Pallet rack steel good for knives?

S

Starquestman

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Nov 2, 2016
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Picked up a piece of steel from an old pallet rack getting chopped up and thrown out from our warehouse. Most info I can find is that rack steel is "high-strength" - maybe 20% carbon, 5% chromium, some manganese, phosphorus, niobium, and other trafe elements added from strength.

Anybody know if it would be any good for knives? Would it be brittle or have poor edge retention? How about heat treating? Thanks!
 
No. I think you're adding decimal places to the reported chemical composition. .2% carbon, not .2 = 20%.

It's going to be low carbon structural steel and not hardenable at all.
 
It can make a nice letter opener or prisonshank. Its not anywhere near a toolsteel what a knife should be made of.

But to have fun or practice. Sure it will be fine. Just dont expect a high result.
 
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Kuraki - yes, that's the percentage I meant! I had about 30 seconds at the end of my lunch break!

Might keep it around to forge up some decorative damascus someday. Thanks for the info!
 
Do the ol' spark test on a grinder! If they are bursting stars than take a piece and try to harden it.
 
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