I found this on the Swamp's site:

SR-101 Steel


(Think of it as 52-100 tool steel with added Kryptonite)


SR-101 Steel is the combination of an extremely fine-grained tool steel and a proprietary multi-step tempering protocol. This process includes the incorporation of a deep cryogenic treatment for grain refinement which adds greatly to the overall toughness and strength of what will most certainly prove to be your favorite blade.

AND you might take a look at this thread

http://forums.scrapyardknives.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/220830/INFI_vs_SR_101.html

Since I know NOTHING about metallurgy this means nothing to me, but it may to some of you.

http://www.zknives.com/knives/steels/Busse

No mod sassage, aye aye sir!

Nice thread! Lots of good info

ETA: I found this thread in a search and have NO idea what is in it beyond the first couple posts.

I read it. Chris locked it because it served it's purpose, and then some.

There are some very lengthy and informative posts in it.

There are two knives that I've been able to get laser-beam sharp. A Rodent Solution and a Queen Country Cousin with D2 steel. I sold the RS to a friend of mine and he keeps trying to give it back to me because it scares him. He acts like it's a curse that he needs to get out from under. Maybe I should take it back, but I don't like black paper.

That thread was wild

I've found my Chopweiller to hold an edge forever even with a lot of serious beating. Time consuming to get it sharp again. 1311 is still getting beaten and no need yet to sharpen. I'd love to compare it to a larger INFI blade, but I had to sell off my BWM before I could really test it out.

This is a very informative thread, and I think everyone will benefit from the information in it.

My personal experience has been:

SR101 holds its edge EXTREMELY well, but can be difficult to sharpen. I also think it takes a very keen edge.

INFI's edge seems to be a little more fragile and subject to flattening or rolling.

I need to invest time in a side by side chopping comparison but I no longer have a large SR101 knife.

Hopefully more people will add their comparative experience.

A real world example of INFI vs SR101...

I recently set about testing a Swamp Warden against a Culti for edge holding ability. I cut paper and cardboard. The Warden dulled out first, and was V E R Y difficult to bring back. The INFI didn't dull as quickly and only required stropping.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am not gifting at sharpening knives. However, this general suckiness applies equally as to not affect testing.

INFI seems to be really soft and really hard at the same time. It is a weird material that can defy your expectations. Its as durable as any knife material ever created, but can be touched up with a leather strop in seconds whereas SR101 seems "stiff".

This isn't a scientific explanation, but I doubt a scientific explanation would be of value here. I just want to know how they perform under real world conditions.