OK, what steel do I use?

[KiljoyKutlery]

I have been making some fixed blade knives for a while now (1 year) mostly out of anything I had laying around. I am not a fan of stainless, as I like large camp style knives (5"-12") and choppers. I want to make a 8" utility, something I can chop with and use around a camp site. Do I use O1 tool steel or some kind of High Carbon (1085-1050) ? I will be flat filing the blade. I finish the knives on a small vertical sander, putting a slight convex to the blade edge. I build on the cheap, as I am far from good enough to invest in this deal to much right now, but I would like to make about 5-10 knives this year, and I want them to be of decent quality. If you could recomend a place to order the steel, this would be a big help also. Thank you guys in advance, and please, no pissing fights, I just want the basic idea right now, I'll pick up all the finer points on my own in time. Gene

 

[lwrhea]

Gene,
I would use 5160. Its very forgiving and makes a tough user. Here is where I get my 5160H steel: http://www.riversidemachine.net
Ask for Al
Lin

 

[A C Richards]

5160 is a great choice. Also 1095, 1080, 1070, W-2 or W-1. 5160 is probably the most forgiving with 1095 close behind. Both will make a great knife and are relatively inexsive. 1095 and the other simple carben steels, can be obtained in cold rolled annealed while 5160 comes hot rolled annealed with rounded edges. The 5160 would take a bit more clean up. It will al depend on how much work you want to do. O-1 is a bit more expensive especially if you get precision ground. I would stick to the 10XX steels or 5160 for your larger choppers. Then you can get into 52100 etc if you really want but the above steels perform very well.

Chuck

 

[KiljoyKutlery]

Awesome, I can't thank you guys enough...can I temper those steels with a torch and motor oil. I have the steps down for this, just not enough working knowledge as to what works with what. thanks again, Gene

 

[A C Richards]

If you are talking Oxy actelyn or oxy propane then yes. I did all my "Heat Treating" with a torch and oil. First it was used motor oil then my wife put a halt to that. I did my HT in the garage andthe smoke was horrible.Then I used peanut oil, that worked good. Now I have finally purchased some fastquench from McMaster Carr. It workes great but i wanted a little faster quench and just todaay received some Parks #50 from Darren Ellis. This is what I recommend, Go right to the good stuff, either fastquench or Parks and get used to the good stuff.

Chuck