you would put A2 against sr 101?
I thought sr 101 holds a great edge and was tough?
I didn't even think A2 held that amazing of en edge and if it's not even as tough as 1095 I don't see it being an amazing knife steel. (even if it holds an edge well)
can you tell me what makes it so great?
Yeah I do put SR101 up against A2. They are both two of my favorite knife steels. Both have excellent edge properties IMO, very good toughness and reasonable prices.
From a little experience, I am very interested in playing with some more 3V. I owned two Fehrmans... long story. But, 3V is like A2 on steroids and starts to creep into INFI teritory. 3V is not as tough as INFI or SR-77, but has very good edge retention and gets viciously sharp. But, 3V is pretty expensive. Not INFI priced, but more expensive than most common knife steels.
1095 "can be" very tough and cheap, but it seems to much more reliant on good heat treatment for toughness. 1095 is simple steel, but it works. Unfortunately, it is one of the most rust prone steels for knives. It is not my favorite steel. But, it is really hard to bad-mouth it either.
"A-2 - An excellent air-hardening tool steel, it is known for its great toughness and good edge holding. . . . Its outstanding toughness makes it a frequent choice for combat knives. Chris Reeve and Phil Hartsfield both use A-2, and Blackjack made a few models from A-2."
Source:
http://www.knifeart.com/steelfaqbyjo.html +1... all that and more. Also, the fact the Jerry's steel of choice prior to INFI was mostly A2. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
A2 is not the toughest steel out there. It is not INFI. But, it has a great combination of properties. I have used it a lot and I like it for my uses. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />
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