# 52100,w2 and 01 steel. Which do you prefer?



## labor of love (May 27, 2015)

I'm just curious if people here that have experiences with these 3 steels have a preference for one over the other. I would like to hear why you would choose one steel over the rest. I've already read the "which steels and why" thread, I'm looking for how users experiences compare between 3 steels...thanks.


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## chefcomesback (May 27, 2015)

52100


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## panda (May 27, 2015)

you forgot the 'why' part of your reply.


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## sachem allison (May 27, 2015)

I have always been a big fan of O-1 steel. if properly heat treated it really is awesome to use. nice toothy edge, easy to sharpen and holds it for awhile. My pocket knife is made by Cris Anderson and its w-2 and is amazing Cris is a master on the heat treat of that steel. I use it everyday and have lightly stropped twice in a year. these just feel right on the stones and for me have great feedback. Marko's 52100 isn't anything sneeze at either but, my favorites are O-1 and W-2


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## Bluefish (May 27, 2015)

52100 treated right is awesome. Fine grain, decent retention, gets very sharp. Russ


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## chinacats (May 28, 2015)

I've not tried W2, but personally prefer O-1 to 52100. IMO, 52100 always felt too soft on the stones...O-1 just feels better to me. I also consider O-1 to patina a bit more cleanly. 

Just checked Gator's chart and W2 stood out as having about 50 percent more carbon than the others. They all appear to be very clean steels.

I think it depends on too many other factors but in my limited experience I would give O-1 the edge holding advantage over 52100. Unfortunately, I've not had the opportunity to try the different steels made by the same maker.


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## gic (May 28, 2015)

I have an 01 by Will Catchside and a 52100 ITK by Devin Thomas, they are both insanely awesome knives, they basically sharpen up by showing them a finishing stone (of course I'm an amateur cook so I can't speak to a production line) but I have never even had them even on a 1k stone, very occasionally I'll do a quick session on Jon's 3k but most of the time I just do a few strokes on a 6k and finish by stropping on 1 micron impregnated balsa and they are back to razor sharp - often the balsa is enough

So I think, if they are heat treated by a master, you aren't going to be able to see much of a difference between these steels!


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## knyfeknerd (May 28, 2015)

I haven't tried W2.
I have a large gyuto from Butch in 01 and a few(Marko, Rader, Devin) in 52100. 
I don't know if it's the HT or what, but I'll take the 01 over the 52100. Gives a little bit better feedback on the stones and has a slight edge(no pun intended) in the retention department.


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## cheflarge (May 28, 2015)

52100 "Takes a licking & keeps on ticking"!!! :cool2:


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## chefcomesback (May 28, 2015)

In my experience 52100 is more stain resistant , can get a finer edge and has better edge retention than 01 , can't comment on w2


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## icanhaschzbrgr (May 28, 2015)

So far I've tried 52100 and W2 and both works fine for me. Would probably give preference to 52100 due to less reactivity. 
Looks like I'll need to get knife in O1 some day


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## shownomarci (Jun 14, 2015)

Haven't tried any of them yet, although i am looking forward to have a knife made out of 52100.
MyThoTanLong's videos made me wanna have it. 
I know, many US bladesmith makes them, i just cannot afford $300+ on a single knife (+ shipping + import tax).


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## psfred (Jun 14, 2015)

O1 doesn't have any particular characteristics that would make a better knife than 52100 or W2, it's very simple carbon steel and has been around for eons. Nothing wrong with it as a knife, but just about any modern carbon steel alloy is going to have better edge retention and wear characteristics.

Think a knife made from an old file if you think of O1. Easy to sharpen, but prone to edge folding if hardened to RC 56 and chipping if hardened to RC61, without the advantages of chromium carbides to give abrasion resistance.

Peter


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## XooMG (Jun 14, 2015)

psfred said:


> O1 doesn't have any particular characteristics that would make a better knife than 52100 or W2, it's very simple carbon steel and has been around for eons. Nothing wrong with it as a knife, but just about any modern carbon steel alloy is going to have better edge retention and wear characteristics.
> 
> Think a knife made from an old file if you think of O1. Easy to sharpen, but prone to edge folding if hardened to RC 56 and chipping if hardened to RC61, without the advantages of chromium carbides to give abrasion resistance.
> 
> Peter


I wonder how much you've worked with it, since you seem to be confusing it with 1095/W1 (which it is very very different from).


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## psfred (Jun 14, 2015)

O1 has a bit of chromium and vanadium that 1095 doesn't. 52100 has no vanadium but twice as much chrome (and hence more chromium carbides) than O1 and also doesn't contain that small amount of tungsten.

Nothing wrong with O1, perhaps, but I doubt the differences between those steels will be really noticeable. 52100 might be a bit more corrosion resistant, but a 1.3% there isn't enough chrome to make it anywhere near stainless.

I personally don't consider "feel" in sharpening a performance characteristic, rather instead it's a personal like or dislike and hence means a bit less to me than edge retention or chipping resistance. Just my take on it, I spend a lot more time using my knives than sharpening them.

Both 52100 and O1 are common, especially 52100 which seem to be a favorite material for car springs. Files are very likely O1, at least hopefully -- most of the one's I've bought in the last few years don't cut as well as the one's I bought 30 years ago, and dull so fast it's not funny. Makes me think the heat treatment is poor.

Don't know about W2, no experience, but I doubt the vast majority of knife nuts could tell the difference between 52100 and O1 if they were handed a couple unknown knives. Both are perfectly fine carbon steel and make perfectly good knives.

Peter


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## XooMG (Jun 14, 2015)

I think it would be best to leave the talk of carbides and alloying elements to people who make a genuine effort to understand them. There are a few members who likely can make intelligent contributions, so maybe it's best to wait for them to chime in.

I would be a little surprised if anyone made files with O1, but I guess it's possible someone has.


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