410 Stainless instead of 416 Stainless

David Loukides

David Loukides

Joined
Mar 17, 2006
Messages
1,363
After looking around for 416ss and finding out that the availability is down and price is up this is what I did.
Purchased 3/8" x 12" x 12" mill finished 410Stainless for $138. + Shipping.
Sawed 1" and 1 & 1/2" x12" long strips yielding around 10 pieces.
Machined and ground 10 strips too 3/8" + .000" -.040" thickness.
I could purchase strips of 416ss each for around $23. to $35. average is $28.
Multiply by the 10 pieces I made of 410ss by the price I would have paid for the 416ss = $280.
Saving $142.
Time I spent will be around 3 hrs of machine time or around $47. a hr
Sounds good but I have access to large saws, milling machines and surface grinders.
Like Most thing in life it come to either time or money.

What have you tried?
Which of the 400 series do you use?
What do customers like?

Thank You for Your input
 
I use both 410 and 416 in the construction of slipjoints. I make integral frame/bolsters and mill the material out between what becomes the bolsters. 416 lives up to its designation of being free machining for sure. I do like the stiffness of the finished frame/bolster better with the 410. Keep in mind I normally will leave the frame portion between .025 and .040 thick. I buy 410 from Slice of Stainless in sheet form. Nominally .138 thick. This works out well for the majority of my knives. Larger knives is when I will use .187 416. I do not see a major difference when I go to do the final finish, either handsanded to a 1000 grit or polished bright.

Hope this helps some,
 
I got a bar of 3/4" x 2" x 12" 416SS from Aldo for about $120 IIRC. Still more expensive than what you paid, but much less PITA. I've found that it matches the CPM 154 that I primarily use better than the 300-series steels, but not sure about 410 (I'm sure it would match more closely as well).

If I can't find 416 any more, I'll look into switching to 410.
 
tedinatl said:
I've found that it matches the CPM 154 that I primarily use better than the 300-series steels, but not sure about 410 (I'm sure it would match more closely as well).
Click to expand...

Do you have any pics of the CPM 154 and 300 series? I have access to unlimited 304 and was wondering how it would look.
 
I've never actually completed a knife with that combo, b/c the color difference is obvious to me without having to finish it out. Sorry...
 
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