If The Kamis Could Switch Over To Any Steel, What Should They Use And Why?

Drdan

Drdan

Joined
Dec 24, 2003
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Granted the kamis are using car spring steel which is readily available and cheap. If this were the case with any of the high tech steels, and the kamis could readily switch over, what could they be using instead, and why?

Thanks for the replies!

Dan :)
 
I think they should switch to titanium after all according to the Gillette commercial it is "the sharpest metal known to man".....

:barf:
 
Supposedly titanium doesn't get all that sharp, and doesn't keep an edge like steel does... Maybe the experts can further elucidate on the matter.

Dan :)
 
I think it's hard to beat 5160 for a big chopper, but what do I know? I still cook with cast iron and heat my house with wood.

--Josh
 
S7 or maybe S5. They would still be able to forge it and could use the tea kettle water pour method to harden the S5, the S7 would be more prone to cracking but I bet they could do it after a bit of trial and error. A khurk made of S7 would be about as close to indestructible as anything made by man could be.
 
I'd really like to see them make some blades from cable wire. It's 1095, high carbon steel and should be accessible to them. They'll get just as good performance as they are getting with the 5160 spring steel but it will look cool...C :eek: :eek: L


:D
 
I was joking :D :D :D

Titanium is bad... that commercial is just ridiculous....

L6 would be nice though....
 
Only three steels I consider for big choppers(and actually well biased towards one), but I don't think you can do better than O1, 52100 or 5160 for big choppers. Jsut my taste though
 
I second Pen's nomination for cable. Though, good ol leaf spring is always fine by me. ;)
 
I believe the leaf spring is from trucks, not cars.

I'd like to see the Kamis make some khuks from a meterorite that fell to earth like Jim Bowie did.


munk
 
Poorly done cable is inferior, as is poorly done anything. Well done cable makes for a great blade.
I'll add that CPM-3V and INFI make great chopping steels too, but since neither is suited to forging I guess it's kind of a moot point. :D
 
The other moot point is the heat treat....


Cable is 1095 and makes a heckuva blade, easy to heat-treat (similar to 5160). Still high carbon and can be made to hold an edge well.

I think if we asked...they would probably give it a shot. However, I'm not sure Uncle wants to add yet another headache to his growing pile.....:(

When I get my forge(s) I'm going to be firing up some cable and who knows...maybe I'll try a bent blade or two....:D

I wonder what they'd use to etch it.....there are plenty of knifemakers in India that know how to etch damascus steel....
 
Munk had the best idea. The khukuri that fell from the sky -- sounds like some of the kami stories I've heard, including my "brother in the faith" Kami Sherpa.
 
I had a "Japanese Style Katana" made a few years ago by Michael Bell, who forged elevator cable (1095 steel) for the sword. The effect can be best described as "lizard skin", and does look kind of cool. The blade itself is super tough, can be given a very sharp edge, and holds its edge well.

Large pieces of cable steel are difficult to flawlessly forge. My sword had a couple of very minor, yet visible welding flaws, which swordmaker and knifemaker Rick Barrett said are almost impossible to completely avoid. For a much smaller blade like a khukuri, it might be a nice material to work with.

5160 (truck, not car spring steel; thanks Munk!) is obviously an excellent material, and it doesn't look like it will be replaced anytime soon. However, it would be kind of neat to have a few "special pieces" made by the kamis once and a while using cable, L6, S7, damascus, or meterorite iron. :)

Dan :)
 
300 stainless....no better yet 420.....no wait...... what are the steak knives at Outback made of??? :D :D Just kidding! :D :D
 
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