5160 steel

[Makermook]

Total noob question here, but I ran across these terms earlier today, and I don't know what they mean (and Google is no help):

5160R and 5160H

What's the difference?

 

[Blackfeather]

I see it on Admiral and other places as HR5160. I don't think there is a difference.

 

[mete]

HR should be Hot Rolled

H is normally melted to certain hardenability limits
R is normally used to designate Resulfurized, that is added sulfur for easier machinability.If that is true I wouldn't use it for a blade as it has some inherent brittleness.Check with them before you buy.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

One more reason to buy your steel from a knife supply person is that they know what the difference is and will supply the right type of steel. There are many designations attached to steel that mean a lot to a factory, but don't always matter much to a knife maker. But some will tell us what the condition of the steel is.

HR prefix- hot rolled, but not annealed
HRA prefix - Hot Rolled Annealed - this is the most common blade steel designation
CRA prefix- Cold Rolled Annealed - another common blade steel choice
PG suffix- precision ground
H suffix- hardenability limits - this does not apply to blades very much, but should be avoided if a better alloy is available.
R suffix- resulfurized - not a good blade choice, made for machining, not making blades.
NO Designation (1095,5160,etc.) - whatever they had on the shelf. could be any type of the designated alloy. This is what you may get from a steel supplier vs a knife supplier.

The best way to deal with the steel type is to ask for an analysis report on the batch. With the info supplied, you can decide if there are any alloy ingredients ( or levels) that will affect your use of the steel and the HT.

 

[Troop]

Buy your 5160 from Kelly Cupples. I've heard that he has all his steel shipments analyzed. The blades that I've made from his 5160 have come out great.
On the other hand, I purchased some from Southern Tool Steel and am disappointed in their 5160.

 

[Daniel Fairly Knives]

One more reason to buy your steel from a knife supply person is that they know what the difference is and will supply the right type of steel.

He may have been asking aboult Aldo's site, I was wondering too. He has both the H and the R.

Stacy, Thanks for the breakdown, that was very helpful!

 

[cjd1980]

Aldo is selling 1084D anyone know what the D is for

 

[Makermook]

He may have been asking aboult Aldo's site, I was wondering too. He has both the H and the R.

Stacy, Thanks for the breakdown, that was very helpful!

That's the one. I sent them an email asking for clarification, but they haven't replied.

 

[stevomiller]

On Aldo's site I believe the R is for 'round/rod'.

 

[Kentucky]

I talked to Aldo this morning..Hes purty' busy right now..Its best to call him, besides hes a good guy to talk too...Hes a 'Jersey plummer and Im a deep appalachian hillbilly...Sounds like Jethro Bodine and Super Mario talking on the phone

 

[jawilder]

Aldo is selling 1084D anyone know what the D is for

I asked Aldo about this the other day and got this in reply:
"The 1084 is just regular 1084 cut to 6" lengths to use for Damascus" which would mean the 1084 D is in 48" bars.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Aldo isn't a steel manufacturer, but a steel seller. He uses his own letter descriptions to notate what size or use a piece is for.

He only gets knife grade steel,and has it all analyzed. He has the 1084FG done as a custom run. It takes something like 11 tons to get a run made, so his steel should be consistent from order to order.