is part of the fun for me.
 
I always like to say you cant argue with numbers. I dont know what the percentage is but most of the custom makers on this forum (especially stock removal guys) are using O1. There is a reason for that. Now most of them after a lil while will start delveling into A2 and D2 so either one of those is a good choice as well. But for me I would nt mind a kitchen knife made outta O1. After a proper patina is put on it it never seems to rust on me.
 
Speaking of kitchen knives the S35VN on my gentlemans steak knife has been very impressive. One of these days I'll have to try it on a bushcraft knife.

Ridge-Runner said:
I always like to say you cant argue with numbers. I dont know what the percentage is but most of the custom makers on this forum (especially stock removal guys) are using O1. There is a reason for that. Now most of them after a lil while will start delveling into A2 and D2 so either one of those is a good choice as well. But for me I would nt mind a kitchen knife made outta O1. After a proper patina is put on it it never seems to rust on me.
Click to expand...
 
You can't beat O1. It's awesome steel. As a maker I prefer working with A2, easier to heat treat, less fuss. I have alot of experience with both in the field and both do well. I've beat on O1 hard as well as A2. Don't see alot of difference in performance other then the rust factor.
 
All the steels mentioned above (and many more) are excellent steels if processed correctly. The "magic" in any of these steels lies in the quality of the heattreatment and the blade geometry. Without the two working together, you just have an awkward, poorly designed, marginally functional screw driver.
I prefer O1 simply because it forges easily, is not all that difficult to heattreat properly, and is readily accessable to me. That and it cuts like it's supposed to.

Ridgerunner, your statement is rather broad and misleading:
"I dont know what the percentage is but most of the custom makers on this forum (especially stock removal guys) are using O1."
Not sure what circles you run in, however with over 48 years experience I know quite a few knifemakers. Their selections of used steels are widely diversified. I would say not more than 1/3 of the makers (I know) have used O1, and of these, not all still do unless requested. O1 is not the cheapest good quality blade material and not all that readily accessible to everyone in preferred dimensional stock sizes and shapes, other good steels are. Just the way it is.

Before anyone starts thinking I am maligning O1 as knife steel.......it is my "go-to" steel and I prefer it over many others. I can make it sing. Just ask Andy.
 
01 can never be maligned. Its too simple for such drama issues. Its a good cutting tool steel. Its been hard to tear me away from it. I do like the CPM S35VN though. Its not as hard to work as some of the other particle steels I've tried. I recently tried 3V. I will never cut another 3V knife. 3V is the devil.
 
3V is probably my favorite steel for an outdoors knife, but I know of other makers who also refuse to work with it again. It's expensive to begin with, and takes a LOT more work and time. Lamont Coombs has had two large chunks of 3V from me (I assumed the cost/effort for supplying it) for a good while now, and I think I'm going to be waiting a long time yet for a sufficiently masochistic mood to overtake him. :D

OP--- Nothing really new to add, just contributing my own agreement with what has already been said; both O1 and A2 are superb choices when properly done.
 
If you use a hammer and beat it to submission 3V will comply. You can forge it real close to finish with good results.
However, it's a pretty tough forging steel, has a bit of an attitude until you "adjust" it.

"Don't need no stinkin Grinder!"
"If I can't fix it with a hammer.......must be electrical." - Wifey
 
crex said:
Ridgerunner, your statement is rather broad and misleading:
"I dont know what the percentage is but most of the custom makers on this forum (especially stock removal guys) are using O1."
Not sure what circles you run in, however with over 48 years experience I know quite a few knifemakers.
Click to expand...

I have not been in the custom game that long and most of my experience has came off of here, which is why I stated of of the guys on this forum, maybe should have said Blade Forums. But if you look at all the guys that have thier own forums I would venture to say 85% use O1 as thier main steel: Andy, Iz Turley, Gossman, Fletcher, and the rest. Course I was just stating that a lot of guys on Blade Forums agree that O1 is the shinizzle, and most agree.
 
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