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Wulf

Wulf

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May 10, 2000
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Last year, at the New Northeast Hammer-in, Dan Farr gave me a piece of experimental steel being developed by Crucible steel specifically for bladesmiths. The bar of steel was big enough for one mid-sized knife, and I forged a small fighter blade.

After cleaning up the blade a bit, I started to experiment with the heat treatment. I gave it a few normalizing cycles, then I brought it up to critical temperature and quenched it in a fast quench oil (Parks 50). Once the blade had cooled I checked it with a file to see if it had hardened. Well, the edge was hard but the spine was not. I ground off the scale a bit and detected a hardening line that showed the steel had hardened only in the thin areas close to the edge of the blade. This was obviously a rather shallow hardening steel, so I decided to give it another try, but this time quenching it in water.

I was prepared for the possibility that I may lose this one.

So back into the forge it went. I slowly heated the blade back up to an austenitic state and held it at that temperature for a few minutes being careful not to overheat the steel. Then I quickly plunged it into my bucket of water, leaving it immersed for about three seconds. I then removed it from the water for a few seconds before putting it back in to finally cool it down to ambient temperature. I didn't hear the telltale *ping* and upon inspecting the blade I noticed no cracks or warpage. Cool! I was also struck by the neat pattern and coloring on the steel, so I had to snap a photo.

x1_smfighter2.jpg


I'll be interested to see how this one finishes. There may be a very cool hardening line lurking within that steel...
 
The final version will have more manganese and be much deeper hardening.
 
Looking good, D! Did you have the Park's #50 heated up when you tried it, or was it sitting at shop temp? How does this stuff feel when you're forging? Is it stiff like W2, or smooshy and easy like 1084?
 
I would not have been able to stop and snap a photo on my
way to the grinder, to see what is hiding under the crust :D

Looks very cool though!
 
OHHH very nice, very very nice. I think it would be good if they kept it a shallow ahrdening steel, or atleast made two versions one deep and one shallow hardening.
 
jdm61 said:
The final version will have more manganese and be much deeper hardening.
Click to expand...

Can you give us any more details? I understand that it's still under development, but what are they attempting to achieve?

A steel designed especially for bladesmithing sounds really cool...

Josh
 
Matt, I had the Parks 50 heated up to probably 125ish. It probably would've been OK as it was but I wanted to give water a try just to see what would happen.

The blue colors are more brilliant than they appear in the photo by the way. It really is pretty cool looking.

I've heard this stuff referred to as cru-forge but I don't know if that's what it will be named.

If I can get my act together I'll have this one finished in time for Blade. Thinking maybe stag for a handle. Mace, am I gonna see you in Atlanta this year?
 
Oh no, Mace you'll be staring me down for three days straight again! (25 R)

As far as forging this stuff, I remember it moving pretty nicely under the hammer - not butter soft like 1095 but still pretty easy.
 
JoshEarl said:
Can you give us any more details? I understand that it's still under development, but what are they attempting to achieve?

A steel designed especially for bladesmithing sounds really cool...

Josh
Click to expand...
According to Dr. Batson and some follow up from Dan Farr, the final formula should be 1.00% carbon and about .80% each of vanadium and manganese. The manganese will make hamons much more difficult, but what they were looking for is to make it deeper hardening. The forge may not be ideal for austenizing this type of steel as everything I have been told says you need to give vanadium bearing steel a nice soak. We know that this stell is going to be of very high quality, but it is probably a good idea to save up some of Don's W2 or Aldo's 1095 for you knives that require dramatic hamons. I was told that Crucible is trying their level best to have some of this steel at Blade.
 
So, true to form, I killed this knife last night. Not happy with the results of the heat treat I decided to give it another go - what's the worst that can happen, right?

ping!

Someone mentioned above that this stuff is probably not ideal for heat treating with a forge and I think that's indeed the case. It definitely needs to soak for a little bit without being overheated. I really oughtta just bite the bullet and buy a paragon...
 
Derrick, definitely get an oven. :)

BTW, you and I will be next door neighbors at Blade. My table is 25-Q. :thumbup:
I hope you're bringing that sweet integral you made awhile back....
 
Will be great to finally meet you Phillip.

I just started working on a new integral last night, hopefully I'll be able to get that one done in time
 
Wulf said:
So, true to form, I killed this knife last night. Not happy with the results of the heat treat I decided to give it another go - what's the worst that can happen, right?

ping!

Someone mentioned above that this stuff is probably not ideal for heat treating with a forge and I think that's indeed the case. It definitely needs to soak for a little bit without being overheated. I really oughtta just bite the bullet and buy a paragon...
Click to expand...


Do me a favor, and when you pick an oven up, pay for two and have one dropped off at my place, will ya? ;):D


...I noticed in your opening post on this thread that you referred to where Dan gave you the steel as the New Northeast Hammer-In... any chance of a repeat? No pressure, as I think I've got a pretty good idea of the kind of sacrifices you made for that gig. I also know that it was one of the best shows I've attended, which is why I'm willing to bring it up!:cool:
 
Matt opend the door.... and I've been wondering too. So how bout it Derrik, you gonna do another? I have to say last years was one of the BEST hammer-ins I have had the pleasure of attending. Hell, I'll even come up early and help clean your shop again!:D I'll bring up some dry firewood too!;)
Mace
 
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