Help needed in choosing steel for short sword.

N

nagamitsu

Joined
Apr 11, 2005
Messages
65
Need help in choosing the correct steel for a short sword of 13" blade, over all 18.5".

For this project, the steel must be stainless or stainless damascus. This sword will be used to chop and cut.

All suggestions greatfully accepted :thumbup:
 
440A or 440B . Fancier stainless could also be used with attention to hardness ,154CM or even S30V....IIRC my agrussell kukri is 440B , it works very well !!
 
nagamitsu said:
For this project, the steel must be stainless or stainless damascus. This sword will be used to chop and cut.
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This may not be the suggestion you want to hear, but personally I would just forget about stainless steel go with a much tougher carbon. Why does it have to be stainless if you're going to use it? I could see it for a display piece that you wanted to keep pristine and free of fingerprint stains, but if you're gonna get it a little scuffed up anyway, what's the point?
 
the possum said:
This may not be the suggestion you want to hear, but personally I would just forget about stainless steel go with a much tougher carbon. Why does it have to be stainless if you're going to use it? I could see it for a display piece that you wanted to keep pristine and free of fingerprint stains, but if you're gonna get it a little scuffed up anyway, what's the point?
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The project material was originally a discarded chainsaw bar, however due consideration was given as the piece will be abused more than used.

Unfortunately, unseasoned/patina'ed steel here in the tropics, rust develops before your eyes, especially after exposure to blood.

The intent of this project was more or less a 'working, show off' piece for the ultimate owner.
 
nagamitsu said:
Unfortunately, unseasoned/patina'ed steel here in the tropics, rust develops before your eyes, especially after exposure to blood.

The intent of this project was more or less a 'working, show off' piece for the ultimate owner.
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Of course your customer will have the final say, but here's some more thoughts.

The rust issue just seems overblown to me. I leave my carbon short sword covered with blood in the scabbard for days at a time. No rust. Heck, it's still bloody right now. If it's a straight carbon steel, a fine polish makes it far more resistant to staining. Next, you're considering using damascus steel anyway. Damascus already is patinated/seasoned by the etching process. I carry a damascus folder every day, and even fruit acids don't affect the blade. It's already stained dark from etching.

As for "showing off", personally, I'm most proud of pieces that have superior function. Any decoration or fine craftsmanship is just icing on the cake. In my mind I wouldn't show off my new stainless sword to one of the locals if I knew his $5 machete could take more abuse. That's maybe exaggerating a little bit, so I hope I'm not coming across as a jerk trying to illustrate my point.
 
the possum said:
Of course your customer will have the final say, but here's some more thoughts.

The rust issue just seems overblown to me. I leave my carbon short sword covered with blood in the scabbard for days at a time. No rust. Heck, it's still bloody right now. If it's a straight carbon steel, a fine polish makes it far more resistant to staining. Next, you're considering using damascus steel anyway. Damascus already is patinated/seasoned by the etching process. I carry a damascus folder every day, and even fruit acids don't affect the blade. It's already stained dark from etching.

As for "showing off", personally, I'm most proud of pieces that have superior function. Any decoration or fine craftsmanship is just icing on the cake. In my mind I wouldn't show off my new stainless sword to one of the locals if I knew his $5 machete could take more abuse. That's maybe exaggerating a little bit, so I hope I'm not coming across as a jerk trying to illustrate my point.
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Was toying with the idea of Stainless Damascus. Another trade off I have considered was D2, however I was lead to believe it would be too brittle for the intended application. I am running out of ideas fast ! Perhaps I should just sell him a light saber :D
 
my vote is cpm3v a nice finish and light etch will keep it looking nice and it will take a beating too
not sure how cpm1v works but i think its even stronger
 
Damasteel is stainless made with the powder metal process by Uddeholm (Sweeden) I believe. PMC27 (powder version of 12C27?) and RWL34 which is more or less like CPM 154 but with Vanadium. This stuff is hard to beat, but pricey.
 
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