Which steel is the best for survival knives?

There are alot of good steels for an outdoor blade. My favorites are O1 and A2.
Scott
 
Depends on you skill for maitnence, If you take good care of your knives, carbon is a great outdoors choice, also, many like using stainless, It really comes down to what you like more.
 
I like a non stainless steel that takes a good edge easily, isn't brittle, even at high hardness, and has a lot of strength. I like INFI a lot.
 
I can't complain about my 10xx blades... or my nicer stainless. Its more about the quality of the steel and design than what steel.
 
Hi scott if i may ask why do you like O1 and A2 steals??? what is the diffrence with the two???

Sasha
 
I like several steels. I have knives with A2, 12c27mod, 12c27, 1095, scandi high carbon and 0170-6 used by Camillus for the Becker line, as well as on CS knives, calling it carbon V and they all perform very well in the outdoors, under varying conditions. The high carbon used on Mora knives is the only one that has chipped during normal use and it was so minor, that the next sharpening fixed it.
 
I like carbon and tool steels like 1095 and A2, and INFI is great. Carbon steels and a good heat treat is the best in my mind.
 
For a longer knife, say 6" or more, I trust carbon steel's toughness more. Not to say I'd turn my nose up at a good knife just because it was 440C. On smaller knives, I think it makes even less difference. There are lots of makers putting out well-designed and well-treated knives of both steel stypes.

I choose carbon most often because I like the way it looks, takes a beating, sharpens, and cuts. I find the maintenance to be pretty minimal.

On the budget end of things, I think you're more likely to find a good carbon steel knife than a good stainless one, for the same price.
 
Parrish used 440C on his survival knives and a leading knife scribbler had to break one on purpose to hype his hand forged knives.

So much of it depends on the guy or company making the knife, how it is heat treated, etc., etc., etc., I don't think there is a best.
 
sasha said:
Hi scott if i may ask why do you like O1 and A2 steals??? what is the diffrence with the two???

Sasha
Click to expand...

There's not much difference as they are both tool steels. A2 has a bit more chromium then O1. I like these because I've worked with both steels and have tested them in the field. I start with raw steel, grind it, heat treat it and use it. Like I said, there are alot of good steels but these are the two I have the most experience with.
Scott
 
Scott,

If I'm recalling correctly, you shot a test knife made of L6. I'd be interested to hear what other tests you did, and what your conclusions were about it as a knife steel.

I'd also like to hear about other tests you've done on other test knives in other steels, and hear what results you had, and what conclusions you drew.
 
The blade steel I shot was S7. Most of my testing is just taking the knives out and using them. The pic in my sig. is of a 9" in diameter dead pine that was chopped down by the two knives stuck in it. The knife on the left did most of the chopping. It's 1/4" thick O1. Still shaved after two days of chopping firewood. I've cut nails in half. Took a PSK knife (O1 steel) cut a hole in an old coffee can to make a make shift stove. I've pryed in a pine stump to get pieces of pinewood out for pine pitch with an A2 knife. one of my biggest uses of an O1 knife is at work slicing cardboard all nite. Just spending time in the outdoors using my knives is my best form of testing.
Scott
 
I think it all depends on where you are planning to go with it and how large a knife you will be using.

I would say that if you will be using a smaller survival knife like in the 3-5 inch range, in a humid environment near salt water, you could use anything from 440series, ATS34, VG10, BG42, S30V to D2 and pretty much anything that has corrosion resistance. INFI is corrosion resistant but not to the extent of a 440 series steel

If you are going to go larger and not so salty and humid an environment, you could go with a better steel, like pretty much all carbon steels, 1095, 1084, 1050, 5160, 52100 or SR101, O1, A2, A8, L6, INFI, SR77 or S7.

The carbon steels will offer more overal flexibility and toughness at the same hardness as the stainless steels, but if you drop the hardness on a stainless you can make up some toughness and if you get it done by the right company you are doing good.
 
Scott that sound like the best test there is, real life use. Thanks for letting me know about the steal.

Sasha
 
What's everyone's opinion on 52100? It seems like only a few makers use it, is it hard to heat treat?
 
I've had good experiences with 52100. It seems a little less prone to wear, and a little more prone to chipping than some other steels I've used, but very good all around.
 
Gossman Knives said:
The blade steel I shot was S7. Most of my testing is just taking the knives out and using them. The pic in my sig. is of a 9" in diameter dead pine that was chopped down by the two knives stuck in it. The knife on the left did most of the chopping. It's 1/4" thick O1. Still shaved after two days of chopping firewood. I've cut nails in half. Took a PSK knife (O1 steel) cut a hole in an old coffee can to make a make shift stove. I've pryed in a pine stump to get pieces of pinewood out for pine pitch with an A2 knife. one of my biggest uses of an O1 knife is at work slicing cardboard all nite. Just spending time in the outdoors using my knives is my best form of testing.
Scott
Click to expand...

I have several of Scott's Knives--He KNOWS what he is talking about....

Listen to him!!!!!!
 
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