5160 blade

noseoil

noseoil

Joined
Apr 24, 2013
Messages
408
Here's a pattern I've been working on lately, it's not really very original, but I like the shape & feel. 5160 steel at about HRC 59, a happy medium between hardness & toughness for this very tough spring steel. It will rust if not cared for properly, but I like 5160 for it's general durability & it sharpens well enough at 59 & seems to hold an edge. It will run harder, but 59 seems to be about the sweet spot for 5160. I don't do heat treating in my shop, so these were done by JT at his place (thanks JT). With the steel being 0.20" thick, they're really pretty beefy, about 8 5/8" LOA, so it's fairly heavy but has a good feel with a good grip shape.

This one is done with some Bocote out of Mexico & has black & white liners for a bit of accent. I really like how the liners add a touch of detail to a fairly plain design where wood meets steel. It has an oil finish & I like the warmth of wood. I do some in micarta, but being an old cabinet maker, I still enjoy a nice wood with a clean finish. Your comments are always welcome. Thanks for looking.

APFNHRv.jpg

20URAK3.jpg
 
Looks real nice but 5160 is one of the most forgiving alloys there is to heat treat...you should give it a shot.
 
Looking into an oven for HT (perhaps a build, like everything else) which would save a little money & reduce turn-around times for work. I'm seeing how a build would be possible with the tools I have on hand now. Not too complex, just more time & money...
 
I used a magnet to check temperature and my old motor oil starting out and it worked fine....
 
I like the pattern and the liners - a tapered tang would be a plus. If you have a forge, and an oxyacetylene torch, you can heat treat 5160 in house.
 
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