Newbie: Steel selection - need help picking the least dumb thing to do

[Steve98]

Hi,

I'm about to order a few pieces of steel for my next (3rd overall) knife project. I'll be forging it. I'm thinking of getting some:

W2: Because I want to try for hamons. I am under the impression that this will be slightly easier to HT myself than 1095 will be.
15N20: Because I want to try using it for a san mai outer layer on top of the W2.

I don't think trying to do a hamon is that unreasonable for a newbie (obviously with moderate expectations).
I realize that trying to forge weld a san mai billet is probably unreasonable (especially when I will be hand hammering) and I should expect to fail on this, but still I want to try.
I understand that I am not going to get the absolute most out of whatever steel I pick, and I'm fine with that.

So, without debating my goals too much, given those are my goals with the above two steels give me the best shot at it? Should I swap W2 for 1095? Or should I not try to go beyond 1084? Is there something better than 15N20 for me to try with?

Thanks!

 

[kuraki]

Unless you have parks 50 quench oil or intend to use water/brine I would not spend the money on w2 or 1095.

And while i don't advocate grinding mild steel for practice, I would recommend forge welding cheaper steel first so you don't end up with an expensive useless lump of partially welded partially delaminated material.

Don't spend a lot of time and fuel drawing out a billet of laminated mild steel, just weld it and get to the point you're happy with the welds.

 

[jdm61]

1084. Next question.

 

[Willie71]

1075 will hamon quite nicely, and doesn't have the super narrow heat treat spec the hypereuctoid steels do. You can get a hamon out of 1084, it just won't have the super fine activity of the other three steels.

 

[Ghostman3]

This is 1095 that I quenched in McMaster Carr 11 second oil after hearing to non mag and soaking just a couple minutes. I coated with caulk style fire block and got a good hamon on it I think. This was only the second knife I have made.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Steve98]

I would recommend forge welding cheaper steel first so you don't end up with an expensive useless lump of partially welded partially delaminated material.

Yes, for sure! I won't get around to actually using this steel for quite a few months, during which I'll practice forge welding with mild steel AND then experiment welding small pieces of my two metals before moving onto a billet.

1075 will hamon quite nicely, and doesn't have the super narrow heat treat spec the hypereuctoid steels do. You can get a hamon out of 1084, it just won't have the super fine activity of the other three steels.

I don't think I can get 1075? I know people order it from Aldo, but I don't know of a Canadian supplier. I thought Aldo's 1075 was "unusual" for it's Hamon as well (so even if I found a CDN supply, would it react the same?). Do you have a Canadian source? I'm in Ontario FWIW.

This is 1095 that I quenched in McMaster Carr 11 second oil after hearing to non mag and soaking just a couple minutes. I coated with caulk style fire block and got a good hamon on it I think. This was only the second knife I have made.

That's Great! You etched/patina'ed it quite a bit by the looks of it?

...I would not spend the money on w2 or 1095

I'm looking to buy this stuff from Knifemaker.ca, and with their prices 1095 is actually cheaper. My options are:
1095 1/8"x1.5" @$0.78/inch
1084 5/32"x1.5" @1.00/inch
W2 1/8"x1.5" @$1.23

...so the W2 is more, but not enough to worry about in the quantity I'm ordering (maybe 2 feet?) and the 1095 is the cheapest. I'm just steering away from it due to all the "why can't I get my HT right" type posts.

1084. Next question.

Ok, next question is: I know that 1084 is easier to work with, but produces a less dramatic hamon. I know that 1095 and W2 are harder to work with and produce more dramatic hamons. Given that I am new at this, with my lack of skill and experience, if I go with 1095 or W2 am I just going to end up with the same hamon I would have gotten on 1084 anyway?

 

[Josh Rider]

1084 is safer, but you're wanting to go for Hamon. Go for it! If you waste some steel, you can buy more. At least that's what I tell myself.

What are you heating it with?

 

[Steve98]

1084 is safer, but you're wanting to go for Hamon. Go for it! If you waste some steel, you can buy more. At least that's what I tell myself.

What are you heating it with?

That's what I'm thinking. I'm only talking about $50 worth of materials, so I'm not worried that much about wrecking them. That said, I might as well maximize my chances for success.

What are you heating it with?

Propane.

 

[Ghostman3]

Used ferric chloride acid and some vinegar to etch it. That picture makes it look darker than it is. You could see the hamon all the way to 400 grit polish before I etched it. I didn't think it was too hard really for my second knife.

 

[Josh Rider]

That's what I'm thinking. I'm only talking about $50 worth of materials, so I'm not worried that much about wrecking them. That said, I might as well maximize my chances for success.


Propane.

I was unsure at first trying for Hamon and successful heat treat in my atlas forge, but some of the guys on here were very helpful and said to go for it.
Do you have clay or satanite or are you going for a clayless hamon?

I can't speak on the san-mai, I've never tried it.

 

[Steve98]

Do you have clay or satanite or are you going for a clayless hamon?

Yep, I have some satanite that I'll try.

It actually occurs to me that I might as well try it all since I'll be buying the metal by the inch anyway. That means I can buy so 1084, 1095 and W2 and give them all a spin. Might as well. Then I can put handles on whatever turns out well enough. The only downside is that I'll have short pieces that I'll for sure have to use tongs with, or I'll need to find someone with a welder (and I don't know anyone with a welder...).

So I guess the real question then is about the san mai:

I picked 15N20 because I thought it would be the easiest thing to weld onto 10xx and or W2. I believe welding any stainless would be really hard. Is there a better choice? I've seen some nice san mai blades with nickel spacer sheets - will the nickel increase my chances of success? Seems a little like soldering the layers together...

 

[Willie71]

I got my 1075 from Aldo.