Old files: good steel for knifes or no

G

Gary Short

Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
34
I made a loveless subhilt fighter out of a old file it looks good, But don't have the balls to test it.old file steel is good steel right?:confused:
 
Some files yes...some no. As a rule the older ones have good steel. A lot of newer files are from BrandX steel and case hardened.
 
Yes, you can make good knives out of old files. But, like already mentioned, some are case hardened. Buying tool steel of a known source is cheap enough, to do without the questions of what you actually have.
 
About the only way to be safe with files any more is to use only old Nicholson files. They are the only ones that you can be sure are high carbon/alloy steel. Most all the other companies have gone to case hardening. Regular Nicholson files are a 1095 alloy, and the ones stamped "Black Diamond" have the same anaylsis with the exception that their carbon content is approx. 1.23%.
 
Interesting post, 'cause I just tried a blacksmith rasp yesterday. Got it shaped and then heat treated like 1095. When it came out of the quench oil I checked with a file and it didn't quite "skitter" the way you like. Went a head and tempered, then stock removed to 220g and sharpened. Got a great edge, but when I chopped some yellow pine 2X4s the edge just crinkled in tiny waves. I follow the quench oil thought, but I did some 1084 and it came out great. I've got a bunch of these rasps ( all used and free), but they may take a lot of special treatment to get a good hardness. I do have one "Black Diamond" in the batch, so may try it. I did watch John Costa make several hawks out of rasps and maybe that's a better application.
Rick
 
Mark made some hawks out of Farriers rasps. If memory serves me, they turned out well.
 
to check if the file is case hardening mild steel give it a good quench and try to brake it in a vise if it snaps it's heat treatable if it bends junk it..
a lot of horse rasps are case hardened.( not all) much cheaper to make this way..BTW they are not made to cut steel , but horse hoves..:D
 
So am I the ONLY one that thinks it's kind of weird you made a "Loveless style sub-hilt" but you don't know if the steel is good or not, or where to get L6???

That's kind of like saying I went out and made a Ferrari, but I don't know where to buy gas or which octane to get.

Maybe I'm just insane.

Yea... that's the ticket.

:D
 
Yea,Nick....I often think about the posts where they have posted "what kind of grinder should I get,I've saver $75","how do yo build a forge","I broke my Ninja sword-can I solder it together","can you make knives and swords from re-bar","if peanut oil is a good quenchant -wouldn't peanut butter be better"...and then post "I am working on a odachi with a 40" blade...."
Gary - I'm not picking on you,Nick was just stating how much swing is in some posts.
 
bladsmth said:
Yea,Nick....I often think about the posts where they have posted "what kind of grinder should I get,I've saver $75","how do yo build a forge","I broke my Ninja sword-can I solder it together","can you make knives and swords from re-bar","if peanut oil is a good quenchant -wouldn't peanut butter be better"...and then post "I am working on a odachi with a 40" blade...."
Gary - I'm not picking on you,Nick was just stating how much swing is in some posts.
Click to expand...

Gary
I think the point was too
that's a lot of work to put into an un known steel
the cart before the horse sort o' speak, but we see it all the time..
but
1095 is cheap easy to use , why mess with the unknown to start with?
 
JHC.... now I gotta have Dan Gray decipher my posts... holy hell, I just saw a big, fat sow fly by the window! :eek:

Worst part, is yes, that's what I was getting at! :p

But I probably WAS being a little mean about it! ;) :p :D

Don't forget, I am registered with the jack-ass registrar! (Fitzo :) )
 
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