What Steel?

[ranger]

I am having a new knife made and am in a conundrum as to what steel to choose. I am offered a choice of three steels, 01, A2 and CPM 3V. Its intended use is bushcraft/carving and the ability to strike a spark from the spine with a fire steel would be preferable. I have plenty of experience with 01, very limited with A2 and none whatsoever with CPM 3V. For use with a fire steel the maker recommends 01, however, I also have a knife in RWL 34 and have no problem with using that with a fire steel. What steel would you go for?

 

[Barney]

What are the price differences for each material?

 

[ranger]

The price difference is totally negligible CPM 3V being the most expensive.

 

[JonathanD]

All will perform as well as each other with a firesteel, the steel has nothing to do with it, but the sharpness of the spine. If you want a blade to care for, cherish and that has personality and will age and acquire a patina with each adventure, go for 01. You can't ignore the fact that it is the most popular bushcrafting steel. RWL-34 is fantastic, I have no opinion of the other two as they fall in between 01 and RWL and don't exite me as much.

 

[Barney]

what is your sharpening Kit

 

[ranger]

I have a mixture of sharpening options ranging from waterstones to diamond hones. I can’t say I resort to these a great deal as I’m careful with my knives and use a leather strop after each time I use one of them, which on the whole seems to keep them sharp enough.

 

[Barney]

If you have the capability to field sharpen a good steel then I would forget O1 and concentrate on the other two materials which have slightly different properties. I do wonder though why you have not been offered d2 instead of a2 which in my opinion bridges the gap between O1 and CPM3v a little better.

How much time are you prepared to spend looking after it?

 

[ranger]

I enjoy using the knives I have and putting the effort into maintaining them is an enjoyable part of owning them. Saying that though easy maintenance is generally preferable to high maintenance! That’s why I largely use a strop after each use and I am careful not to abuse them.

 

[British Red]

I have all of them - cpm3v is a cracking steel - I'd be very tempted to go that way - its what my "field scalpel" is made from and my favourite puukko.

Nothing not to like. I have my largest "bruiser" of a chopping knife in A2 and its admirable and several O1 bushy type knives

All work well. On a 4" ish belt knife - I'd be tempted by the cpm

Red

 

[Barney]

A2 is more rust prone than CPM3V it is technically less wear resistant than the latter and is easier to sharpen, but with the right equipment for sharpening and regular stropping then it sounds like CPM3V is the steel that will will give you the most advantages. Its far stronger and tougher than the other two so if there is only a negligible price difference then if I were you I would plump for that.
Be warned however, It rusts slightly less easily than A2 a bit like D2 but the effects of the rust are more serious and a bit more aggressive.

 

[Hoodoo]

I have used A2 for years and find it a superb steel. I prefer it to O1. No experience with CPM3v.

 

[Native Justice]

I have a couple knives in 3V and can strongly recommend it for almost anything you'd care to make of it. It's performance is very similar to Busse's INFI steel, perhaps better from what some people have said. It holds an edge like M2 (meaning very long and very sharp). A very dull edge is restored easily with diamonds, silicon carbide or waterstones in a minimum of time. A minimally blunt edge is easily restored with a loaded strop, ceramic steel or extra fine (1200 grit) diamond field hone like a DMT Diafold or fine grit EZE Lap model "M" sportsmen's steel. I enjoy O1 and A2 for almost any knife but for a potentially hard use knife, 3V is the best, bar none and will easily last 3-4 times longer than A2 (I have several of these also). Have had absolutely no issues with rusting or corrosion but I maintain the steel with Marine Tuff Cloth, Boeshield T9, or Eezox which leave trace films after application that last a very long time. Hope this helps.

 

[Shinken]

Yup is price is not an issue it is 3v every time.

The best all round knife steel in my opinion. And with only 5% chromium surprisingly rust resistant, actually i find putting a patina on D2 easier and it has a lot more chromium.

I can only attribute this to a more even alloy distribution within the steel.