Which tool steel do you prefer?

i have the most experience with 1095 knives, i find its decent but it rusts fast. 1085 is slightly better. 5160 seems no better than 1085 though ive had no experience with it. i also have a lot of experience with 0-1 which is slightly nicer but still rusts fast. i have experience with d2 but brittleness is the last thing i want in a big carbon steel knife. ive seen some nice w2 bowies but from what ive read in the past its no good for that purpose. no experience with 3v s7 m2 or a2 but from what ive heard theyre about as good as they get, though a2's chromium content seems interesting. SR101 is probably the best out there for a big knoff, its tough and doesnt have a huge amount of carbon to make it rust quickly. INFI...we'll never know, but they make it seem an awful lot like a2...maybe thats just me
 
Of the steels you list, I have blades in both 1095 and D2.

I love 1095 because it takes a razor edge with minimal effort. Doesn't hold it all that long, but it gets SHARP. Great for when you are away from major sharpening tools.

I love D2 because, while it takes a LOT more effort to put on an edge, it will hold that edge through a long day's work. GREAT for when you have a lot of work to do during the day, but are not far from all your sharpening tools to restore the edge when it eventually does get dull.
 
i do'nt know if o6 is still around but i've had 4 customs made from this stuff. has 1.4 tp 1.6 carbon put in service at 61 rockwell i beleive. will field dress & skin 3whitetails & still shave shave hair.not easy to chip either.
 
I'm a recently converted fan of W-2, although I can't tell the difference in performance of any quality tool steel with good geometry and heat treat.
 
pinkfloyd101 said:
I was wondering what tool steel you prefer out of 1095, 0-1, A2, D2, SR101? I was also wondering if someone can explain the differences between these steels of post a link for me? THANKS
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You're almost in the right place. In the Maintenance, Tinkering & Embellishment area there is a sticky thread called "Steel FAQ". That's *exactly* what you want.

As for the steels you mentioned, of those I have knives in 1095, D2 and SR101. My favorite would be SR101- it's not hard to sharpen and takes an amazingly fine edge, while still having good edge retention and toughness. Downside is it needs care or it'll rust.

I like 1095, it's also easy to sharpen and takes a wicked edge, but in pretty much every way SR101 is just a bit better- edgeholding, toughness, corrosion resistance.... (1095 rusts easily)

I'm still getting a handle on D2- I only have one knife in it, and it's my newest. But the more experience I have with it, the more I like it. It seems to be a pain to get sharp, but now that my D2 blade is shaving sharp it seems like no matter what I do to it, all it needs is stropping to *stay* shaving sharp.
 
51200 does rust quickly but it takes great edges.
On most of these the higher the polish the more it resists rust.

A2 is good. W1/W2 , O1, all good.

Vascowear is a tough, wear resistant steel. I hear the original stuff ( now discontinued) work hardened while grinding and was not a favorite of makers. It's one of the strongest steels I've tried, having scraped stuff off steel with it. I'd imagine the newer, cleaner powder steel versions of it would be a lot friendlier to grinders.

3V is good, but I like M2 and M4 better.

I'm not a great fan of D2. It can be lousy to great depending on variables. Most production stuff is nothing to brag about.
 
Thanks for the input so far! I'm looking to get a camp knife in probably either Sr101 or A2...Either a BRKT Bravo-1 or something from scrapyard or maybe swamprat knives. Who makes knives in CPM3v, M2, and M4? Thanks
 
Fehrman uses 3V in all their models. M2 was really only used in quantity by Benchmade, but no longer. You need to go custom for an M4 fixed blade, unless you can get a Spyderco mule with some handle scales, or feel like paying for the limited BM activator.
 
The Mastiff said:
I'm not a great fan of D2. It can be lousy to great depending on variables. Most production stuff is nothing to brag about.
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I think that's worth remembering. All steel is dependent on the quality of the heat treat. But some steels are definitely more difficult to do "right". 1095 is supposedly pretty easy, whereas D2 is more difficult.

Dozier's D2 is supposed to be so much better than that of other makers that it almost seems like different steel. My one D2 knife is a Swamprat Vex. It seems that Busse heat treats D2 pretty well, also.

But other makers' D2..... crapshoot.
 
Love my microtech's D2. You can get a razor edge and retains it for weeks with regular use. Stropping brings it right back to razor sharp. Love it.
 
I read somewhere that all batches of any steel aren't the same. Bob D. stated that he will test every new batch of steel. He occasionally has to send a batch back.

That's something to think about. If he doesn't check even his excellent heat treat that produces 60.5 RC consistantly won't be worth a darn.

Quality is every part of the operation. The more consistant, the better. Also, the more time consuming and expensive.
 
pinkfloyd101 said:
Who makes knives in CPM3v, M2, and M4?
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As far as M2 is concerned, especially fixed blade, I don't think there are many.
That's why I made this knife for myself.
2009.07.04.R0018813.JPG



blade 92mm/3mm, M2 HSS
fittings 304stainless
overall length 225mm
 
pinkfloyd101 said:
Thanks for the input so far! I'm looking to get a camp knife in probably either Sr101 or A2...Either a BRKT Bravo-1 or something from scrapyard or maybe swamprat knives. Who makes knives in CPM3v, M2, and M4? Thanks
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Do yourself a favor if you consider a Swamp Rat in SR101. Go to the Exchange forums and under the "For Sale: Production Knives (Individual)" you will find a Busse/Swamprat/Scrapyard for sale subforum. With a little patience you'll find what you need there. Good luck!
 
The last one that I used. Really, so many of these listed are such good steels, assuming proper heat treat and geometry, I'm always changing my mind.
 
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