Are Folded Steels Stronger?

Carbon migrates very quickly through steels, other alloys don't. So with your scenario you'd heat treat for 1075. Oxidation occurs when steel is exposed to the atmosphere, at elevated temperatures it occurs more rapidly. At forging temperature this is the "scale" that forms on the blade. High heat causes grain size to grow and that reduces toughness. Also when welding there is always the possibility of inclusions in your weld, the more layers you do the higher a probability there is of an inclusion being formed.
 
Some of the problems faced when steel is repeatedly heated to 2300-2400F, folded and forge welded are :
Oxidation of the carbon ,thus reducing content, and oxidation of the iron (and other alloy metals) - both controlled (but not eliminated) by balancing the forge atmosphere. Scale inclusion, which adds impurities to the steel.
Bad welds, causing a failure of the laminate.
Grain growth, which can be reversed in the HT process.

There are other problems, but these are a few.
Stacy
 
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