Case Hardening

[Primordial]

Hey everyone,

I have a few 'practice' blades made from medium/low carbon steel. I was wondering if case hardening would make them more useful (as really rough choppers/tools) or if I might as well just leave them the way they are and use them for stuff like bush-whacking anyway.

Cheers,

Matt

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Case hardening won't do a thing for them as blades.

 

[oic0]

I've heard you can have carbon put into the blades through an industrial process but that its expensive. Far more expensive than remaking them. Mild steel is junk. Maybe carbidize the edge and have a light duty knife. If any of it is actual medium carbon steel though... Medium starts at 0.30% carbon which can get 45-50 hrc (or so I read, never tried). That's soft but useable and if it has more carbon, well even better.

 

[Frank Niro]

50 is a useless cutting edge. Please don't talk about it as useable blade hardness, Frank