52100 Pros and Cons

Ed Fowler said:
Foxbat34:
I have been forging 52100 for about 20+ years now. It is a steel that is backed by top quality control, this is one if its greatest assets.
Once I found a reliable source of 52100 which was all from the same batch my learning curve accelerated rapidly due to the exclusion of unknown variables in the steel.
52100 is a steel that you can push to high levels of performance as you learn to work it. If you let it soak at 1,625 f. for about 5 minutes before forging it is no harder to forge than other steels.
I have hardened every 52100 blade I make with my torch, that way you can dictate the hardened portions of the blade and leave the tang soft.

Doing it right you can scratch a 62 RC steel with your cutting edge. And still enjoy an easy to sharpen blade.

If you are at Blade Show stop by my table and I will provide you with all the information we have recorded to date.
Or visit our form and you will find lots of answers.
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Thank very much Ed.
Sadly I wont be able to make Blade this year, but I will certainly check out your forum.

I have been to your website many times, and I greatly admire your work. That is what got me interested in 52100.

I will check out your forum as well. Again thanks for the offer of help.
 
Bill , Ed
im glad you can make that torch heat treat work but thats not a way that i could trust myself nor i think a guy just starting out on 52100 should use

i think a good base line to make sure all is well is a best first time out
then play with the torch till you get as good a a nice soak at the proper temp

then see if you can pass that "max" for the steel with your eyes and torch
 
Butch: I still remember watching Bill Moran harden with a torch when he taught me. It was like watching a surgeon work, a beautiful example of a true craftsman at work. When I got home I practiced with my torch on a piece of mild steel - over and over again and found that once you learn how to use a torch you can be absolutely precise dictating exactly where you want the steel hard and soft. It took some time, but now we can teach it and our students can achieve very exacting results.

By ething all the blades you harden you have an immediat and revealing method of evaluating your results. The edge flex and cut tests further verify your results. All in your shop and you do not need to depend on anyone but yourself. I do not believe anyone can get it right immediately out of the gate, it takes practice and constant evaluation of your results through testing your blades doing what you intend to make them for.

Your thoughts on testing one method against another is a good one, it is best to compare your results on every blade.
 
testing
yep every razor that has my full name on it has to pass my shave test
if it will not shave well then it fails

as you narrow the use testing gets easier (so does failing the test too)
when you need a blade to do everything well but not super you can wig and wag a bit and say well it was better here so it can be a bit off there
 
Quite a few comments about 52100 being hard to find. Just go down to your local scrap metal yard and find a nice ball bearing with an outer ring about the size you want. If the yard charges you at all, it will be a buck or two. Split it, flatten it, forge it out and you have a beautiful blade - usually very shiny. And, if you are feeling adventurous, find a great big bearing, and forge a knife from a single ball. Or find a bunch of small bearings, harvest the balls out of them and make some nice canister damascus. I've done all three methods and had great success. 52100 is one of my go-to steels simply because it is so cheap and readily available. j310forge@gmail.com
 
j301forge said:
Quite a few comments about 52100 being hard to find. Just go down to your local scrap metal yard and find a nice ball bearing with an outer ring about the size you want. If the yard charges you at all, it will be a buck or two. Split it, flatten it, forge it out and you have a beautiful blade - usually very shiny. And, if you are feeling adventurous, find a great big bearing, and forge a knife from a single ball. Or find a bunch of small bearings, harvest the balls out of them and make some nice canister damascus. I've done all three methods and had great success. 52100 is one of my go-to steels simply because it is so cheap and readily available. j310forge@gmail.com
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Progress! Both availability and understanding of this fine steel have come a long way in the 16 years since this thread was started.
 
Welcome j301forge.
Fill out your profile so we know where yu live and a bit about you.
As pointed out, this is a very old thread. As a new member, look at the original date and the dates of the last several posts before resurrecting a long dead thread.
 
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