High carbon steel sources

E

earthshaker

Joined
Sep 2, 2006
Messages
13
I have spent the last hour trying to find a supplier for some steel bar to make some self designed throwers, giving up in frustration, I decided to post a inquiry, where the heck do I find the stuff, and at a good price?
 
It depends how innovative you are . Are there blacksmiths in your area ? They will be a very good source . Do you have a source for broken car leaf springs ?
Are you friendly with a garage mechanic or know anybody in a trucking firm or who repairs trucks ? They are always breaking springs . The yellow pages for your area will proabably yield sources of metal which will include carbon steel .
 
Kevin the leaf spring idea already occurred to me, but I have no way of knowing
what the actual composition of the material is or even what type, there is a truck graveyard on my way to my paying job, I am sure they have springs.
New material is preferred then you know what it is for sure.
 
I agree with you . The truck springs are only a good source for those with no other source/choice . Still preferences aside , they are a good source for carbon steel .

If it was something time consuming or painstaking then a known source would be best . If it was fairly simple easily done knives I don,t think you could go wrong .

The good old yellow pages won,t steer you wrong . I was hoping other people would give their opinions as well . Its the weekend so you might still be in luck .
 
You might try the Shop Talk discussion group here on BF. These guys love to talk steel, as most of them make knives themselves.

The folks here mostly like to throw 'em.
 
Worn out files are a good source as well . If you can read the name on the file you have a good idea of the quality of the metal . My buddy made me a knife from a brand new Nicholson file . Pointy and sharp . Pretty as well .
 
This company advertises steel of all types. I haven't bought from them but I'm also looking. I just typed in a lengthy tome on another thread about how to temper using sand/oil or molten lead. Give it a scan.

http://www.flatground.com/catalog/
 
The "ANZA" company has a line of knives advertised in one of my dealer catalogs. All are listed as "cold ground from annealed files." Catalog doesn't say where the company is located, just the name. I never heard of them before before so try to look them up via Google. There's sure no shortage of worn out files. I made a couple of knives from files when I was a kid but I knew nothing about heat treating so both of them soon broke. Now that I know enough to be dangerous I might give it another try. BTW, Enco Company also sells oil and water hardening steel stock. I don't have their URL handy but I'm sure they'll be on Google. Best I recall, they had quite a stock in various sizes and some with high percentages of vanadium.
 
I think ANY knife should be made with high carbon. Then tempered to bring out the qualities for the performance you need.
 
I thought about high carbon .60%+, for toughness, granted the only part that really needs the toughness is the pointed end, the rest could just remain untempered, I may be wrong, if you think I am. please feel to correct me, you will remain safe unless you are less than 20 feet away, (I need a lot of practice) lol
 
What are the functional requirements of a throwing knife?
Edge holding isn't a major feature of most good throwers that I have used.
I have some high carbon and stainless throwers, and some 1018, and they all throw and stick the same.
 
What are the functional requirements of a throwing knife?
Edge holding isn't a major feature of most good throwers that I have used.
...Bambooleaf

I agree. Throwers are beaters IMHO. I bought my first at a rendezvous, tried it, liked it, looked at and said I can make one of these. And then made one out of leaf spring. Worked just fine. My main concern is not the quality of the steel but the length of the blade, weight and balance. If you're going to self-design a thrower, look for a local supplier of flat bar stock, who also usually sell steel rod and angle iron (or call a local machinist or welder)...they sell it by the foot usually, fairly cheap. Leaf springs and files require forging, but flat bar stock is just a grind and shaping job. Once you get a shape you like, you can move into the better quality steels mentioned above.
 
In 2000 I had some bowie axe style blades EDM'ed from 1/4" 4140. Following the advice given in the high performance steel forum which was, "Why bother tempering it". "It is just a throwing knife" "4140 is not good knife steel anyway". I ground one out and threw it for a season. Even at 1/4" the blade took on a definate bow. It bent.

After asking around everytime I thought about it, I talked to a guy named Beaver Bill who makes his throwers out of 4140. His advice was to harden the blade,full quench, then temper it at 500 degrees. The knives won't bend nor break. Works like a charm.

Sure, you can just take a hammer and straighten out a non hardened blade if and when they bend, but I think. If you are going to make a "knife", any knife. It needs to be heat treated. Otherwise, it is not a "knife" but just a knife shaped object. IMO.

Heat treating is not that hard and is part of the fun in making a knife. Anyone can do it easy, right at home.:D
 
Well I will certainly agree with you Ellis on that point, if we don't like good blades then what are we doing here? We can throw anything and make it stick, including screw drivers, files and pointy pieces of rebar.

"Heat treating is not that hard and is part of the fun in making a knife. Anyone can do it easy, right at home" - R. Ellis

Yup, that's me ;). I've been heating and beating on files, leaf springs and horse shoes for the last 20 years. You'd think I would learn better. (I don't do it full time of course, just make the occasional knife and unload it on one of my friends)

I got my first thrower from a guy named Bear. If I had bought it from Beaver Bill, I might have a better attitude and started a career in this ;).
 
I am just a hobby guy who likes to beat on hot steel and look at antique knives because all I can afford to do is look. I like vintage throwers and good quality moderns. I got a sour taste for cheapies early on and can't hide my disgust for them well. I should try harder to keep an open mind.

Amended admonition: "Don't run with scissors"....or throw them at your brother"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUHvVdD9Xgw
 
Well if I can pull it off, my plan is to build a prototype from mild (low carbon steel) from standard bar stocl, that is the only way I can confirm the balance and "feel" then I have plans to have some blanks cut by a waterjet cutter, then maybe if I have the time I will grind and shape them, then heat treat the "knives" for optimun toughness, if I don't have the time I will have my waterjet guy do the heat treat for me and then finish grinding the item in my shop.
and so it goes.
 
A gentleman I know cast some light on working with files which simplifies matters for the beginner . (At least me . ) He said it is not necessary to anneal a file . He said a grinder would still remove metal on a hardened file . Then you could temper it down in an oven . It is apparently much easier and takes less equipment to temper something that is already hardened than tempering an annealed blade .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top