Can 1070 be a decent beginner steel?

[deermaster]

I am very poor lol, and want to use what I have. I have a grinder in the shed of the house I rent, and a Brazil made machete, I have researched and found it is SAE 1070 steel. I want to make a small pocketable fixed blade, something along the lines of a CRKT Folt Minimalist. I have roughed out a shape on the grinder, but before I put much time into the heat treat and finish work, I would just like to know if this steel is worth the effort. Thanks so much.

 

[JCaswell]

Yes, but for the same price, go with 1084/1086.

 

[Bo T]

From what I have read, it should be fine. It is real close to eutectoid steel. Read about heat treating hypoeutectoid steel.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

You can make a knife out of it. After all, that is what it is now

 

[oic0]

There is a big long write up someone referred me to when I was asking similar questions. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/673173-Working-the-three-steel-types

Long story short though, lower carbon steels are naturally a little tougher for what they give in carbon content, but 1070 isn't all that low.

 

[Hesparus]

One of the primary reasons that 1070 is a good steel for beginners is that it's easy to heat treat yourself. If you plan to send it to someone else for that (which isn't a bad choice for your first knife) then there are probably better steels than 1070 (although it depends on what you want out of it).

- Chris