Reply by paratrooper34

Here is a real world comparison for A2 steel that you can ponder:

On the plane for my shooting board, a Record T-5, I, at first, used it with the factory blade. The edge definitely did not stay long, especially when I got into some of the harder woods (QSWO and elm). So I decided to try an A2 blade. Yup, it is harder to sharpen. But guess what? That edge stays much, much longer on that plane. A2 is advertised as being able to hold an edge longer. My experience shows it does exactly as advertised. Would I buy it for other tools? Nah, O1 or whatever the vintage tools used for compounds works well enough that the increased cost and difficulty to sharpen just isn’t worth it. But for a tool that is going to take some abuse, absolutely go with A2.

-- Mike