sr101 how is it?

S

Sig_Op

Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
515
about to do a trade for a ratmandu

can you also let me know stain resistant how it performs etc
 
it's 52100, so it is carbon steel. Stain resistance, not very good.;)
 
SR101 with Swamp Rats heat treat is FANTASTIC stuff!!!
I can't go into all the scientific metallurgical specs, but just from personal use and experience I can say that it is the most impressive steel I have ever used when it comes to overall strength, edge retention, and resistence to chipping. I've also found that for some reason I can consistently take it to a freakish level of sharpness that I have not fully been able to achieve with most other steels.
 
"Freakish" sharpness is a result of fine grain which 52100 is known for. Furthermore, the "secret" heat treatment for 52100 is actually no secret. If you want the toughness with the fine grain, you apparently control the amount of carbon that goes into solution by austenizing below the "saturation point" so you end up with very fine grain, little tiny carbides and little or no retained austenite. The most frequently cited temp I have heard is 1475F which is 25-75 degrees below the "industry standard" recommendation if you are using the steel to make bearings. YOur first though may be that you give up abrasion resistance so important in bearings by doing that, but 52100 apparently gets screaming hard in the quench and you can leave it at whatever hardness works best for you.
 
As been stated SR101 is 52100 ball bearing steel. It was a steel originally introduced to hunters giving a boost in performance over the common 1095 carbon steel mainly in edge retention.

52100 can and will perform exceptionally in a hardness range from Rockwell 58 all the way up to 64. Obviously at 64 its a little more brittle and you can chip the edge but for edge retention even a lot of super alloys can't hang.

As done by swamp rat at 58-59 it has a good mix of edge holding and toughness that has given them the reputation they have today. You like the many before you will not be disappointed :)
 
jdm61 said:
"Freakish" sharpness is a result of fine grain which 52100 is known for. Furthermore, the "secret" heat treatment for 52100 is actually no secret. If you want the toughness with the fine grain, you apparently control the amount of carbon that goes into solution by austenizing below the "saturation point" so you end up with very fine grain, little tiny carbides and little or no retained austenite. The most frequently cited temp I have heard is 1475F which is 25-75 degrees below the "industry standard" recommendation if you are using the steel to make bearings. YOur first though may be that you give up abrasion resistance so important in bearings by doing that, but 52100 apparently gets screaming hard in the quench and you can leave it at whatever hardness works best for you.
Click to expand...

I wish I could understand whatever language it is that you are speaking. :o It's a bit over my groggy head though.
 
I absolutely love 52100 AKA Sr101 it's exceptional stuff as far as edge retention and toughness goes, however with that being said the main weakness of 52100 is that it has little resistance against corrosion, but if you keep it oiled and wipe it dry every now and again it should be alright:cool:.
 
I find that SR101 takes an incredible edge. Very tough too. I have found that it excels in wood but also on thin gauge sheet aluminum. No chipping unless on concrete in my experience(I slipped while splitting wood in my backyard). Not corrosion resistant hardly at all but with proper maintenance it's one of my favorite steels. Next to Infi that ;)
 
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