Bowie made from my secret stash :)

[ysforge]

I got the specs in today, and it's official, the steel in this Bowie is watered, essentially the steel was made by roughly the same process as wootz, but with a lower carbon content. The guy who tested the steel form me tells me that it's about .63 carbon, and has various other ingredients that I don't remember right now. (The sheet is in the shop)

The watering is visible along the edge, as well as the spine with a distinction at the quench line. the guard is etched wrought iron, and the handle is a whitetail drop.

I'm hiding this steel after I finish the next knife I forged from it, and won't bring it out again for about a year.

Tony

 

[jiminy]

So, where'd the steel come from in the first place? 'Enquiring' minds want to know

 

[ysforge]

I thought at the time I got it that it was a wrought iron wagon wheel. I didn't touch ot for several years, but when I did finally cut it, I was very dissapointed to discover that it was high carbon.

Eventually I cut a piece off of it, and forged a small blade, heat treated it, and finished it up, it held a great edge, and took an amazing set while quenching (the spine curved at least 3/8ths of an inch on a 5 inch blade) I for some reason decided to drop it in the ferric and see what happened.

I got this:

Now I was quite intrgued, so I cut a pice off and sent it to a metalurgist for testing, that was several months ago, and I finally got the spec sheet back the other day.

I've determined that it wasn't a wagon wheel after all, but rather a re-inforcing ring for something or other. it was hand forged, and forge welded into the ring, but I can't give an exact date.



Tony