freezing temps??

G

grobe

Joined
Aug 18, 2005
Messages
228
at what sub-freezing temps would a field blade become fragile?? i see that mission knives talks about thier beta ti in super cold environments. what are the limits for carbon steels in cold??
 
grobe said:
does anyone know the approx. temps that steel would start to become brittle??
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Non-spring-tempered steel is brittle. Even spring steel is brittle, just less so. So, you have to specify how brittle you want to go.

What you will find, though, is that steel won't be substantially embrittled in atmospheric temperatures.
 
Easy trick.

You can feel it with your tongue, I learned in my Material Resistance class that when steel become fragile, it take a very special texture.

But your fingers, especially if they they are cold, won't be able to feel it. Only your tongue will be sensitive enough to feel it.

So I suggest you try it.
 
nice trick cybrock-

i was wondering if a properly heat treated camp blade of say 1095 or 5160 should or should not be used for general purpose chores (chopping/splitting) at temps of about -75F.
 
disregarding windchill, -75 seems kinda rare.

You could do this, pack it in dry ice, after a while take it out and whack on a piece of wood.
 
grobe said:
nice trick cybrock-

i was wondering if a properly heat treated camp blade of say 1095 or 5160 should or should not be used for general purpose chores (chopping/splitting) at temps of about -75F.
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Where are you planning to go that you would find yourself doing general purpose chores in -75F?
 
While the properties of the knife may be only marginally different, keep in mind that the properties of the material you are trying to cut can be vastly difference in the cold.
 
Maybe Cybrok means that if you tongue sticks to the blade it's brittle ? LOL Actually the Brittle Transition Temperature depends on chemical composition and can be as high as 70 F !!
 
cybrok said:
Easy trick.

You can feel it with your tongue, I learned in my Material Resistance class that when steel become fragile, it take a very special texture.

But your fingers, especially if they they are cold, won't be able to feel it. Only your tongue will be sensitive enough to feel it.

So I suggest you try it.
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That is CRUEL!
 
I used to have my knives treated with a 2-stage cryogenic process (after vacuum hardening) involving gaseous nitrogen - I gather that was pretty cold.
 
If history is any indicator...knives and bayonets worked just fine during WWII in the Russian winter and again in the Korean winter during the Korean War.
 
I don't know what science says, but the breaking point for people and tools I've noticed here in Alaska tends to be about thirty five below. Mind you, I don't think that's as strongly related to scientific application, as it is Murphy's law.

My best strategy for dealing with my knives when it's that cold is to first keep it stashed inside my jacket where my body heat helps it a bit. Secondly haul ass back to the cabin. Third is to drink hot cocoa or coffee mixed with Buttershots or Baileys until it gets warm enough to play again.

Are you really going someplace that freakin' cold, or have you been watching "End of Days" or listening to "Coast2Coast" a bit too much, and just wanna be prepared?:confused:
 
not going anywhere that cold. just wondering how steel would fare under normal use in those kind of temps. people talk about ti not becoming brittle in extreme cold, and i was wondering when steel becomes brittle. i know in these kinds of sub-freezing temps, most chores for a knife wouldn't be needed. just kind-of curious as to the 'numbers' of it. i admit it's probably very rare, but there may be a situation where one would need to use a knife, or more likely, an axe under these conditions. does anyone have a figures on when properly heat treated steel becomes fragile due to cold??

thanks
 
grobe said:
not going anywhere that cold. just wondering how steel would fare under normal use in those kind of temps. people talk about ti not becoming brittle in extreme cold, and i was wondering when steel becomes brittle. i know in these kinds of sub-freezing temps, most chores for a knife wouldn't be needed. just kind-of curious as to the 'numbers' of it. i admit it's probably very rare, but there may be a situation where one would need to use a knife, or more likely, an axe under these conditions. does anyone have a figures on when properly heat treated steel becomes fragile due to cold??

thanks
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As Gollnick already mentioned, even the extremes of atmospheric temperature shouldn't have significant effect. I've used and seen axes used at -50F with no evident increase in brittleness - and they were left out in the cold 24/7. Handle material, particularly FRN, is more affected by cold.

David
 
mete said:
Maybe Cybrok means that if you tongue sticks to the blade it's brittle ? LOL Actually the Brittle Transition Temperature depends on chemical composition and can be as high as 70 F !!
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I have not even done this class yet :P
Next year.

It was just for kidding.

But if you still want to try it it's up to you.
 
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