0-6 usage

G

gijaney

Joined
Oct 17, 2004
Messages
18
Just wondering whether anyone has experience forging with 0-6. Couldn't find anything through the "Search" function, and as I'm getting awful tired of forging axles and leaf springs on a hand-cranked coal forge, only to find that edge retention is the pits :grumpy:, I might be heading towards actually paying for some steel, and therefore would like to know the opinion of some of you fellow posters, eminently more qualified than this beginner. In design terms, I tend towards fairly robust camp knife styles, as well as full-tang drop-point skinners, 7-8" overall length. And, by the way, I realise that besides proper forging temperatures and techniques, the hardening and tempering process is eminently crucial, so I guess I'm failing in more than one area. Any advice and opinions as per the 0-6 would be much appreciated. Thank you.
 
If I remember correctly, O6 is the stuff that contains graphite particles. Alloywise, it should make a pretty good blade, but I seem to remember having at least one bladesmith telling me negative stuff about the graphite particles. I wouldn't mind trying some for a stock removal blade though.
 
Type Latrobe
Grade C Si Mn W Cr V Mo Ni Other
O1 Badger .94 .30 1.20 .50 .50 ....... ....... ....... .......
O6 Graph-Mo® 1.40 .90 .85 ....... ....... ....... .25 ....... .......
 
Not really suitable for knives since the graphite particles make it somewhat brittle .The same is true about any free machining grade of steel....There are lots of good tool steels used for knives O-1, A-2,L-6, CPM 3V are commonly used .
 
Harley, that guy doesn't know what he's talking about.Graphite is not hard at all and is what makes O-6 free machining. [ I thought Engnath knew better than that]Only carbides in steel are resistant to grinding.I started my career at Timken ,they invented graphitic tool steels and I spent lots of time working with them. Yes there were those who made knives of O-6 but it was never a good choice....BTW other tools steels have been made in free machining grades such as D2 ,but there also you wouldn't be happy with the results.
 
Better for what ? Pick the steel according to the use .For impact ,such as bowie ,kukri, 'hawk -5160, L-6, CPM 3V. For just cutting O-1, D-2,A-2.
 
I guess this is a question for Mete. Since I do have a bunch of O6 already, what type of knives do you recommend? If it tends to be brittle, I'm guessing the smaller the better? Is it just junk? What about use in Damascus? Thanks for any input.
 
It's not junk by any means. I would limit it to knives that would be used only for slicing ,somewhere around 4". For damascus I think you might have some problems ,perhaps someone has tried it. Don't try to give it a mirror polish since you will see the graphite pockets.
 
Correct for O-6 but O-1 does not have the problems and has been used for bowies etc .Check some recent postings here on the use of O-1.
 
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