Against better advice I did buy the skinny bent crooked pieces of Cobalt 6bh from Hp Alloys. I realy should have listened to the advice I didn't realize I needed.
It was cheap cause that is all it was worth. I did manage to grind out a couple of pairing knives to see how this Talonite copy (??) would grind. It grinds pretty easy. Good enough so that the next project is a full size knife with a full size piece of real TALONITE. I gave both knives away for use and hopefully abuse.
One of the "knife blanks" was curved so much as to be unusuable. I haven't decided as of yet what to do as of yet with that, but it is doubtfull that I can use it. I should send it back, but have not email to inquire as to the procedure.
I did have a long email conversation with HPALLOYS, before the arrival of the "blanks". The jist of it is that they are very sensitive to critisism of any sort, and have quite an interesting approach to buisness. I did state that I thought calling this size piece of metal a "Knife Blank" was stretching a point and the response was (paraphrased) 'what should we call them? scrap pieces of a very expensive alloy" Yes, because that is what it is. I would also add expensive scrap that you are trying to turn into extra cash. (Ain't America Great!) They did send a analysis sheet with Mitsubishi's name on it. I had hoped for better. Has any one else had any current experince with them?
Grinding this alloy was pretty much a breeze. Getting an edge that feels real sharp is an area I have not yet mastered. It sure does seem to cut and cut. I should mention that I grind on a cone-loc, and it still grinds pretty easily.
All in all a worthwhile experience, and two friends have little cobalt 6bh pairing knives to use.
It was cheap cause that is all it was worth. I did manage to grind out a couple of pairing knives to see how this Talonite copy (??) would grind. It grinds pretty easy. Good enough so that the next project is a full size knife with a full size piece of real TALONITE. I gave both knives away for use and hopefully abuse.
One of the "knife blanks" was curved so much as to be unusuable. I haven't decided as of yet what to do as of yet with that, but it is doubtfull that I can use it. I should send it back, but have not email to inquire as to the procedure.
I did have a long email conversation with HPALLOYS, before the arrival of the "blanks". The jist of it is that they are very sensitive to critisism of any sort, and have quite an interesting approach to buisness. I did state that I thought calling this size piece of metal a "Knife Blank" was stretching a point and the response was (paraphrased) 'what should we call them? scrap pieces of a very expensive alloy" Yes, because that is what it is. I would also add expensive scrap that you are trying to turn into extra cash. (Ain't America Great!) They did send a analysis sheet with Mitsubishi's name on it. I had hoped for better. Has any one else had any current experince with them?
Grinding this alloy was pretty much a breeze. Getting an edge that feels real sharp is an area I have not yet mastered. It sure does seem to cut and cut. I should mention that I grind on a cone-loc, and it still grinds pretty easily.
All in all a worthwhile experience, and two friends have little cobalt 6bh pairing knives to use.
