Knife steel

[4570tc]

What is your favorite knife making steel??

1095

D-2

0-1

or something else?

Thanks

 

[wattlebuster]

the only knife I have ever had a hand in making is one i took a old farm implement scratcher spring an sent it to mr Don Bruton an he made the blade an i finished the handle. I know this does not answer your question but you might want to consider somthing like that cause it is the best knife steel I have ever used. Hold a razor edge :thumbsup:

 

[cutshurt]

1095, 5160, o1 for stock removal

Darrel

 

[4570tc]

"5160" I have never heard of that one???

 

[KentuckyBlacksmith]

5160 is a high alloy steel. Tough stuff, many leaf springs and coil springs are made from 5160.
We use a lot of..
1084 and 1084FG
1095 and 1095FG
15n20 (for damascus mostly)
5160
1075
1065
O-1 (for wood turning tools)
Im a big fan of L-6 too..

 

[LRB]

01.

 

[nc_cooter]

1084FG is my primary steel, but I also use 1095.

Mike

 

[Twice boom]

O1 is what I prefer
Twice.

 

[Ken Cormier]

files

 

[JamesG]

Since I forge,I like.

File
Leaf springs
coil springs
5160
52100
1095
1085
1075
W1 tool steel

There more I want try.

 

[LRB]

A major concern in the choice of a knife steel, is will you be able to heat treat it in a reasonably correct manner that will give the blade it's performance potential, or at least close to. Those steels most user friendly to beginners, or makers with limited heat control, are the 10XX steels with the exception of 1095. 1095 is not beginner friendly, but is unfortunately one often chosen by beginners because of the hype many magazines have given it. It is a great steel, if properly heat treated however. Another in this catagory to avoid is my favorite, 01. Many believe 01 to be just another simple steel that needs no more than to be heated, quenched, and tempered, but it is definately not. It should be considered as a complicated simple steel as far as heat treat, requireing two separate long heat soaks before quenching. Without a proper quench oil, or medium, 1095 will not reach it's potential, and without a well controlled heat source, neither will 01. Blade steels are much as guns. No one in particular will perform every task in an equal manner. Some will do better at certain things than others, but not so well as others at some other things. There is no one best steel for every knife, but there are better steels for certain chores than others. The heat treat can also play a significant role in what you want the blade to do best, but it is often wise to base your choice on the qualities of the steel first, then adjust the temper to the chore.

 

[anvil1231]

1084,1075,5160

Are what I use.
For the simple reason that Wick just explained.

 

[Troy Allen Christianson]

Old files(1095?)
Old leaf springs(5160?)
Old hay rakes(your guess is as good as mine)

 

[LRB]

Those are all mystery steels. Some makers find them interesting to work with, and enjoy the challenge to get a good heat treat on them, but all files are not 1095. All leaf springs are not 5160. Some old leaf springs can be 1095. The heat treat for 1095 differs greatly from 5160, and you can screw up either of those if heat treating as the other. Hay rakes and similar equipment is most often going to be from 10XX steels in the 1080/84 range, and usually a safe bet in getting a decent heat treat. Most pro's will choose one or two particular steels, then will work out the optimum HT for them so that they can confidently get repeated good results. As earlier mentioned, choice of steel can be dependant on what HT you are able to provide, or are willing to provide. Proper commercial quench oils are very expensive, but most often will work for more than one particular steel, but seldom for different classes of steel. You would not want to quench 5160 in an oil designed for 1095. Chances are, it would crack the 5160. If you were to quench 1095 in oil designed for 5160, you will not get it hard enough, but the oil for 5160 will also do 01, and some others. Commercial quench oils are designed to cool steels at different speeds, which is crucial to good success in the the heat treat, and different steels require different cooling speeds in the quench, as well as often different temperatures in the steel itself at the time of quenching. If one sticks with the 10XX steels, 1095 being a marked exception, one can usually do a decent HT with minimal equipment. 5160 is another steel that will give satisfactory results with simple methods, although with good heat control, it can be made even better.

 

[KentuckyBlacksmith]

Even is a file is 1095, its not "really" 1095..Ive saw spec analysis on at least four different brands(nicholson,heller,black diamond and a el cheapo brand) and all had between 1.22% and 1.30% carbon..The other elements varied quite a bit..Mn was anywhere from 0.14% to 0.34%

 

[KentuckyBlacksmith]

Two steel dealers we really trust and use a lot are kelly Cupples and Also Bruno..Great guys and they know what they are talking about..You can even get true L-6 from Aldo, either his pour or carpenter L-6..He's also the one who sells fine grain 1095 and 1084..

 

[LRB]

Even is a file is 1095, its not "really" 1095..Ive saw spec analysis on at least four different brands(nicholson,heller,black diamond and a el cheapo brand) and all had between 1.22% and 1.30% carbon..The other elements varied quite a bit..Mn was anywhere from 0.14% to 0.34%[/quo

I have seen similar charts also, and can easily believe them. If I remember correctly, Aldo's 1084 has a bit more than normal manganese to aid in the hardening process, and a little vanadium to promote fine grain. The added vanadium also makes the steel stronger by collecting in the grain boundaries, thus preventing carbon from doing so, which would weaken the structure. A very good choice of steel.

 

[Twice boom]

Since the topic drifted to include hardening I must say that when I want the most Hardness I can get from steel I revert to using Salt Brine ,enough salt and rain water to float a raw egg. From there I can always take the extra hardness out by upping the heat when tempering. Cracks and warping,? sure . But just like anything else when you do get a crack or warping it is usually not associated with the hardening liquid it should be associated with the way the blade was made. Too thin or uneven in some way or shape.

Twice

 

[LRB]

For the simple steels, that often works, but you have to be prepared to lose one one now and then. Brine will not work for all steels though. Try quenching 01 in brine and see if you don't end up with a hand full of pieces.

 

[Twice boom]

That is true with high alloy steels and steel that call for air hardening.. But when you are in doubt on the quality of steel , like an old bailing rake tines or steel from old furrow plows , Brine will give you better hardening results than what you will get from oil quenching. Salt brine will harden steel to where oils will not, was my point..
And like I said you might or may not end with bad results, .Then again you will end with bad results if the item was not properly made ,although oil quenching is more forgiving than brine... I use to make some 3” broad rocker shaped skinners with a gut hook out of band saw blades that were used in Lumber mills . The saw bands were made from Swidish sandvic . The blade was about 1/8 “ thick that was Salt Brine quenched with out a problem one.