forge stainless

B

blademakr

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Jan 3, 2007
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Complete novice, after reading Mr.Fowlers books and Mr. Goddards, I am curious, if someone is seeking Excaliber, why not forge stainless or d2. Are the properties not there, or?, Simple answers work best, Thank You.
 
blademakr said:
Complete novice, after reading Mr.Fowlers books and Mr. Goddards, I am curious, if someone is seeking Excaliber, why not forge stainless or d2. Are the properties not there, or?, Simple answers work best, Thank You.
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I assume when you say "excaliber" you mean "the perfect blade". There's really no "perfect steel" for every use. Also, while there are folks who forge D2, it's not an "easy" steel to forge by any stretch. It only gets more difficult with more complex stainless steels. Also, the use of the individual blade will really dictate the steel and heat treatment that go into it.

So, for this question, there really is no "simple answer". In order to arrive at the right answer for a given use of a blade, a lot of questions have to be asked and answered first.

-d
 
The air hardening steels (including D2 and the SSs) are forgeable, but you have to be careful not to hammer below the temperatures where they start to stiffen up~1750°F for D2. If you hit it when it is too cold, you can break or crack it.

I have forged some A2 round bar lately and like the results, but it is a lot of work-these steels do not move easily.
 
"these steels do not move easily" that sums it up nicely Steve !! Even with apower hammer !
 
As said, Stainless steels that will work for knives are mostly Hot Hard. They don't move under the hammer easily,even when red hot. And the forging range is very short, Striking them too hot or too cold will get you nothing but heartache.This is not a problem with a 100 ton drop forge cranking out tools, but a big problem for a smith forging a blade.
Stacy
 
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