O1 Trail Master

jazub

jazub

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Feb 6, 2010
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In a thread in General it was mentioned that the Trail Master will be made in O1 steel soon. Does anybody have any further information about this? I moved recently and suspect that I missed a catalog with this information. This is just the excuse I need for another Trail Master -what a sweet blade!

Feel free to post up some pics of your Trail Masters if you've got any on hand. I took a bunch up in the woods on Friday and they got deleted from my lady's camera before I could download. Weeeeaaaak :eek:
 
All of Cold Steel's "SK-5 Combat Classics" line will be made in O1 steel. I'm going to get a Natchez, this is just the push I needed.

I may or may not get my own Trailmaster before it is available in O-1. We'll see how much I want or feel the need for one.
 
Hey cool, love the Trailmaster! I have two: San Mai and SK-5 and yet.... they have never been photographed together! How mysterious... :p

OK, situation remedied! Ol quick draw mcgraw. :D

 
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Cold Steel Knives said:
The 01 models haven't been released yet, but they are coming soon :)
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Sweet! Thank you for the response. My SK-5 version is great -but it's always cool to have an excuse for a duplicate of a blade this awesome :thumbup::thumbup:
 
Took these this afternoon. No big deal; just thought some superflous chopping was in order :D


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The first limb was too cake:
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This one was quite a bit more seasoned and made me work for it.
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:thumbup::thumbup:
 
Dave Behrens said:
Just curious why O-1, it is a good steel but rusts like no other, why not a CPM 3V blade (like the Warcraft Tanto), or 5160, or another CPM steel, or even W1 or W2.
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I second this motion. Why 0-1? Why not A-2 or even one of the CPM steels like Behrens metioned?
 
I wanted to add to my question. I have no doubts that Cold Steel's HT of O-1 would turn out as nothing less than outstanding, just curious how O-1 became the chosen steel.

View attachment 365800

Just to make it clear I am not a "hater" here is my much loved Trailmaster in SK5, I re-handled it with green canvas micarta, and stainless pins, gave it a steel single guard, and a kydex sheath. I actually used it so much for brush clearing, and firewood prep I actually tore the original rubber handle and bent/cracked the brass guard. I have also thrown it countless trees and stumps. One of the only production knives I still own, because I know it can handle a beating.
 
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I hope this one is offered w/o a blade coating, I'm getting weary of stripping them off all the time. :D
 
How does O1 compare to SK-5 in general in terms of durability and edge retention? I know heat treat plays a bigger factor on toughness and edge retention than steel choice but I'm currently thinking about picking up another Trail Master to replace the SK-5 model I sold to a friend and since I never had a problem with my SK-5 TM, I'm trying to decide whether to get an SK-5 TM now or wait till the O1 versions start to ship.
 
Buffalohump said:
Hey cool, love the Trailmaster! I have two: San Mai and SK-5 and yet.... they have never been photographed together! How mysterious... :p

OK, situation remedied! Ol quick draw mcgraw. :D

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I really like the SK-5 steel and I've always wondered how the San Mai would compare to it -- on the same knife.

What has been your real-world Trailmaster experience with these two steels?
 
Hi all, just chiming in since i cant sleep and have knives on the brain. i hope to contribute valid and useful information. i unfortunatle had a bad experience with sk 5 and starting jumping up and down screaming yay when the news O-1 was being used was heard. Sk-5 has half the edge holding, at least with my recon scout. not trailmaster but close enough for what i have here lol. i held a reprofiled carbon V in my right and factory degree sk 5 in my left, both shaving at the start, and i swung alternatively left right left right untill i got through the tree. the carbon v would shave, sk 5 was... definately not, to be nice. i dont doubt its toughness though. the design is also quite proven and still the favorite knife of the friend i bought it for :) i bought an sk 5 trailmaster for a friend and have hefted it a few times and sharpen it every time i see him, even though its rarely used now that hes in a city. i hate the black on the trailmaster. i would rather take care of a rusting steel. something about the sk 5 turned me off which is just me and no fault of cold steel but i will be purchasing sevaral of the O-1 knives. and also just my two cents, it fits this kind of knife better than a2. imagining both stamped on the blade, the a2 doesnt feel as at home on an old west laredo bowie. it makes me feel alive and excited to buy a trailmaster and laredo rather than just "meh, looks nice, i dont really want one anymore" (but im very happy for those of you that have very uch enjoyed these awesome knives) 01 is an oil hardening steel like 1080 so their heat treating methods wont change much, wereas a2 is air hardening. i would assume thats part of why the choice was made. also cpm steels get VERY expensive at that size of knife, (thickness is a huge cost raiser, as is width, that doubles it, and length.) are much more different to heat treat , and lastly, many people think carbon V performed like O1, at least thats what i read a while ago.
 
Sharp Knives 86 said:
How does O1 compare to SK-5 in general in terms of durability and edge retention? I know heat treat plays a bigger factor on toughness and edge retention than steel choice but I'm currently thinking about picking up another Trail Master to replace the SK-5 model I sold to a friend and since I never had a problem with my SK-5 TM, I'm trying to decide whether to get an SK-5 TM now or wait till the O1 versions start to ship.
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not meaning to talk too much on this sorry, but, if i may

metalurgically speaking, O-1 is superior. it has higher carbon content, and it has .6 percent tungsten, .3 vanadium, .6 chromium and some other trace degasifying elements to purify it, like sk-5 also has. O-1 is essentially more wear resistant, but simple and tough. sk-5 wasnt a bad choice for a large fixed blade and had enough carbon to strengthen it so it wouldnt bend, and it would take a fine edge if desired, and the purity of the steel made it very tough.
 
Truth be told I can't bring myself to use the SM one hard. I did do some chopping on a wooden block with it some time ago, just as a fun test when comparing it with a Busse FFBM and my Gransfors small forest axe. Unfortunately the TM suffered by comparison, but VERY few things can out chop those two. So I haven't really compared the two TMs directly. I actually bought the SK-5 one because I knew I wouldnt mind using it. I got it for a great price, something like $105 if I remember correctly.



I have no doubt though that the San Mai will outperform it. For a start it has a wicked convex edge. I could be wrong but it also FEELS slightly heavier in hand. Truly it is a thing of beauty! I loved to polish it up and fondle it in front of the TV. Until I got a Natchez that is, and that took over fondling duty. :D

EVERY big knife nut should own a Natchez before they die!



Indiana Joe said:
I really like the SK-5 steel and I've always wondered how the San Mai would compare to it -- on the same knife.

What has been your real-world Trailmaster experience with these two steels?
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