Steel for Wedding Cake Knife

[Patrice Lemée]

I am making one for my niece's wedding. I was thinking SS. I will order some from Jantz, 440C. Thing is I just have a small forge the heat treat. So:

1) From what I've read, I am not equipped to treat this.
2) Can I just leave it as is without heat treat. It will just need to cut cake after all.

What do you think?

Pad

 

[Dan Pierson]

Send it out for heat treating, not so much to make it hold a better edge but to prevent other
damage and get the stain resistance.

 

[Paul Savage]

I'm with dlpierson on this one. 440c is very soft in the annealed state, and it is quite inexpensive to have done. Either jeff diotte in Lasalle Ont. or Rob Ridley in Alberta (www.knifemaker.ca) can take care of it for you at a really reasonable price. I would do it for you but my oven isn't deep enough. One other reason to harden it is that it isn't stainless until it is heat treated. One other option would be to buy one of the heat treated blanks rather than bar stock. Hope this helps . Paul

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Paul, by blanks do you mean the ones already cut to shape?

Thanks for the resources, especially here in Canada.

Pad

PS: Paul I am having a hard time with finding any type of steel (1095, 5160...etc) here in Quebec. Maybe in Ontario? Something I could maybe go pick up instead of importing from the states?

 

[Steven Penner]

Padrig

PS: Paul I am having a hard time with finding any type of steel (1095, 5160...etc) here in Quebec

I think there is lots of steel in Quebec. It's a huge industrial centre. It just may be hard to find.

I imagine that there are others, but i found this in my travels

Crucible has 2 service centres in Quebec
"Premium" steel


Metaux Solutions
2108 32e Avenue
Lachine, PQ H8T 3H7
(514) 633-8010
(800) 558-8858
FAX - (514) 633-8044
http://www.metauxsolutions.com
Quebec Customers Only

Metaux Solutions
1320-C Volta
Boucherville, PQ J4B 6G6
(450) 641-3330
(800) 967-2003
FAX - (450) 641-3332
http://www.metauxsolutions.com
Quebec Customers Only

I tried to search but, I'm not too good with the french.

try the yellow pages under steel
tool steel
springs
1095 & 5160 are considered spring steel

Fastenall also sells precision ground stock, A2, O1, S7,

http://www.alvinproducts.com/distributorlocator/Distributor_Results.asp?State=QC

http://www.fastenal.com/web/home.ex

 

[atakach]

here's mine, i forged it from 5 bars of twisted nickle & wrought iron. made for my sis's wedding last year.

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Thanks for the pics atakach, I will probably just make the knife itself though.

Steven, I appreciate the links. I am still waiting to hear from Crucible Steel. They did not have anything in stock but those SS of theirs. I got an email from Rob at Ranger Original in Alberta and I may try buying from him as shipping is much cheaper than I thought it would be.

Thanks all.

Pad

 

[oldold442]

couldn't you just make it out of mild steel? cutting cake, and a one time use? probably never get used again...

 

[Patrice Lemée]

No mild steel. I would like to make something nice with their names, date, etc... so that it could be something they keep as a souvenir.

Pad

 

[atakach]

Thanks for the pics atakach, I will probably just make the knife itself though.

I was gonna just do that as well , then i was gonna make a set. Ultimately i ended up making i combo, i serrated the one edge, and they cut and served the cake with it for there wedding photos. it now sits in there curio cabinet.

one thing i wanted to do but didn't have the time, was on the handle inlay two criss crossing gold bands. then leave a section unetched with there names and the date engraved.

 

[Paul Savage]

Padrig, Yes I meant already cut to shape and I think both Jantz supply as well as Sheffield , both in the states have them . In ontario give jeff Diotte a call at 519-978-9387.