5160 for smaller blades?

[David Stifle]

over the years, I've frequently heard that 5160 is not an ideal steel for smaller (hunting type) blades. Given it's durability to take a beating and still keep an edge, I've never understood this line of thinking. So, my question, what are the pro's and con's of 5160 over other steels, such as 1095, 1084, etc. Would you chose 5160 for an outdoors knife over other steels? I realize this is somewhat subjective, I'm just trying to get a feel for 5160 as a knife steel for smaller blades. I've used it in swords, and man, it's a great steel for the 16-25" blade category.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

5160 is a tough steel ,but not the finest grained steel. It also is hypo-eutectoid. The chromium robs even more of the carbon, making it lower in iron carbides. 1084 is eutectoid, and the carbon and iron are in balance. 1095 is hyper-eutectoid, and thus forms fine iron carbides with ease. both 1084 and 1095, being low in alloy content, have fine grain and no large carbide clusters.

Thus, 5160 is great for larger high impact knives that will get lots of stress. Because of the internal structure and characteristics, it won't take a super fine edge, and will not get into the upper hardness areas for knives. It is fairly easy to HT and errors don't show as big problems.
1084 is great for knives that will get general uses and will take a great edge. It attains the normal hardness for cutting knives. HT is very simple.
1095 will take a very fine edge and can get slightly harder than 1084. HT is a bit more complex, but can be done with moderate attention to temperatures.

Each has its uses and attributes.

 

[David Stifle]

Got it, Stacy. Thanks. A nice, clear explanation.

 

[me2]

I wouldn't hesitate to use a 5160 blade in something like a Cold Steel Master Hunter pattern or similar. I'd leave the hardness higher than normal for 5160, but that's just me. One issue is availability of 5160 in thinner bar stock. The other issue is, while 5160 would be fine for a smaller blade, other steels are better. If you don't need the toughness offered, you can use a harder, more wear resistant steel with less toughness and it will do better in smaller knife work in terms of potential edge holding.

 

[Perrin]

I am currently making this little guy out of 3/16" thick 5160.

It is kind of like a large bird & trout. I plan to use it as a camp knife. A real camp knife mind you, made to pack and be useful on a real camping trip like a week on the Appalachian Trail or Sheltowee Trace. The size and weight of most "camp/bushcraft" knives make them unrealistic for their named purpose. Pay little attention to the ugly grind lines, I'm experimenting with removing metal on my 4 x 36 belt sander then draw filing. I was working on the distal taper at the point in time of this photo. It will have a nice convex cross section when done. I think the 5160 will be a good choice for this kind of knife. It should be tough, important when far from civilization, and easy to sharpen in the field if need be.