high carbon steel at the hardware store

Atlas - pneumatic hammers ? in the past S-7 steel. Today there are too many different steels used for an application . Many hand saws are throw-away[after years of learning to sharpen them !! ] Many like the better hacksaws are bimetal type.
 
Many people just won't be convinced that you should buy good steel "when there's plenty of steel laying around." Perhaps, armed with the proper knowledge, we could at least steer them toward something that would work better than a 1018 lawn mower blade.

Then there's this situation:

i4Marc said:
I guess it's good to know what kind of steel is in items commonly found around you. You never know. Someday you might be standing on the set of FIF staring at a bin full of junk thinking " what the heck am I going to pick?"......Your time begins, NOW!
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daizee said:
:( That's would be like reusing the Mona Lisa as a canvas for a gradeschool painting project, unless it's already destroyed.
We scrounge that stuff around here and put it back into service.

I'd love to check out a Fastenal, the name makes it sound like a magical place. But they're only open during 9-5 business hours.
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I know, just listing ideas. don't know if Fastenal is up your way yet. they carry a very good selection of screws, nuts, and bolts, do have an online store, but they make there bucks "servicing" factories and such. they keep the bolt bins full and there latest gimmick is vending machines on the factory floor where you go to get PPE and high volume consumables.
scott
 
Probably gonna pay a little bit more, but there's always places like McMaster-Carr that will sell actual carbon/tool steel. Depending on where the client in question lives, there's likely one reasonably close.
 
pleasanthill said:
That would be a first I've ever heard of them giving a direct answer. I've read through tons of searches a guy who talked directly to a guy on the phone and the best he could get was to use a heat treat for W2, and that was for older ones, I believe the black diamonds.
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I just asked them what steel it was so I could make a knife out of it. They said W1 but it's not like they would be revealing any trade secrets. W1 has such a large range for carbon content anyway.
 
duurza said:
I just asked them what steel it was so I could make a knife out of it. They said W1 but it's not like they would be revealing any trade secrets. W1 has such a large range for carbon content anyway.
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Yes, 1095 could be called W1 as its in the spec.
 
heres an example of a Nicholson file
C:1.28 | Mn:0.34 | P: 0.016 | S:0.015 | Si:0.15 | Cu: 0.02 | Cr:0.14 | Mo:0.005 | Ni: 0.02 | Sn: 0.002
 
heres a spec for a jackhammer bit which just reinforces what grant Sarver always said about jackhammer bits(he worked with the companys that made them) so he could re-heat treat them for construction companys..He said most of them had a chemistry similar to this, that one other company Vulcan used a 1078 carbon steel for thiers..Apex used 8630
C: 0.42 | Mn: 0.70 | P: 0.005 | S: 0.02 | Si: 0.2 | Cu: 0.02 | Cr: 0.02 | Mo: 0.005 | Ni: 0.02 | Sn: 0.004 | V: 0.0 | Cb/NB: 0.002
 
So, that's a "NO" to the jackhammer bits. Probably the same with chisels then, slightly low on the carbon, but enough to hold a decent edge if not abused.

For what it's worth, all my forges now include a sample piece of 1/4" 1080 from Admiral Steel. I've been trying to get a New Jersey based company to do this for 2 years. They were always excited, but it never happened. I visited Admiral Steel at Blade 2016 and I had the samples 2 weeks later.
 
12345678910 said:
Really good hardware stores can have W1 and O1 round drill rod
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None of the hardware stores here in California ever had tool steel in stock, even the old ones now long gone. We have to go to industrial supply to get A2, O1
 
if you go to smaller farm supply/hardware stores or junk shop you may find sickles, sythes, and froes. I guess you could remake these into knives.
some shim stock is hardened 1075 or 1095. an aside, the old hardware store in town that is now closed, used to carry most of the Old Hickory line including the harvesting or field knives.
scott
 
Atlas Knife Company said:
I know, always use known steel. However, we've all heard from people that have one excuse or another for not doing so. The question I've never heard answered is: Is anything at the hardware store known to reliably high carbon content steel? Let me list a few that might be considered:

Files - older nicholson, but it seems the newer ones are no longer 1095
Chisels - ??? might rely by brand, but they do hold a decent edge
saw blades - definitely not (14" dry cut blades are usually 1080, but $150 each)
chainsaw bar - not sure why it would be, but I've seen a lot of knives made from it
lawnmower blades - by design, no
screwdrivers - usually bi-metal at best, and too small
Pneumatic hammer tools - big enough and high toughness by design, maybe 5160?
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That comment could have been less condescending. The reason some of use previously fabricated steel is not an excuse there is something special about making something broken that would otherwise be thrown out and making a thing of beauty out of it. It does take good bit more skill to discover the properties of used metal than just buying something off the shelf that is marked,and I understand that some people lack the experience or skill to do so.
That having been said rebar is usually a blend of steel unless you spend the extra money to purchase the graded stuff.not the best for the cutting edge of a blade but interesting when used in the center of a patern welded blade
 
Welcome BlueKnight.
This is a 9-year-old discussion. Please look at the dates when pulling up threads when you are new.
Fill out your profile so we know where you live and a little about you.
 
I realize this is an old post. But I didn't see anything that said it was closed out. If it's against the rules or found upon to talk about old posts, I had no way of knowing. I am needed a site. I was simply trying to strum up a conversation about an issue that That has Come up often. I became interested in blacksmith as a small child and started early partly due to Admiration for people from the depression and family that lives rural. That We're in the habit of reusing or fixing rather than buying
 
And as I was saying I Am slightly offended by the tendency of sum smith, particularly hobbitch who looked down their nose on those that Use recycled metal period I think that's one of the coolest things about being a blacksmith. The fact that I can make something quality. Even something that I might sell out of something that started out as a piece of waste period also, it's neat having a cool story about where you got the metal a lot of times I won't include a picture of some of the components I used to make a new tool or blade.
 
DourBlueKnight said:
And as I was saying I Am slightly offended by the tendency of sum smith, particularly hobbitch who looked down their nose on those that Use recycled metal period I think that's one of the coolest things about being a blacksmith. The fact that I can make something quality. Even something that I might sell out of something that started out as a piece of waste period also, it's neat having a cool story about where you got the metal a lot of times I won't include a picture of some of the components I used to make a new tool or blade.
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Offended??? Welcome to BF bud! I’ve seen some nice knives made from repurposed steel, but you’ll find plenty of folks on here that are very vocal about using known materials.
 
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