RR Spike

S

skyranch

Joined
Aug 4, 2005
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RR SpikeI have been making knives out of RR spikes for quite some time - But I really don't know how to temper - I would like to know what the markings are on the head - I know it will tell me the carbon content - or hardness - some info on this is not easy to come by for me, ,, Any thouths?? :confused:
 
I think this has been covered on every knife forum on the internet, but I'm feeling nice and I'm too hot to go back to work.

RR spikes are not good for knives. They will make a nice novelty item, but that's it.

Even the spikes marked HC.

They are high carbon... but it's actually just HIGHER carbon than the mild steel spikes. The HC spikes are typically around 0.3 carbon... it's just too low.

-Nick-
http://www.wheelerknives.com
 
Nick is right.They are fun,cheap,good for demos,twist easily,etc.The only thing they aren't good for is usable knives.
Stacy
 
If you are gonna use them though....try a water quench then just give them a stress relief draw...like 275F or so.....

I have heard that they can range from .3 to .4 % carbon....so they will harden. The resulting edge will roll but will be very aggressive in cutting and resharpen like a breeze.

I have a bunch of HC marked spikes....I plan on flattening them....after giving them a twist and using them as the outer laminates over a L6 core. The slaggy appearance of the spikes when etched create a neat effect when twisted....like a river.
 
NickWheeler said:
I think this has been covered on every knife forum on the internet, but I'm feeling nice and I'm too hot to go back to work.

RR spikes are not good for knives. They will make a nice novelty item, but that's it.

Even the spikes marked HC.

They are high carbon... but it's actually just HIGHER carbon than the mild steel spikes. The HC spikes are typically around 0.3 carbon... it's just too low.

-Nick-
http://www.wheelerknives.com
Click to expand...

Nick hit right on the head. They are good novelty item but not much for a usable knife. I know, someone behind me will post that they have a RR spike that will split hairs on a cat and so on and so forth.

I mentioned this before on this forum but Bruce Fuller and I made one last year for a get together to honor Mickey Newbury (the reference to Newbury train songs in the song, Lukenbach, Texas) and it was auctioned off there.

It seems that the folks that are interested in RR spike knives the most are "non-knife" types, or folks that really don't know too much about knives (and don't really appreciate all the time involved or want to pay for what it's worth).

Oh, the RR spike knife that was auctioned off? It went for much more than expected but it did have notorized papers that the spike came from Guthrie, Kentucky, the setting of Mickey Newbury's song, "Cortelia Clark".


Craig
 
I have made RR spikes into knives for years. I call them letter openers and don't bother to harden them. In Western Australia there are different manufatures and time frames of spikes. The old spike are wrought iron and etch very well. Others are high enough carbon to make axes that hold a good edge.

I would expect some state over there would have had a decent piece of steel. Harden a few bits and see how you go. Also look for the spring clips that replaced them they look about 5/8 inch wide flat folded back on themselves. They re spring steel and make good knives. Well In WA they do.

I temper spring steel in my wifes oven 219c degrees for 1 hour.

I would not take a spike on a survival mission but they are a fun thing to have.
 
Wilkins is right: I have another story.
My son made a RR spike knife and did a great job hardening it, and he sold it last fall to a co-worker (for $40) who took it to Texas for a deer hunt. When he came back, my son asked the guy how the knife performed, and he said he killed a big deer, dressed it out, and could still shave hair on his arm.
I personally tested it with my Rc files and it was between 55 and 60 on the Rc scale.
I think they make pretty good blades.
 
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