Tell me about O-1 Steel

S

SteelSnob

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Sep 7, 2009
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So I recently got a folder in O1 and would like to hear your guys' opinions on O-1. I've already searched quite a bit and found a little information but not much. How does it compare to newer steels like CPM154,S30V or fill in the blank. It's 59hrc. Thanks.
 
01 has been around a long time . considered a carbon steel & comparisons with other alloys could fill books . can be heat treated to hard 60r.r. or softer depending on intended usage. will rust if some care is not taken & can be tweaked by some knifemakers to perform up there with the alphabet alloys.very good knives can be made from 01 by knowlegable makers.
 
It is a bold statement, but for edge retention, I would put well heat treated 01 up against any "super" steel at the same RC.

So there.
 
Decent toughness, lower wear resistance, low corrosion resistance. It's used a fair amount due to availability and relative ease of forging and heat treating without much tooling, reaching a usable hardness.
 
Not just a simple carbon steel , it lies somewhere between 1095 and W1,W2. Careful HT will bring out it's best properties. It's nowhere near S30V or CPM154 as it's not stainless nor does it have the wear resistance.
 
I use O-1 exclusively for my hard use knives since it is such a good all round steel. It performs above average on all different elements. Good wear resistance, flexibility etc. All dependable on a good heattreat off course, but that should go without saying.

Lately I also make my cutting competition knives out of O1 like other competitors. When you look at the abuse a knife suffers during these competitions, the used steel most be very good. It should stay scary sharp during the comp. and shouldn't break during heavy chopping. O1 performs very good in these comps. Off course there will be better steels, but that doesn't mean O1 is a simple or basic steel with average performance.

just my opinion.

greetings,

Toni
 
Rossi Knives said:
It is a bold statement, but for edge retention, I would put well heat treated 01 up against any "super" steel at the same RC.

So there.
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Not that much of a bold statement considering most super steels are just catching up to carbon and carbon alloy steels. O1 is a very tough steel that can take a serious beating and come out still smelling like roses. I find it to be best sharpened on diamond stones or water stones and is that type of steel that feels very sharp with either a 600 grit edge or a 10k edge. Its edge retention is not going to compare to S30V but I wouldn't put it far off of VG-10 or 154cm. The thing that does make it great though is how tough it is, you can chop, beat, cut, pry, and it just asks for more.
 
Thanks guys! I appreciate the info and if anyone else has anything to share about O-1 I would love to hear it.
 
01 is a good cutlery grade steel with good performance with a proper grind and HT. But... It will rust and turn ugly right before your eyes, so it needs proper care to maintain the finish. Most using knives made from 01 end up with a patina from use and will look okay. Get any knife made from 01 near mustard, and it will stain immediately.

My most memorable experience with 01 was when I was new to knifemaking. I made a nice 5 inch hunting knife with a near mirror finish. It was during the height of summer and humidity levels were high. I went on nightshift for a week and never went near the shop.

To my horror when I saw the knife, it was covered with a thin layer of rust. After I polished the rust off the entire blade was pitted. I moved onto stainless steels after that, and only use the 01 on request.
 
my 06 hunter went thru many deer seasons with no rust only a patina. 06 can have up 1.6 % carbon. i've had 2 hunters & both would do 3 deer & still shave hair.it wo'nt hold as long as m4 but it's much less expensive.actually for most hunters & campers it is plenty of knife. i rate it better than the esse [rat] knives. however mine are custom made. these days i use 3v by bark river & d2 by busse. but the difference is only about 20%.
 
Thanks for the info.

Well I just used it to cup up some liverwurst and it has some discoloration spots now. How can I remove these without changing the whole look of the finish on the blade?
 
SteelSnob said:
Thanks for the info.

Well I just used it to cup up some liverwurst and it has some discoloration spots now. How can I remove these without changing the whole look of the finish on the blade?
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Try a light coat of mineral oil and scrub with steel wool. Honestly, though, I don't know why you would want to get rid of the discoloration--that's your patina developing, and I think you should nurture it ;)

~Noah
 
Thanks. I'll have to get some steel wool. I personaly prefer a new look rather than patinas. Can't this lead to pitting?
 
SteelSnob said:
Thanks. I'll have to get some steel wool. I personaly prefer a new look rather than patinas. Can't this lead to pitting?
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Not so far for me. A patina is a type of iron oxide, but it isn't the same as what we call "rust" in that it tends to remain on the surface rather than spreading and causing damage. It actually helps prevent rust/pitting in my experience!

~Noah
 
OK I did a search and I saw some really nice patinas so I might just let it develop a patina. But you never know with me because I can be indecisive about my knives. Thanks.
 
IMO if you want a carbon steel knife, have it coated. Lot less hassle. Mad Dog uses O-1 steel on his (extremely expensive) knives but he gives them a hard chrome finish.

The biggest downfall of high carbon steel is its lack of resistance to rust. But in many other respects it is more user friendly than stainless steel, primary among these being the ease of sharpening and flexibility (ie toughness).
 
Nope, although most gunsmiths should be able to, as its usually done on pistols. Obviously easier if the handles can be easily removed, and the blade will have to be resharpened afterwards.

Parkerizing is another option that is probably easier to apply, as is the coated finishes applied to RAT/ESEE knives, Busse's, TOPS, etc. All steels with high carbon content.

IMO the best route to go is stonewashing. It provides the best rust resistance and also is the most attractive finish you can have on a knife, other than a hand-rubbed satin finish.
 
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