416 spacers?

Brian Avila

Brian Avila

Joined
Jan 2, 2011
Messages
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Over the course of some years, I see knives with 416 spacers. I have not been able to find any 416 spacers to save my life. I was curious to why I can't find 416 spacer material and where people would get their 416 spacer material?

I like 416 for guard material, and would like to have metal spacers that matched instead of say 410 spacers.
 
Frank Niro said:
Perhaps when you read 416 spacer it really is referring to a 416 back bar? Frank
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Not sure. I am interested in 0.03"-0.04" thick bar stock, spacer material, etc. Maybe I haven't searched correctly or used the right key words, but I have been looking for a while and don't seem to come up with anything. When I ask my knife friends they just say I don't know, so I figured I would ask.
 
super thin 416 has become incredibly scarce. Most suppliers have replaced it with 410
 
I wonder why it is in short supply. You can still get 416 guard material. I worry about matching 416 to 410 and it not looking the same.
 
I can't tell the difference in color between 410 and 416 in fact I use 416 pin stock and 410 bolsters. The 416 is softer and peens better than 410 pin stock, thats why I use it. After the sanding and high grit polishing I can't see the pins. I agree it's hard to find 416 spacers so I use 410 spacers with 416 guards many times. 416 can also be forged to size and thickness.
 
Bruce bump, that is good to know.

Alpha knife supply, I just want everything to be the same, guard and spacer material.
 
416 is 410 with the addition of sulphur.

416 has never been available in thin sheet. It is very difficult to roll thinner than .125". Most mills now will not roll below .187". If you want thin 416 you must forge and/or machine it thinner.

I agree with Bruce, if a knife is built correctly you cannot tell the difference between 416 and 410. I've seen many of Bruce's knives and they look great.

Chuck
 
I have always knocked thicker 416 stock down to spacer thickness. I have been curious about trying 410 to cut out some of the work, but.... The added sulphur is what puts 416 in the free-machining grade range versus 410 which is considered non-free machining.

When I'm shaping a handle like this, if the steel spacer material is harder than the steel guard material, it makes it a lot harder to get everything to flow together.
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I'm not saying 410 won't work (I'd like it to :)) but I can say having the same material is ideal.
 
Nick - yeah, I worry about the spacers being harder or softer and that was one of the reasons I would like the same material.

I have limited tools and don't forge so making thinner spacers won't work for me at the moment.

I like the 416 but from what I am gathering it won't happen till I can physically make my own thinner spacers.

Might be harder and a little more work but if 410 is all I can get spacer wise and some g10. But now I know Nick and other makers are making their own 416 spacer material I can stop searching for what I won't find.
 
The guard on that blade was made from 416 round-stock that I forged down and annealed (only because it's getting harder to find 416 in the sizes I want)... but I have never forged spacer material down.

I usually just grind it down.

One time I clamped some thick 416 bar (on edge) to a 1-2-3 block, and then cut it into spacer stock on the bandsaw.

It's a PITA whichever way you choose... but my point is, you don't have to be able to forge it. :)
 
From what I am gathering it is just hard to get 416 in general. I have two pieces of 3/4" wide guard stock but can't seem to find 1" wide. But that is life. Aldo has good sizes sometime.
 
Nick, if you don't mind me asking, what kind of sizes of 416 do you use for your fighters ( width and thickness )?
 
That's right, 410 with added sulfur is 416. The sulfides make for a free machining grade .It can be HT'd to a degree. Other than that 410 will be harder to machine though you won't have any problem in getting a high polish if you so desire.
 
I like 416. It is a free machining grade, and I like how it works. I haven't tried 410, but I am guessing I would have to be really careful when I mix different materials together and have a harder time than what it would be if I had all 416 pieces.

I like the idea of working smarter not harder. When you plan stuff out and know what to expect it is more fun than trying to fix problems.

I am going to try and cut the spacers like Nick suggested. I just have to pick and choose what sizes I want and hopefully Aldo can get what I want.
 
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