Stainless hardware question???/

B . Buxton

B . Buxton

Joined
Jul 8, 2001
Messages
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I have an opportunity to get some 304 stainless fairly reasonable, I was planning on using it for hardware but wanted to know if its hard to hand work, you know, drill , file, drill and tap, etc. or would I be better getting 416, does 416 work easier? As you can tell I've used very little stainless so all you experts give me your advice.

Thank you,

Bill
 
you mean to tell me all you guys are as ignorant as me when it comes to stainless steels for hardware. :confused: I didn't think that could be possible.

Bill
 
Hey I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I would'nt even bother with 300 series stainless. The 400 is a dream to work and is plenty rust resistant. My engraver said to never send him 304. My favorite is 416 unhardened. I find its not neccesary to heat treat it.
 
I don't like working with it, Bill. If you want to try a piece before you buy, I can probably scrounge some up in the shop and send you a hunk.
 
The austenitic grades , 300 series , are 'gummy' to a machinist. The free machining grade 303 is better but the 400 series is best especially the free machining grade 416 .That can be HT'd if you like.The other choice for bolsters and pommels is nickel silver which I heard was a bit expensive now.
 
Thank you for the offer Fitz but if you all say 416 is better thats good enough for me.
Mete, some are claiming N/S is on the way out for knife hardware and that stainless will be the only thing desirable before long. Time will tell, I just had a chance at some 304 so I figured I'd see what everyone else throught before I purchased any.

Thanks guys, I knew there was a bunch out there that would know.

Bill
 
Bill most engravers hate 300 series.Unhardened 410/416 seems to be the favorite.
 
I have never used 416, but I just ordered some. I have used 304 and 303, 303 is much nicer but still a pain. Like mete pointed out, 300 series is gummy and 304 is tough. Then 400 series is much harder to find at reasonable prices. Just ordered 12" .25x1.25, it was $8.76/lb but then they charge a $40 cut and packaging fee plus UPS so I am estimating $200 for 13lbs. You do the math. Got the scrap yard guy looking out for some 400 series. He can spectro it and make sure of the comp.
 
416 SS is a world better than 300 series. It should be heat treated to get the corrosion
resistance. Some comes from various suppliers already heat treated.

416 solders much easier, and is much easier to drill, tap, file etc...

Note.....Chuck....where are you ordering your SS from..?
 
I have a crap load of 304 I picked up on eBay before I had a clue about machining and working with metals. I'd trade it for a 1/10th its weight in 416.
 
Sulfur !! The additional sulfur in 303 and 416 make them free machining grades because sulfur forms manganese sulfide . This in turn makes the steel form chips in machining rather than have the 'gummy' texture where the steel wants to form tough , continuous strings during machining. Sulfur, phosphorous, selenium and lead are used to make free machining grades of steel.
 
416 over 300 series any day. But if you can, get 410 instead of 416-the 410 has little or no sulfur (can't remember!) and still machines well, particularly compared to the 300 series. Plus, with the 400 series, you can use a magnetic chuck if you have a surface grinder.
 
Brian Fellhoelter Knives said:
I hate 304.

I love 303.
Click to expand...

I do, as well.
Like Mete said, the additional sulfur in 303 makes it FAR superior to 304. When everybody says "300 series", it sounds like it's all bad, and it's not!
I'll use 303 until I can find a source for 416 flat stock that I don't have to go to the bank and get a loan to buy.
 
I mill/tap/drill 304, mild steel, and aluminum every day. The 304 is tough, but it's not that bad.
 
Another question, can 416 be forged down from bigger stock and easily be annealed. There's bigger stock on ebay at what seems to be fairly reasonable
prices if it can be.

Thanks

Bill
 
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