Let's guess at the Sthil

peter nap

peter nap

Joined
Nov 27, 1999
Messages
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:D I have a hard nose Stihl bar that I have had sitting around for a while. I got the urge to build a BIG Bowie (I watched the Alamo again) :D ...
anyway, that bar's looking mighty good. I spark tested it and it looks a little like 1075. I cut a piece off and hardened it and it gets hard...so...

I called Stihl. They said the hard nose bars are High Carbon but don't know exactly what and the factory won't say :grumpy:

Any guesses before I start test treating scraps?
 
'BIG Bowie' ? is that a 6' bar ?? Huskvarna made a big one out of titanium IIRC. Your guess is as good as any, can't help you there .
 
He did say the very tip was Stellite. I don't know much about it but I think it has several types and this application would be Nickle based type. I have no idea how it would work on a Bowie even if I could HT it so I expect I'll cut the tip off. That only leaves me 30 " to work with.. :eek:
 
Hmmm. What does the stellite portion look like? Kit handed me a piece down at Trackrock to forge. It didnt like being compressed edgewise but it drew out nicely and no heat treat. Just bang, grind and go.

30" You better make her a two hander Don.
 
Peter, why worry? Just make a knife like it like it's already hardened and tempered.

I made a machette from a chainsaw bar. I used an angle grinder (and bottle of water to keep it cool) for profiling and initial bevels. Finished on the belt grinder.

Sucker took a mean edge and is tougher than nails. It was for a friend works on a highway crew. Everybody on the crew loves using that thing for chopping down sapplings. It's been hacking and slashing for months now.

Steve
 
Gee, that takes all the fun out of it Steve.. :D

Mark, I can't tell the difference in the steel at the tip and otherwise. Want me to see if I can get you one? I've got a saw shop that saves them for me.
 
I got a chain saw bar from somebody. I thought it was already hardened?? am I wrong? do I hafta harden it if I make a bowie?? (I watched the alamo too! I think that's part of how I got started in knives.)

Thanks

~Brian

P.S. I'm not too sure about 33"...Everythings bigger in Texas though, so it might work where you are... :p
 
peter nap said:
:D I have a hard nose Stihl bar that I have had sitting around for a while. I got the urge to build a BIG Bowie (I watched the Alamo again) :D ...
anyway, that bar's looking mighty good. I spark tested it and it looks a little like 1075. I cut a piece off and hardened it and it gets hard...so...

I called Stihl. They said the hard nose bars are High Carbon but don't know exactly what and the factory won't say :grumpy:

Any guesses before I start test treating scraps?
Click to expand...

depending on how old it is, Stihl don't make there own bars anylonger
Oregon Does. and the same with Husky for a lot longer.
I have a ton of them old and the newer ones.
being a dealer for stihl for 15 years well you'll think I'd have a few :D
but I have never and won't use the steel in them for a knife.
now I've seen Windsor pro bar rails check in the winter so those may have a chance..
I hope this isn't a case of it's the greatest because I haven't used anything better yet. :(

edited to add
don't get me wrong if you have the time by all means go for it. but from one bar to the other you just don't know?
 
Brian, as Steve said, you can use them as they are. If you decide to make something for someone else, make sure you explain what it is and the risk of getting a so-so blade.
The reason for annealing it and re heat treating is to find out what it is and optimize the heat treat. That really is most of the fun. Any fool can make a knife :footinmou but making a knife from a chainsaw bar and heat treating scraps, checking the grain, testing the edge retention, flex, cutting ability, Etc. is something special. It's on the same plane as shooting deer with a muzzle loader you made all the parts for. Disclaimer This is not something I recommend for knives to be sold. It does a disservice to all custom knife makers. You should know exactly what's in a marketable knife and the customer should be able to take your word for it.


Dan, what do you consider new? My guess is that this one is 5 years or so. The steel hardens well but I haven't tested different quenches yet and haven't broken any.

What can you tell me about the Stellite tip?
 
Don
I gave up the dealership about 5 years ago and it was about roughly 2-3 years before that, (that I know of the changes anyway).
the thing is, we still don't know for sure what's in it :confused:

Stellite :confused: :) as things go manufactures make things as cost effective as possible,
you may have a Duromatic if that is what you have it's a
quote:
Solid, High Carbon alloy bar with induction hardened guide rails and hard tipping (stellite) laser welded to the nose for extra wear resistance,,
end quote
but still what do They call high carbon? :confused:

As you said harden hard as you can and (draw) temper low and work up testing it :) I hope that helps.. :)
 
I don't have any chain (Extra) :confused:

Dan....My informant tells me it is a proprietary form of L6. That's good and bad. Good steel, pain for me to HT.
 
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