O1 knife steel
O1 is a tool & high-speed knife steel, typically hardened to HRC 57-62.
| Type | Tool & high-speed |
|---|---|
| Hardness | HRC 57-62 |
| Edge retention | mediumhigher than 5 of 48, tied with 13 |
| Corrosion resistance | lowamong the lowest of 49 |
| Toughness | highhigher than 25 of 48, tied with 14 |
| Ease of sharpening | easy to sharpeneasier to sharpen than 35 of 48, tied with 13 |
| Price tier | Budget |
| Best for | EDC / foldersOutdoor / bushcraft |
O1 chemical composition
| C | Cr | W | Mn |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~0.93 | ~0.5 | ~0.5 | ~1.2 |
Nominal weight %, midpoint of the standard's range. Source: MakeItFrom (standard ranges). What the alloying adds: tungsten (0.5%) gives hard tungsten carbides that keep their hardness when hot.
Knives in O1
We have not picked a O1 knife to show here yet. The link below searches Amazon for O1 knives as listed today.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you — the link opens Amazon results for knives in this steel.
Similar tool & high-speed steels
| Steel | Type | HRC | Edge | Corrosion | Toughness | Tier | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2 | Tool & high-speed | 60-62 | high | low | very high | Mid | Shop → |
| D2 | Tool & high-speed | 58-62 | high | medium | medium | Mid | Shop → |
| CPM CruWear PM | Tool & high-speed | 60-64 | high | medium | very high | Premium | Shop → |
| CPM-3V PM | Tool & high-speed | 58-62 | high | medium | very high | Premium | Shop → |
| CPM-4V PM | Tool & high-speed | 60-64 | high | low | very high | Premium | Shop → |
| Vanadis 4 Extra PM | Tool & high-speed | 60-63 | high | low | very high | Premium | Shop → |
All tool & high-speed steels · every steel · best for a purpose