O-1 tool steel blades

O

O-1 fan

Joined
Jan 10, 2000
Messages
63
I have been making blades for about6 years now(stock removal),but since i started forging O-1,i think i will never go back.
I`am new to forging so any help on this subject would be appreciated.
I have used 440C and Ats34 in the past on stock removal knives and had them heat treated by a local maker, but have found that the O-1 that i treat myself holds a way superior edge,but is not nearly as stain resistant.But a quick couple passes on the ole buffin wheel and, voila!! nice and shiny again.
I forge on a home made "disker blade" forge and burn coal,the blades turn out spectcular!!
 
Hows it goin Budman?
basically i use both grinds,i still havent decided which one i like the best,apparently its a question that has been asked for decades,lol.But i`m still partial to the flat grind i find it easier and faster to do and it just plain looks better.(my personal oppinion).

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That which does not kill you, only makes you stronger
 
O1
I have a bunch of knives but the one I like best is a flat ground Randal #11. Man it out cuts every other knife in the safe..
 
hey budman
I would put up one of my blades against any production blade out there made of 440c,like buck or what have ya.Don`t get me wrong buck makes a "good"knife if u like production blades, but i know for a fact that my O-1 blades
will out perform them...for i am unfortunate to have a couple here that i don`t use anymore.
 
Wrong forum, moving to Shop Talk.

Spark

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Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com

Insert witty quip here
 
Hey - I am also a big fan of good ole 0-1. At what temperature do you temper your blades.
 
O-1 tool steel is my favorite for the forged blade.I harden the entire blade and then I temper the blade at 388 deg.F. for 2 hours in an oven. Then I bury it up to where I want a temper line in wet sand and draw the back and the tang to a light blue with a propane torch. I get a bronze colored edge to a light blue back. Very tough and holds a great edge thats easy to sharpen. I don't care if it rusts, I like an aged and patinaed look. Pretty isn't my style. I tested the edge of 0-1 at different tempers against a dried deer leg bone, hacking and whittling on it for about 10 minutes. Bronze was as hard as I could get it without any edge chipping. Which also made it as hard as I wanted to go in edge sharpening difficulty. It's takes more work to forge and the hot steel moves slower by hand than some steels but I think the end product is worth it. It cost too much since the only flat stock I've been able to find is precision ground but the round stock isn't bad.
 
I temper at 400 F and just plain ole air cool .
but the way lively described sounds real cool i "will" try that on my next blade!
I`am new so i`ll try anythin once or twice,and i think temper lines give character that you just can`t get with a production blade!

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That which does not kill you, only makes you stronger
 
When I said temper line I didn't mean hamon line. The colors will scratch off. But the physical chystaline structure of the steel will be differentially tempered. Hamon lines are a lot more difficult.
 
Lively
thanks for the clear up.But if a guy wanted a hamon line how would you go about doing so?
 
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