5160 tough

gga357

gga357

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Dec 3, 2007
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I am very seriously thinking about making a couple of hawks using a one piece design (blade, poll, and handle all one piece of steel with micarta scales). From all my reading 5160 seems to be a very tough steel, however I can't find any in 1/4"x8"x(24"-48").

So the question is: Where can I get the 5160?

Or

Should I just use 1084 or 1095. Will they be as tough?

Plan to send out for HT.
 
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5160 will be tougher. My personal preference is 1084, but that's just me.

In either case give Aldo a call, he should have what ever you need!

New Jersey Steel Baron, LLC
295 Wagaraw Rd.
Hawthorne, NJ 07506

Office: (973) 949-4140
Fax: (973) 689-9501
Email: aldo@njsteelbaron.com
 
You might also consider L6. L6 is some tough stuff and Aldo has it, too. ;) :)
 
Thanks, I have an email in to Aldo about 14"x8" 5160. I may give him a call. The L-6 is in the same situation, only 4" stock.

Also thanks on the McMaster Carr suggestion, but they only have 4" on thier website.

Admiral only has 1/2" in an 8" width.

Still looking.
 
Most suppliers only list stock in the width they think the users want. Often it is sheared from sheet, and can be ordered in any size up to about 24X96. call and talk to a rep and see what they can do.
 
Contact your local automotive spring shops and as if they carry any 5160 and what size they have. If they do truck springs, they usually have large bars of either 5160 or 1095.

Happy hunting

Jim Arbuckle
ABS JS
 
The problem with getting 5160 in sheets is that the manufacturing of it revolves around the auto industry. There are 2 major manufacturers in N.A. one in Canada and the other in the States. Most of the stock is rolled in sizes that are most commonly used in that industry which eliminates wider sheets. Widths usually correlate with thickness for a given purpose so you find 1/4" commonly out to 4" wide and wider widths with heavier thicknesses, such as 1/2" x 8". There aren't enough uses industrially to warrant producing sheet out of it. That's not to say it can't be found, but all the looking may not be worth what you end up paying.
 
Ok so now that 5160 is out of the picture, what do you all suggest as an alternative steel? 52100? L6? Looking for toughness. Thanks.
 
Could you get two pieces of 1/4" 5160 and have them forge welded into a T shaped "blank" for your hawk?
 
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I would say 1075 or 1084.

Aldo has both in widths up to 8" or 10"; and I believe the 1075 also comes in 5/16" if your interested.
 
As a related question, where did Justin Gingrich, of Ranger Knives, get his 5160 to make his original RD Hawks? Those were 1/4" thick 5160, all one piece, and with a spike.
 
pixelhack said:
Could you get two pieces of 1/4" 5160 and have them forge welded into a T shaped "blank" for your hawk?
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I don't know of anyone locally that forges. Would the strength at the joint be as strong as the original?
 
Bill Burke said:
get .5 x 8" and have someone with a rolling mill roll it down to the thickness you want.
Click to expand...

I would imagine that would cost more than buying a similar steel, toughness wise, that comes in 1/4"x8".

How does 52100 compair to 5160, for those who have used them both.
 
foxx said:
As a related question, where did Justin Gingrich, of Ranger Knives, get his 5160 to make his original RD Hawks? Those were 1/4" thick 5160, all one piece, and with a spike.
Click to expand...

I bet they order enough to get it rolled to what they need.
 
Is 52100 tougher than L6 for an axe or large chopper? I will have lots of extra pieces, so they will very likely end up as large herd use/utility knives.

Also what is the difference between 5160 and 6150 from a practical standpoint?
 
5160 can be heat treated to be a lot tougher than 1084 or 1095 -those are edge holding steels, not the toughest carbon steels around.
 
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