i know this ones been beaten to death

You answered your own question, Lawnmower blades are made of (?) Some are casehardened some are this or that. Some aren't even casehardened. I think the trend is toward softer blades to reduce blade accidents like the one that happened to Jim Hirsoulas.
Probably any that are good for blades are simple carbon. A quench test would be in order before you put much work into making a blade.

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Sola Fide
 
Hey Rotor
I spent a fair amount of time with my local mower shop a couple of years ago. They sent me home with a couple dozen used blades and the admonition that this was the very worst steel anyone could possibly choose to make a knife.
I used them to practice grind lines and bevels. They worked just fine.
I finished two and heat treated them and assembled the first one. One cardboard box destroyed the razor-sharp edge, time after time.
The fella at the mower shop was right. The very worst possible steel choice.

Dave Evans
Tenino, WA
 
I believe you'll find you can sharpen them with a file in most cases. That argues they are probably mild steel. Dave's experience suggests the same.

Hey this might be a whole new knifemaking opportunity. CPM-3V mower blades! You wouldn't need to worry about running over a few sticks or maybe even the occasional rock. As for the neighbor's cat...
smile.gif


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Jerry Hossom
www.hossom.com
The Tom & Jerry Show
 
Originally posted by GaKnife:
I believe you'll find you can sharpen them with a file in most cases. That argues they are probably mild steel.

Click to expand...

This begs the question of why mower blades are soft steel. Most of us never sharpen them anyway and would appreciate an original that stayed sharp a long time.

Maybe soft steel is used to avoid having them break and throw shrapnel around when you hit a rock? Is it possible to buy hardened steel mower blades?

 
They are made of such soft steels to:


1. Avoid product liability ligation


2. Keep the cost as low as possible.
 
Jim Hirsoulas, had a lawnmower blade turn to shrapnel on him, severe damage to his head and eye, last I heard he was going to be able to return to work but has lost some sight.

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Sola Fide
 
Start with something and you may wind up with something. Start with less than something and it's forever less than something. When you can buy O-1 fron MSC, ENCO and a bunch of others darn cheap, why mess with anything you don't know what is?
O-1 is not my choice today but it is a good starter for a young maker with limited resources.

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old pete
 
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