5160: where, how, when, why 2 Buy

Just typed it off the top of my head.

I believe that having the right info is the key to getting started right. Why make mistakes when you can avoid them.
Stacy
 
I totally agree about info.My wife thinks I'm a bit much in that respect but if I'm going to do something I want to do it right or not at all.

I've read through the beginners info at the top of the page.Can you or anyone recommend books or sites to learn more about specific steels?

Hope I'm not hijacking,if so I'll ask elsewhere.

thanks
Randy
 
As a matter of fact I did read it all. Now comprehending it is another thing. I hope you guys don't get the wrong impression of me. I just want to choose the one right steel to hopefully master. I don't know if anyone remembers how they used to be when they started out but that is how I am now. I know everybody's thinking there's a world of steels out there with alot of different aspects to them but I'm sure everybody started out with one steel they fell in love with and as for the other steels...I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

I'm just looking for a steel that can stand up to the duties and punishment of a camp knife...which is used for everything like chopping...and be differentially hardened using the "clay" method to make the edge sharper and stay sharper longer. Whether it produces a hamon or not is of no concern to me.

I appreciate all the advice keep 'em coming.
 
bladsmth said:
What you see is called a temper line, and shows the difference in hardness mostly. A true hamon shows two different steel structures.
Click to expand...

That little bit of info is of great importance to me. I had no idea why some steals show a hamon better than others....other than they are different in their make-up. Ken Coats and I edge quenched my second blade in what he calls "goop" which was a tray with a combination of God knows what. That blade was 5160 and did show the temper line when I hand rubbed it to 2000 grit. When mirrored it went away for the most part. You can still barely see it if you are looking for it but would never notice if I didn't point it out. Anyway, I have a question about the difference between hamons and temper lines. When you use an etchant solution on hamon blades are you actually getting a combination of different hardness and structure that are changing? And with that, are 5160 blades that are etched only showing a difference in hardness when reacting to the etchant? And finally, does 1095 react similarly to the clay tempering thing?

Sorry to hijack but I find this very interesting.
 
When etching a clay quenched blade, the different structures (martensite and pearlite) etch very differently. The mix of the two in the hamon (old name -troosite) etches different,also. When doing a hamon polish, you want to polish the edge bright and have it etch dark. The spine surface should be polished smooth but not mirror, and etch a lighter color. The hamon will etch as a whitish line if worked right. Google shiagi togi to see how it is done on Japanese blades. The surface color can be controlled by the polishing technique used.

In a temper line, the steel is all martensite....just with different tempers. It will show the line , but not etch a greatly different color.

In an edge quenched blade, the structures are different, but they may be in unpredictable places. The etch usually shows a curved band of smoky area.

1095 and W1 will form a great hamon. They are a bit trickier to HT than 1084.
Stacy
 
Just my experience/thoughts. Use 5160, HT the whole thing, temper the whole thing, and temper the spine and tang again by color with a torch, keeping the edge cool.
 
If I wanted a whacker knife, I'd do it exactly as John just described. I'd use L6 if there was good process and temperature control because it is such a tough steel to begin with.

Mike
 
I have forged throwers out of aldo's 1084, 3/16 final, differentially *tempered*, and no problems. They are utility throwers, hold an edge great, and throw fine, no breakage issues.
 
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