How can I identify the metal in these blanks?

Slipperyjesus

Slipperyjesus

Joined
Dec 18, 2016
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Got these blanks at an auction a few years ago. 3 are marked "Japan" with some numbers engraved, but I think they are lot number marks. How can I identify these blanks?
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slippery666jesus said:
Got these blanks at an auction a few years ago. 3 are marked "Japan" with some numbers engraved, but I think they are lot number marks. How can I identify these blanks?
33ad12a83e6245359b20d228d066e64d.jpg
14807bdd2b54e224e435e9077a939ee9.jpg
3f7ad100fbfe98d3cc5a7101009d5c1b.jpg
4689af04c785447a8b749d6a38140dd4.jpg
06ae0bb3e2ac51f9f1f8380d47ca262f.jpg
bc09d25ffe5ede777ef475f883bc468c.jpg
Click to expand...

I don't think you can identify them, and they are probably flea market quality. With handles on them they'd make good gifts though.
 
slippery666jesus said:
Got these blanks at an auction a few years ago.
Click to expand...

If you can't find something exactly like one of those for sale with descriptions, then it will be very difficult to tell what they are. They appear to be a non-stainless steel from the condition. If you know a testing lab they could do mass spectrometry and determine the content but that is more than it is worth.

You don't know at this time if they are a reasonable steel or complete junk. I had a custom knife I bought years ago with no description that I was in the same boat about. After reading about cardboard-cutting tests I did a little unscientific test with mine. I sharpened it and tested how much cardboard it would cut before becoming dull. That didn't tell me what steel it was but it told me how it would perform. IOW I didn't know if it was good steel or junk steel, or if it was properly heat treated or not. Based on its reasonable cutting performance I learned that it was not a great steel but was a reasonably good steel with a reasonable heat treat, and capable of being used. You could do the same with one of your blanks. It won't tell you what steel it is but it will tell you how it performs and that is the end result anyway. We want a certain steel because we want the level of performance that is associated with that steel. If you get that level of performance then does it really matter what the steel is? Also since you have the tangs bare you could try putting the steel in certain chemicals such as vinegar to see how it responds and that would give you an idea of the chromium content.
 
bdmicarta said:
If you can't find something exactly like one of those for sale with descriptions, then it will be very difficult to tell what they are. They appear to be a non-stainless steel from the condition. If you know a testing lab they could do mass spectrometry and determine the content but that is more than it is worth.

You don't know at this time if they are a reasonable steel or complete junk. I had a custom knife I bought years ago with no description that I was in the same boat about. After reading about cardboard-cutting tests I did a little unscientific test with mine. I sharpened it and tested how much cardboard it would cut before becoming dull. That didn't tell me what steel it was but it told me how it would perform. IOW I didn't know if it was good steel or junk steel, or if it was properly heat treated or not. Based on its reasonable cutting performance I learned that it was not a great steel but was a reasonably good steel with a reasonable heat treat, and capable of being used. You could do the same with one of your blanks. It won't tell you what steel it is but it will tell you how it performs and that is the end result anyway. We want a certain steel because we want the level of performance that is associated with that steel. If you get that level of performance then does it really matter what the steel is? Also since you have the tangs bare you could try putting the steel in certain chemicals such as vinegar to see how it responds and that would give you an idea of the chromium content.
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Thanks a bunch! I will do the cardboard test, and I will have to look into the vinegar. I don't expect them to be great at all. High carbon hopefully, and with a goo heat treat will work fine a couple will be gifts, if they work out ok, and the others will be utility. I got a couple of green river blanks in the same package. Not great, but usable.


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You could also look at having a look at the sparks.
Chuck one up in a vice and hit it with an angle grinder or touch the butt of the handle on a belt grinder in a dimmed room and take a look at the spark pattern. Depending on the carbon content, and some alloying materials, they sparks will vary in color, shape, number and form.

Are they already hardened?
------
Spark test info:
Wikipedia Spark testing

Also, check out youtube for video demonstrations.
 
I'm not sure if they are all hardened, and I don't know how to tell if they are. I jumped on the purchase as an impulse and got the dirt cheap. As a knife nut, I was excited, but I may be over my head a bit. How do you tell if they are sharpened? I have a couple that are green river that I am sure are good to go.


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To get an idea if they are hardened, take a file to the blade edge.

Clamp the piece back in your vice and scrape a file in a spine to edge direction. But, make sure you are hitting the edge at about a 45° angle so you don't damage the rest of the blade.
With moderate pressure, the file should skate and not bite too deeply. If the file gouges deeply, then they are likely still annealed and will have to be hardened.

If that is the case, you will have to choose one to act as a sacrificial piece since you are going to try a few things.
But, before we get there, try a file and see if they skate, if so, sharpen one and whittle some wood and cut some cardboard til it tears and doesn't slice.
 
Got it. I have a vice in storage that I will have to retrieve. I can grab that tomorrow. I wonder about the ones that are stamped
"Japan". I would think they are already hardened.


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If you have a c-clamp, vice grip, or similar in functon and a stable counter top, or stable place to mount the knife, Nd a file, that will work too.
 
NJBillK said:
If you have a c-clamp, vice grip, or similar in functon and a stable counter top, or stable place to mount the knife, Nd a file, that will work too.
Click to expand...

Ok. I'll grab the stuff tomorrow. I don't have anything that I can improvise with here today, but I will tomorrow and keep you updated.


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the large curved one is green river either sheep or buffalo skinner. my guess is sheep skinner. it is probably hardened as I have never seen an unhardened green river blade. first pic closest to knee.
 
kn4wd said:
the large curved one is green river either sheep or buffalo skinner. my guess is sheep skinner. it is probably hardened as I have never seen an unhardened green river blade. first pic closest to knee.
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That backs up my suspicions on that one. I had a feeling it was green river, but I didn't know the model. Thank you for that.


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