Any way to tell difference in stainless?

B

Bgchief

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Apr 14, 2016
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So a friend of mine recently gave me a few pieces of stainless he got from work. He said it was either 403 or 440. So I was wondering if there was any way for me to identify this steel?
Thanks, Jared
 
do you remember what he initially purchased the steel for? Knowing what application he purchased it for might help narrow down the possibilities. 440 has various grades as well. 440C would be great for a blade but I am not much of a fan of 440A or 440B though they have been used successfully. 403 would be a handle material only as it lacks the properties to make a decent blade. No matter what it is a very inexpensive material so if it cant be used its not exactly a treasure trove of material.
 
you can buy a spectrometer, they are very pricey though but I'm pretty sure a lot of knife makers would become very good friends with you, myself included lol
 
Alright well they make clay pigeon traps. So I assume it was a bottom plate for a thrower. When I go to lunch I'll ask him for some more info on it.
 
Heat-treat, oil quench, and test for hardness. The 403 is low carbon and won't harden.

It seems strange to confuse 403 with 440. Are we sure it might not be 430?
 
Well they ordered it for the clay throwers they make and it was the wrong thickness. I will try heat treating a piece and see what happens.
 
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