Whats easier to work with?

U

unky_gumbi

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Aug 28, 2009
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5160 or O1 using stock removal with files?:confused:
I have made 2 knives with 5160, and have 2 more ready to go to HT. I just got some O1 that I plan on making a couple of bushcraft knives out of, and I am wondering what will be easier to work with files and hacksaw.
I am sure that I will be going out and buying a couple more files before I start working in the bevels on the O1, because the ones I have now just aren't cutting as well as they use to.
I have searched the forums and googled looking for the answer but with no real luck. I thought I had found the answer with a thread here, but before the end of the first page the discussion moved on to comparisons of different steels and left me high and dry.:(
 
It depends more on the state of the steel than the type. Properly annealed, both steels should be soft enough to work by hand without difficulty.
 
I have done a lot of hacksawing on both steels, even to the point of ripping O1 to get the thickness I wanted. I found O1 sometimes had funny hard spots that would very suddenly take the teeth off my blade. It was only a couple pieces that did that. Not noticeably different to file IMHO
 
You'll see no diffrence in hand workin both. The HRA *could* have some hard spots here and there. However, I've learned that those just come with the territory when working hardenable steels. Wether it be CRA or HRA hard spots are bound to happen. Anyway back to the subject. The heat treat process for 5160 would be easier to do yourself properly. O1 REALLY needs a specific and precise heat treat to shine. 5160 is more "primitive friendly" here's the heat treat process I use for all my 5160

http://www.caffreyknives.net/journeymanarticle.html

Jason
 
Yeah I am not set up to HT yet, still working on that. I send my stuff out to Knifemaker.ca for HT and probably will for some time yet
 
Lukes has some good files that should last you a while, not bad price when they are on sale. I found 01 the hardest to work by hand. It seem to be much harder to sand well. Cheers Ron.
 
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