1/2" 440c monster

M

Mattwest110886

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Feb 16, 2015
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I bought this thick bar stock 7 or 8 years ago to make a monster stain resistant camp/chopper blade . That was back before I knew it was a horrible choice and when I learned I just let it sit there in the shop.

This chunk of steel was too expensive to let it sit there forever so It's time to do something and I figured if I can get the heat treat on the springy side then the edge will, somewhat, survive.

My question is what heat treat would you all recommend at what RC?

And also, would this benefit from a cryo for my intended uses?
 
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BushWacker.jpg How long of a Blade? Clip point Bowie style? Just a thick chopper with no distal taper or point?? More info would help! for the makers that can give you the full HT..
I've always for the past 20 years sent my Stainless steel to Paul Bos HT at Buck Knives. I know Cryo always helps! I've made a few big 12" blades out of ATS-34 Very close to 440C

If you call Buck Knives and ask for Paul Farner, He's the top man in the HT dept and it may take a few calls, But he's one man that would definitely tell you what would work!

Or you could just send it to him with a Letter and he'll do whats best! They will take just one blade.
 
It'll be a slight drop point and about 15" to 18" long. I guess the drop point will end with the point somewhat similar to the large busse...maybe a little more pointy.

I've never heat treated stainless and I'm not planning on getting the setup for it
 
Mattwest110886 said:
It'll be a slight drop point and about 15" to 18" long. I guess the drop point will end with the point somewhat similar to the large busse...maybe a little more pointy.

I've never heat treated stainless and I'm not planning on getting the setup for it
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PAUL Bos when he ran the HT at Buck use to differentully HT Stainless. But I can’t say what he did exactly.. Just sent to Buck Knives.......................:........,Some 20 years ago, I asked the late Mr. Bob Loveless about HTing stainless... he said, I spend my time making knives! They have all the equipment & knowledge.. You could do it for years and still not have all of the knowledge they do!
 
Yes it's half an inch thick x 3" wide.and cut down to about 18" long.

I bought it for a stainless chopper and that's why I thought it was a bad idea after I learned it wouldn't perform well for that use. I'm definitely going to choose a top notch HT but I don't think i want it at the full recommended hardness for 440c since it'll still see hard use.

Im not familiar with much outside of carbon steels and have no clue what RC I need to get the person to shoot for
 
On my big Bush Wacker I posted early I started with 3/8” ATS-34 , we took the RC to 57 if I remember correctly? Talk with PAUL at Buck or whom ever you decide to have HT it. ..........................It’s a fallacy that you can’t make a great chopper with Stainless.. At 3” tall I would do a FFG all the way to the spine and distal taper down to about 1/4” at the tip. Just my thoughts on it!
 
Thank you for your replies. Yeah, I guess I've just been swayed by all of the posts I've read saying it's not tough enough for chopping. I guess those were in relation to carbon steels like 5160, 3v, ect.

What's an FFG?
 
Mattwest110886 said:
Thank you for your replies. Yeah, I guess I've just been swayed by all of the posts I've read saying it's not tough enough for chopping. I guess those were in relation to carbon steels like 5160, 3v, ect.

What's an FFG?
Click to expand...

Stainless can chop just fine! FFG, "Full Flat Grind" to the spine for best chopper.

If you can, Turn this into a build thread so we can watch along!

By the way! Chopping has far more to do with the ergos design of the knife than the Steel you use as far as Stainless or Carbon goes!
 
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Sweet deal! I just thought 440c's edge wasn't tuff enough after I bought it and did some reading. Thankyou for your input.

Definitely doing a full flat. Awaiting my new 2x72 grinder and miscellaneous supplies and I'll build her up and show it off
 
Just tried post in a photo. Do I really have to go to a picture archiving website just to post a link to a picture? If so, that's extremely retarted
 
Lol oh, that's all?

Well Christmas and life has demolished what was left of my savings so I guess I'm not going to get to share with y'all
 
i also agree integral style is the way you should go with such thick stock. try a full distal taper on the blade and tapered tang..that sure is a lot of stock removal
 
It was ment to be over the top in thickness to the point of being novelty. I don't have the patience for a tapered tang alignment lol. I think what you mean by integral is making the guards part of the blade? I'll google
 
this blade is one solid hunk of cpm10v i did many years ago
dsc04018sm_0.jpg
 
i milled them in with a dovetail cutter and mill however if you did 90 degree cuts you could grind and file them
 
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