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Choosing the right steel.
- Thread starter JCOOP
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- Apr 8, 2009
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Steels are chosen for the attributes needed in a particular knife project with some compromises needed due to cost, heat treatment available, and how it grinds and finishes.
Say you are making a kitchen chef knife, well most people would want a stainless, but not all. Most would want a very fine edge, so you might pick a steel that has fine grain and carbide size. Toughness may not be very important and " wear resistance " may not be a huge issue but you probable want a high RC.
Now you want to make a hunter to process game or cut boxes, you need high wear resistance because of the dirt and grit.
Now you want to make a chopper, you will need a steel that can handle abuse and have toughness. These are mostly non-stainless steels like 5160, o1. A2, S7, 52100, 1075 CPM3v etc.
Any way, I think you get the idea. You need to have some idea of metallurgy to choose a steel for a knife project. Or you can choose just 1, 2 or 3 steels and just make the type of knives that fit the type of steels you have. If you send out for heat treating your blades to be cost effective you probably want 20 of the same type of steel.
I hope I touched on the main theories in choosing steel and it helps.
David
Say you are making a kitchen chef knife, well most people would want a stainless, but not all. Most would want a very fine edge, so you might pick a steel that has fine grain and carbide size. Toughness may not be very important and " wear resistance " may not be a huge issue but you probable want a high RC.
Now you want to make a hunter to process game or cut boxes, you need high wear resistance because of the dirt and grit.
Now you want to make a chopper, you will need a steel that can handle abuse and have toughness. These are mostly non-stainless steels like 5160, o1. A2, S7, 52100, 1075 CPM3v etc.
Any way, I think you get the idea. You need to have some idea of metallurgy to choose a steel for a knife project. Or you can choose just 1, 2 or 3 steels and just make the type of knives that fit the type of steels you have. If you send out for heat treating your blades to be cost effective you probably want 20 of the same type of steel.
I hope I touched on the main theories in choosing steel and it helps.
David
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2003
- Messages
- 2,361
...snip...post removed.
Good luck, in your steel search.
Good luck, in your steel search.
Last edited:
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- Jan 1, 2009
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JCOOP
There are some outstanding answers above - and most of the answers use words with less syllables than watermelon.
May I suggest (at great personal peril) that the first question should be "Do you want it to rust or not?"
This single question narrows things down quite a bit. By the way, I use the term 'rust' with a bit of tongue in cheek. Some users are happy to treat their knife like their rifle - cleaning and oiling it at the end of the day - and they see a tarnish as a badge of honour, much like the patina on an old saddle.
Others expect their blade to take the abuse that it is sure to see without showing much effect.
There was a time when carbon and tools steels would outperform stainless easily. That time has passed, so the question needs to be part of your search.
Enjoy
Rob!
There are some outstanding answers above - and most of the answers use words with less syllables than watermelon.
May I suggest (at great personal peril) that the first question should be "Do you want it to rust or not?"
This single question narrows things down quite a bit. By the way, I use the term 'rust' with a bit of tongue in cheek. Some users are happy to treat their knife like their rifle - cleaning and oiling it at the end of the day - and they see a tarnish as a badge of honour, much like the patina on an old saddle.
Others expect their blade to take the abuse that it is sure to see without showing much effect.
There was a time when carbon and tools steels would outperform stainless easily. That time has passed, so the question needs to be part of your search.
Enjoy
Rob!
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2003
- Messages
- 2,357
You don't have much profile info so it's hard to give a really useful
answer, but I'll take a shot:
If you're forging: 1084.
If you are sending out for HT and don't care about stainless: O1 or A2.
If you want stainless, you are sending out for HT* so: AEB-L (my choice) or CPM-154CM (more popular and more common).
*Anyone capable of doing their own stainless HT wouldn't be asking the sort
of questions you are.
answer, but I'll take a shot:
If you're forging: 1084.
If you are sending out for HT and don't care about stainless: O1 or A2.
If you want stainless, you are sending out for HT* so: AEB-L (my choice) or CPM-154CM (more popular and more common).
*Anyone capable of doing their own stainless HT wouldn't be asking the sort
of questions you are.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2005
- Messages
- 9,680
On the simplicity scale, Mr Pierson nailed it. If you are starting out and just want to get a project blade going NOW... use a common steel that suits your intended use and capabilities. Once you gain a better understanding of materials and processes, you can take Kevin's advice and begin to narrow down your options.
Rick
Rick