hey guys, i was wondering what the difference is in heat treating 5160 verses 1095? are they close to the same? bruce bump helped me with my first knife, and it turned out very well. my next three blades are getting close, and for some reason, i am now having doubts about what steel i have. when i purchased it here locally, the guy at the spring shop said yes when i asked him if it was 5160. not sure why i am unsure... for what it's worth, the blade bruce helped me with seems hard and tough! should i just keep thinking it's 5160? heath
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heat treat advice
- Thread starter 724wd
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Here are the pages for 5160 and 1095 from the heat treaters guide. As you can see, they heat treat differently. If you think you have 5160, but aren't sure, you might want to try heat treating a test blade as if it's 5160 and see how it turns out.
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Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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As far as temperatures and procedures, they are similar - 1475F for 1095 and 1525F for 5160.
Where they differ most is in the quench speed. 5160 has the nose at 950F and you have 4.5 seconds to get it below that. 1095 has the nose at 1050F and you have .8 seconds to get it below that. You need a fast quenching oil, water ,or brine to get 1095 down quick enough. Almost any oil will work for 5160.
Remember, it is not how fast it gets into the quench tank that matters....it is how fast the oil cools the steel once it is quenched.
Where they differ most is in the quench speed. 5160 has the nose at 950F and you have 4.5 seconds to get it below that. 1095 has the nose at 1050F and you have .8 seconds to get it below that. You need a fast quenching oil, water ,or brine to get 1095 down quick enough. Almost any oil will work for 5160.
Remember, it is not how fast it gets into the quench tank that matters....it is how fast the oil cools the steel once it is quenched.
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Personally I see no reason to assume it's not 5160 if you got it from a spring shop and they verified that it was 5160 when you asked. It's one of the more common spring steels after all. If you have no problem hardening even thick test pieces in oil then you can be even more sure that it's 5160. That 4.5 seconds Stacy mentioned is why 5160 is one of the better steels for beginners, and experienced makers for that matter, as it makes for near fool proof heat treating even with simple knifemaking set ups.