First Real Try At Making A Knife

T

TIM FROST

Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Messages
28
Would 0-1 Tool Steel Be Ok For My First? If So Will It Hold An Edge Very Good? I Am Planning A Skinning Knife.
 
O-1 is excellent steel. It will make excellent knives. How well you heat treat it will determine how well it holds an edge, but if you get it right, you won't complain about edge retention. :)
 
From What i understand it "works" like the 10xx series high carbon steels and Heat treats the same. I've cot a couple pieces I'm going to try as well. Most (if not all) Brian Goode's knives are 01. If its "Goode" enough for him....
 
Thank You Again Mike!!! I See That You Are A Retired Chemist. What Type Of Job Did You Retire From?
 
DO NOT HEAT TREAT O1 LIKE 10XX steels! :eek:
O1 is a much deeper hardening steel and will crack like crazy if you try a water quench on it like you would 1095. It has to be quenched in a light oil, and is actually a lot more forgiving to heat treat than 1095.
 
Tim, I worked for 30 years for Abbott Labs in various positions as a technician and then chemist in R&D. Radionuclides, then fermentation isolation and purification. The last 11 years were spent in Drug Discovery. I put in quite a bit of work on Abbott's two anti-retroviral AIDS drugs. Most all the last 23 years was involved with various purification techniques.

If you have a torch, then talk to Brian Goode about HT'ing O-1. Kevin Cashen is also a big fan of O-1, and when that Michigan Mastersmith talks about steel or heat treat I listen attentively. If he applauds it, then it must be good stuff. I started out my forging on O-1 studying under Tim Zowada, another Michigan 'smith.

BTW, on your first thread, I asked about guitars (from your profile). Do you make, collect, play 'em? I don't play much anymore 'cuz of a hand problem, but I still have way too many guitars!
 
In my limited experience (and I do usually take time to read all postings on a HT'ing thread) I see nothing I disagree with except that it is not like the 10XX steels. Temperatures are similar. Quenchant(s), quenching times and quenchant temperature, in my experience differ. A primary argument for that (as stated before me and above) is the fact that one is medium/deep hardening (O1) and the other shallow hardening. As classified, The 10XX steels can be either water or oil quenched and the lower the XX number the more forgiving toward the oil quenching. The O1, being as it is - a deeper harding steel, prefers the slower quench media (by comparison) but can be water quenched and that is NOT necessary or prefered for our (knife making) purposes. I would not like having to water quench a deep harding steel. That would be taxing on my sleep time. Water quenching a high 10XX number would likely be necessary to acheive favorable results.

My opinion is exactly the advise I was given when I first asked a similar question (what steel should I begin with). It is O1 and O1 hands down. You can not make enough knives or become so experienced at it that requests for O1 cease. There will, I think, always be requests for O1. Learn it is my advise and a better steel to start with or end with I can not think of. In saying so I am not wanting to say it is my most favorite but rather that it is a far good chance at being universally acceptable, probably the best well known choice among non-stainless - arguably.

RL
 
0-1 has surprised me. It is thought to be a beginers steel but I dont think you would classify Randle Knives as a beginer comopany. The primarily use
0-1.

HTing with a torch is tricky and not consistant unless you practice practice practice :)

I will use other steels when I get a proper HT oven but right now its 0-1 and what tools I have availabe.

Also, I found it easier to grind 1/8" stock AFTER I got used to grinding 5/32" stock on smaller knives. Now 1/8" is easier as far as getting my bevels to be close to where I want them. Take your time grinding and plan on taking a break so you dont rush and scre up a good sart :)
 
O-1 is an excellent starter steel.It is the one that many makers stay with forever.Make sure you temper properly.After learning on O-1 try 1095.Some love 1095 and some don't.1084 can be a little easier than 1095.Another good learning steels is 5160,very forgiving.
 
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