buddy needs steel decision help....me too.

samuraistuart

samuraistuart

Joined
Dec 21, 2006
Messages
3,158
A very good friend of mine and his father have a trim carpentry business. He does very nice woodcraft at home after hours, and when I got into knife making, he got into putting handles on knives. Now he would like to make his own....knife/tool/object....and I was hoping to get your input on narrowing down the best steel for this situation.

The tool will basically be a chisel with a knife edge on the side of it. He did some research online and came across 3V steel, and became interested. He asked my opinion, and when I found out it wasn't really a knife (I am not a 3V fanatic), but more chisel than anything else, I thought maybe 3V would be a not-so-bad choice. But then got to thinking about more simple steels......5160 and especially S7!

The chisel will be used most, with the knife edge just there to be "handy", so I don't think we need to focus on the edge holding benefits, more on the occasional hidden nail that might come in contact with the chisel!

What would you guys choose?

Thanks!
 
Having used a lot of chisels in my day, I think I'd be real hesitant to have a knife edge on one at all. That seems like a recipe for stitches. A chisel is a chisel and a knife is a knife. All that said, 5160 would make a fine chisel. Almost anything would be better than what you can buy in the store though, and I don't even think he'd be disappointed with 1084. As with most knives, I think most any commonly used blade steel would be fine given the proper heat treat.
 
Batoning chisels have an edge on teh side, Lee Valley sells them. 5160 or maybe W2 would work well.
 
I am having a hard time picturing what you are describing...

What kind of chisel? Like a carving chisel? Those do indeed having a very keen edge. They should push through the wood with mere pressure and be clean about doing so, so are very knife like by design. Very light mallet strikes with a wood mallet are all the hammering they ever see. I have several I use from time to time, and all of them predate my dad, so I'd guess they're some variant of very basic carbon steel. I don't recall ever hitting a nail with one, but they're quick to throw an edge back on when they do foul.

5160 is a good versatile steel... I use it for a lot of shop tools and quick fab up jobs, as well as the occasional blade... It is tough, forges nicely, easy to heat treat and is cheap. It can be made to hold a pretty good edge as well... A good heat treatment recipe is the primary ingredient though with any steel choice.

Can you sketch what the layout of this tool will be? Sounds like an interesting project. Good on ya.

As an aside, we have several craft festivals here during the summer. I've been bummed watching the old wood carvers disappear and be supplanted by the cnc router guys. That stuff is cool and all, but all the 'maker' did was push the enter button.

Cheers
-Eric
 
I have a LOT of experience using all sorts of chisels, i work in a very high end carpentry shop and have for years. All the chisels we use were handmade as store bought ones just arent up to it. I see that knife chisel bastard, so im not sure there but in terms of Chisel chisels, I would say W2 laminated in mild/ wrought or differential hardened would make a fine chisel. the tip should be in from 62-64 HRC. Best of luck to you!
 
At that thickness, W2 is going to kinda differentially harden on its own.
hellspawn415 said:
I have a LOT of experience using all sorts of chisels, i work in a very high end carpentry shop and have for years. All the chisels we use were handmade as store bought ones just arent up to it. I see that knife chisel bastard, so im not sure there but in terms of Chisel chisels, I would say W2 laminated in mild/ wrought or differential hardened would make a fine chisel. the tip should be in from 62-64 HRC. Best of luck to you!
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top