stone chisel

[mudd turtle]

I have received a steel chisel that belonged to my uncle that was a brick layer. Could I have a knife blade made from this chisel that would be any good at all ? Thanks for any help. Mudd Turtle.

 

[Cpl. Ashencheeks]

I could not really give you an educated answer on this, but I would think this stone chisel would be very good hardened steel and plenty of people have made some very nice knives from old files which is also hardened steel.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I could not really give you an educated answer on this, but I would think this stone chisel would be very good hardened steel and plenty of people have made some very nice knives from old files which is also hardened steel.

Chisles are not hardened the same for the full length. The blades are hard. The hitting end is softer so it will mushroom when hit and not break. A chisle would have to be layered when forged for a decent blade, IMHO.

 

[Elnathan]

Unless the chisel is made from more than one piece of steel welded together, it should have the same carbon content throughout and therefore capable of reaching a uniform hardness throughout. Tools that need to have variable hardness are usually just differentially hardened and/or tempered.

As for the original question, it is likely that the chisel could be made into a decent blade - your primary difficulty will be figuring out how hot to get it while tempering.

 

[LRB]

It is probable that it would make a decent knife. As for tempering, just start conservatively at maybe a 375° temper, then test the edge for brittle on a brass rod by pressuring it to see if it flexes, chips, or bends. If it chips, temper again at 400° and retest. Do this until it flexes a little, then it's done. I would recommend hardening in one of the vege based cooking oils that has been warmed to about 120°. Canola oil might be best for it, but any of the cooking oils should get you by.