Anyone got a lead on 9260?

Salem Straub

Salem Straub

Joined
Oct 20, 2008
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I've been trying to find some for a katana order. I asked Aldo, I asked Admiral, checked places like Southern, Googled and asked makers that I found had mentioned using it in the past. All I can see is Howard Clark saying that most GM coils are 9260, and that they make a lot of it in China. I just don't want to use unidentified coils, and am about to give up and go with 5160.

Anyone?
 
That is true, Kentucky, and thanks for the suggestion. The flyer lists their 1/4"x 1" as actually being 9260. I'd prefer 1-1/4" to 1-1/2" wide to work with, so I emailed them about it. They replied that they don't actually carry any 9260 anymore, and recommended 5160.

First, they barely note in fine print, in only one area of their catalog, that some of their 5160 is really 9260. Then, although they have not updated their catalog, they inform me that it's all actually 5160 again. That kind of bothers me. And, they only sell 5160 the size I need in 20' lengths. Aargh.

I'll try Gene Martin though, thanks Brian.
 
It's been more of a foriegn steel in the past. Similar in HT and properties to 5160 .It decarburizes more than 5160.
 
Mainly it's a customer request from a guy who likes Cheness swords. He wants 9260 because it's supposed to spring back to true even better than 5160 in a tameshigiri blade. I don't know if there is anything to this, I've never made blade that big in 9260. Might just be propaganda.

Thanks for the input, Mete. I do notice it's made a lot in China.
 
9260 is silicon-manganese versus chromium for 5160.

Looking at the AISI specs, 5160 seems pretty similar (yield strength, etc). Chromium is expensive in China -- they have no native source. Sounds like 9260 is China's version of 5160.
 
I think I contacted him as well, I'll try again. If not, maybe I will hit you up, Darrin. Thanks.

Lazlo, thanks as well. An interesting perspective. I wonder what someone more knowledgeable than I here, like Mete, would say about the practical differences in these alloying elements?
 
I got a bunch of it from Bill Moran's estate auction. It was 1/4X1" and 1/4X1.25", IIRC.
I cut it into usable lengths, and have used most of it. If you dead end, let me know, and I'll see if I have a sword length piece left.

I think the customers "Springing back to true" better than 5160 is based on someones sales hype, not metallurgy.
 
Ive used some 9260 and liked it very well..Not sure how much I liked it better than 5160 but Id use it again if I had it..Its good steel..
 
As someone who practice tameshigiri, I say that it is all hype. I have not noticed a difference between katana in 9260, 5160, or even 1060. There are at least two anecdotal stories of 9260 katana snapped and broke; none that I know of happened to a 5160 blade. Angus Trim used to made katana out of 5160 and they never took a set despite being bent to a 45 degree angle. Cheness blades are all hypes. One of the blade that I mentioned snapped was a Cheness.
 
Thanks a million for the continued help, guys. It looks as though I can't find it wide enough (except for maybe Stacy's 1-1/4" wide) and I don't want to bug him for one piece of 9260 so I'll probably go with 5160. It's probably a better idea since I'm much more familiar in working with 5160, and the practical comparisons help to establish what I had partly suspected, it's a difference in performance that is mainly hype.

I appreciate the feedback from a tameshigiri practitioner, MKP. That helps a lot. Seems like Cheness swords are either loved or hated out there.
 
9260 is the steel most commonly used for foils in modern day fencing equipment. It is high in silicon and it takes a beating. I have a katana made of it. Nothing special but it's held a good edge considering I've been wailing it into 1'4" shipping tubes.
 
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