The Other Magic Steel

Aside from the steel in Barr tools, there is only one other steel that I swear makes a difference in my work, and that's the Veritas PM-V11.

I've been using the stuff since 2012, before it was even released to the public. Veritas sent out a bunch of sample blades in different steels to hand-tool users for feedback, including some wild M4 plane blades (my sharpening stones say "no thank you" to that stuff).

You can read all you like about powdered metals on the internet. I've gotten to work with a lot of powdered metals over the years. And I can say – hand on heart – that just because it's a powdered metal does not mean it's awesome.

Like old-fashioned carbon steel, A2 or stainless, everything depends on how the steel is handled and treated, from start to finish. I've used some powdered metals that were on par with pot metal.

Back to PM-V11: I began using it 2012 in our low-angle (aka bevel-up) planes. It sharpened easily and felt like O1 (aka high-carbon steel) on the stones. It felt very "slick" (for lack or a better word) as I sharpened it.

When it comes to its use and abuse, however, my opinion took a much longer time to form. Planing and chopping and paring are all different operations. And these operations are done in a material that is heterogeneous in the extreme. So it took a long time to get a feel for this steel and compare it to others I am familiar with.

Here, after a decade of work, is how I really feel.

All the high-quality steels from name-brand manufacturers are suitable for woodworking. O1 has been around for centuries, and it will always be a good choice if it has been properly formed and heat-treated. In fact, it can be an extraordinary combination of iron and carbon that exceeds all high-tech powdered metals (and that is the steel that Barr Specialty Tools offers). It sharpens quickly and leaves a shimmering wood surface. When it dulls, it breaks down slowly, like erosion. And its edge becomes smoothly rounded over. The tool becomes difficult to push when it is dull.

High-quality A2 is a different experience for me. It takes longer to sharpen to the same level as O1. But its edge lasts a lot longer than O1. As the A2 edge gets dull, it gets toothy. So it won't leave as smooth a wooden surface as O1. But that isn't a problem with a jack plane blade or a mortising chisel – these tools don't create show surfaces.

PM-V11 has the best qualities of O1 and A2. And that's its magic. The stuff sharpens as fast as O1. But the edge lasts a long time. And it doesn't become toothy like A2.

PM-V11 is expensive. So unless you are wealthy, it's not something you need in every tool. Here's how I use it.

For my jack and jointer planes, I stick with A2, which is what came with the tools. It's perfect for these tools because I generally am not looking for them to make perfect shimmering wooden surfaces. If my tools had shipped with O1 blades, I'd have used those.

For my smoothing plane, I absolutely spring for the PM-V11. I have it in my Lie-Nielsen No. 3, so I call it my NAFTA smoother. It is the perfect steel for a smoothing plane. It sharpens quickly. Keeps its edge a long time. And it leaves a beautiful surface behind – even as it gets dull.

I have one block plane with A2 and a second with PM-V11. Block planes can be called upon for a lot of different chores, from hogging off material to planing finished surfaces. So the powdered metal may or may not be worth it to you in a block plane.

For chisels, I use whatever. I sharpen them constantly. And they rarely produce finished surfaces. I don't think about the steel very much in these tools (as long as it isn't crap). Same goes with my other tools, such as joinery planes and mortise chisels. I never think much about the steel in these tools. I'm happy with whatever – as long as it isn't junk.

So I guess I'm saying that PM-V11 is indeed fantastic. But you don't need it in every cutting tool in your shed. Unless your shed is gold-plated and diamond-studded.