Best material for a knife you can beat up?

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Ferghus

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May 3, 2016
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Long time lurker, Finally registered because I just cannot find any information on how to go about my current project, so hello everyone.

Ive got an odd one for you, based on an old manual depicting a rigging knife with a sheepsfoot tip and a heavy, flat back which would be struck with the (large and heavy, in this case) marlin spike to assist in cutting any rigging laid across a surface, I aim to make one of these myself, but Im not sure of what material to use.
Id like to make it authentic, but I cannot find information on the metal used, So I figure id better just make it durable. I dont see it ever getting any use as far as being beaten around the back, but id sure be happy to know its capable of it...any suggestions?
 
Authentic: How old the manual is might influence the available steels at the time. I'd tentatively suggest that O-1 tool steel might be a decent choice. Partly because it's tough-ish, but mostly because it would be available.

Best steel: Never going to get a perfect answer, but I'd open with the suggestion of S7. High shock resistance for hammering operations, assuming that's the primary purpose of the blade. Similar to a splitting maul. That said, it's also really expensive and you probably need to send it out for heat treat if you are just starting out.
 
5160 would be a great choice for an old fashioned very durable knife steel. Respectable edge retention and very tough.
 
Yeah, fine-grained carbon steels will be good... though for a rigging knife I'd go stainless, which kind of messes with the 'traditional' part.
 
5160 is a really tough steel. Easy to heat treat. I used it to pass my Journeyman ABS test.
 
5160 might be my first try then, thanks for the suggestions

FunkCoaster said:
Authentic: How old the manual is might influence the available steels at the time. I'd tentatively suggest that O-1 tool steel might be a decent choice. Partly because it's tough-ish, but mostly because it would be available.
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Thats part of what really annoys me, is that I dont have a date for it, but by the clothing depicted id guess 17th century.
O-1 was actually my initial choice, but I eventually just decided I should ask you guys.
 
daizee said:
Yeah, fine-grained carbon steels will be good... though for a rigging knife I'd go stainless, which kind of messes with the 'traditional' part.
Click to expand...

Curious, Im a sword guy so I have a bit of an aversion to stainless, would that just be optimal considering the environmental conditions such a knife would be subject to?
 
I make them from 5160. To be "authentic" for the days of sailing ships, a steel around 1070 or even 1060 would be about what was used by shipboard and seaport smiths.
 
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