So I want to try my hand at knife making.....

Sighhhhhh found vs bought steel.... You will have your steel order from Aldo Bruno usually within 4 days..... Spend that time sketching blades and gathering supplies. The labor of converting a leaf spring into something resembling barstock outweighs any savings usually. Plus there's nothing more disheartening than working on a found steel blade only to find microfractures when you're nearly finished. Been there done that.
 
microfractures do happen, however I have about 8 linear feet of 1/4 by 2 inch steel that I can ruin without feeling bad about it...
I am a noob, and quite frankly if I can get some practice on stock that neither I nor anyone else cares about, I'll go that route, if I can...
 
The problem with having found steel tested is that unless all pieces of the spring are from the same leaf stack, that only helps with the piece they tested. Also you can buy one heck of a pile of 1084 or 5160 for the cost of testing. I have heard prices vary on testing, but if you pay for the test and its junk, you just dropped enough cash to buy the good stuff. Lets say you spend 50 bucks to test, and identify your 8 feet of steel as 5160. That same 50 bucks would have bought you about 10 feet of clean 1/4 x 2 5160, that is straight, square and rust free.
 
h20oni said:
grease,
I have no idea what they came off of, that's the problem...

I know that there are tests that can be done (not by me, but in a lab) that can tell me what kind of steel it is...

just curious if anyone out there knows where I can get the tests done!
Click to expand...

An analysis can cost upwards of $150, although you might find someone to test for less depending on what you are satisfied with. if you were sure all the leaves came from the same stack and you have a couple of hundred pounds then it is probably worth the gamble. Alternately you can cut it and try it. If you make a good solid knife out of it then you have spent your time well. If you don't, then you have wasted some time and a little money. From what I have read it is easier to justify the expense if you are forging.
 
You can test it yourself. Take a piece, heat it to nonmagnetic (critical point), quench it, let it cool off, stick it in a vice and smack it with a hammer. If it snaps easy then it probably has enough carbon in it to make a usable knife.
 
No problem :0)

I've only been making knives for about a year so I'm still learning a lot too. I can tell you this, read the stickies at the top of the form here. And read anything else that might be useful info like knife magazines or heat treating books. But most of all have fun!!!! :0)
 
I have been reading them. HEAVILY! Boy some of the artisans on this site are nothing short or spectacular! I have several books on knife making and blade smiling in general. Thanks for the advice and the direction everybody! Oh and the inspiration!
 
As far as a beginning heat treat , you can make a forge out of a paint can and do you own heat treating. Look on Youtube and you will see many types of DIY forges that are inexpensive and do work.
 
Tbow,

I just broke mine the other day... (sigh!)

I made it out of fireplace bricks, apparently I had a bit of a design flaw... when I picked it up the other day it fell apart! The bricks that were under the burner were just too brittle to take the stress of being lifted... more insulation next time I guess!!
 
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