O-1,5160, or the 10xxs

[cmott69]

Hey guys which in your opinion is the best steel for big chopping blades, and why?


keep in mind that I have a very limited set up and am only set up for stock removal for now.

thanks in advance.

 

[mete]

5160 or L-6 since they have good impact strength.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

5160 is cheap,readily available,and tough.It is easy to work with,and forgiving in HT.
Stacy

 

[Danbo]

For what you're describing, 5160 without a doubt.

 

[djolney]

5160, for all of the reasons already mentioned.

 

[Aiko555]

5160 Cause I got a bunch of it leanin' up against the wall.

 

[Gossman Knives]

Another vote for 5160. It takes a beating and keeps on going.
Scott

 

[Robert Hankins]

5160
Double quench

 

[Will52100]

5160 for your set-up. I've gotten a little better performance out of L-6, but the heat treat is not as forgiving

 

[Fred.Rowe]

I enjoy working with all three of these steels. If the h.t. is done right, each would make a fine chopper. The o-1 will harden clear through, which is something to keep in mind if you are making a heafty hacker. I believe the other two are surface hardening steels. The L-6 likes to warp when working with thin material. Post a picture when you get it done. Fred

 

[J. Neilson]

I'm a fan of 5160. It's inexpensive and a bit on the forgiving side, which is a big deal starting out.

 

[Kevin R. Cashen]

O1 can be heat treated to take the chopping fine, but with a limited setup and experience it would be putting a square peg in a round hole. 5160 gains its impact toughness in a couple of ways; with a small amount of pro-eutectoid ferrite, and by not forming plate martensite. 1060 would have the same benefits/drawbacks but not achieve the same depth of hardness due to not having the chrome (5160 can also gain a little toughness from Chrome residing a bit in the ferrite as well).

10xx would get your there through varying carbon contents, differential heat treatments, or playing with carbon vs. carbide levels in the solution. In other words a little playing around with things like O1. So it looks like your best bet, without a lot of trouble is 5160.

There is a reason that steel is so popular, it is a no-brainer that is great for beginners. With a little thermal help it is also able to "self correct" some of the more interesting things smiths can do to it . In other words, it is hard to make a bad knife out of it (the trade off is that it is also hard to make a great knife out of it ) It is a great middle of the road steel.