6150 For knives ?

[hawkwind]

Hello, can anyone advise me, whatever this is good knife steel? I was told that some better prybars are made out of this and that it can be forged.
I was thinking it for bigger knives for chopping.


Thanks!

Jaro

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

I would think the carbon content is high enough to harden, but low enough to form lathe martensite rather than plate martensite, which is good. Perhaps someone who knows better what they're talking about could chime in here?

I see that 6150 is a chrome vanadium. V forms vanadium carbides in a higher carbon steel, which aids abrasion resistances, in a low carbon steel it is a grain refiner and makes steel fine grained and tough. I think chrome enhances hardenability in addition to providing some corrosion resistance.

I'll bet this steel requires a soak at temp to reach full potential. Perhaps a 10 minute soak from an annealed condition?

On the surface it sounds like a pretty good tough steel, if it will get hard enough.

Mete? Kevin? How'd I do?

 

[mete]

It would be similar to 5160 in properties, a good chopper.It has enough V for grain refinement not any more.Therefore no need for extensive soak.

 

[Danbo]

I think it would make a fine blade. Plenty tough, that's for sure.

 

[Barkes Knife Shop]

6150 is a great steel for knives. :thumbup:

 

[NickWheeler]

I have made some serious choppers out of it.

I have some big billets of it that would be excellent for hatchets... If only I had more time and less ADD

 

[hawkwind]

Thank you very much folks. Plenty of prybars around


Jaro