Steel Choice

7

724wd

Joined
Dec 29, 2006
Messages
435
ok, so i'm ready to do a loveless style integral and was looking for input on steel choices. First off, stock removal from drill rod. Which one would be a better choice? A-2, W-2 or O-1? i was leaning towards O-1 because in my mind, the HT would be easier to accomplish (i'm sending it out regardless because I dont have the facility to do it myself) in the sense that i hear about people cracking blades in water, and air hardening needing quench plates to keep straight. there will be some interesting forces on the steel as it's an integral carved from one piece - or an i out of my gourd on this?

thanks all
heath
 
Based on your concerns, I'd go with A2. Most of the knife heat treating places only do air hardening steels and one of the advantages of A2 over the others as a tool steel is that it is more dimensionally stable in complex parts.
 
+1 for A2 if you are sending it out for heat treat. As mentioned, most places that specialize in blades do air hardening steels.

If you send it to your local heat treater, as a single piece of 01 you can spend upwards of $50.
 
Anybody ever just cut a blank out of an old sawmill blade and finish it? Would this make a good knife?

Man, I need to find a knifemaker in SC to hang out with.
 
Consider hardening in oil. Water is too harsh a medium for most knife-sized steels.
Oil hardening will produce full hardness and it won't crack the blade.
I quenched perhaps a dozen W2 blades in thin hydraulic oil and never had a problem.
 
With W1 and W2 the oil speed will be important. If you're sending it out, just go with A2, you'll be happy with the knife.
 
Im gonna go along with whats been said.. A2 would be a great choice.. I like A2 all the way around. Its easy to work with, gets a great finish easily, very tough, pretty good resisting corrosion, and can get sharp as blue blazes, and hold a great edge.
As was mentioned with a good HT, its hard to beat.
 
I also vote for A2. Specify hardening to HRC 60. That is where A2 peaks in toughness and it makes an outstanding knife.
 
i went with A2. a giant chunk at 3' of 1-3/16" round. gonna take a while to whittle it down, but that's fine...
 
Budd ... It depends on the sawblade, look for one from a professional sawmill, made in 50s-60s or even 70's they were almost always made out of L6 which we all know is a AWESOME knifesteel wether it's by it's self or pattern welded with O1.
 
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