Steel recommendation - finest edge with simple HT

T

Trolloween

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Nov 9, 2019
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My favourite knives are from Roselli Wootz, specifically the UHC steel (1.8% carbon, 64-66 HRC). But I cannot find any supplier of steel even close to this.

I have managed to acquire a small amount of shirogami #1 (white paper steel 1) which is perfect for what I want, but I have enough for 1-2 knives and I cannot find any way to buy more so I now realise how lucky I was.

I am new to knife making and don't own my forge yet, it will be coming soon. But I need a reliable source of steel that is both easy to heat treat with the extremely fine grain for the best possible sharpness and fine edge. Edge retention would be great but really I am trying to make the sharpest blades possible so a simple steel with very high carbon content is what I am after.

I have looked at so many options and seen so many varying opinions on every single one I am now just left confused. I thought I found a winner with 26C3 but delivery to the UK is $80 which more than doubles the price for the amount of steel I want right now. I did contact them to see if there was any means of cheaper delivery but after they replied with 'where do you live' I have heard nothing back, even after following up so I assume they don't care.

Other steels I am not sure about are 07 (1.2519) and some scandinavian steels like 14C28N, but so many are described as high carbon and turn out to be less than 1% or they are produced for stain resistance instead of fine edges and retention.

I just can't seem to find what I need, can anyone help?
 
W2 may be your best bet. But I think they've had some funky issues with heat treat so I'm not sure. If all you have is a simple way to heat treat then you need the simplest steel possible. 1084 is a great steel used by many renowned knife makers and is relatively easy to heat treat
 
Larrin said:
Why do you need so much more carbon than 1%?
Click to expand...

Maybe I don't? I am just going by my own experience of owning various steels and what I have read/watched so I am happy to take advice, my favourites though are the ones with higher carbon. My top three that I own are blue paper steel which is my everyday pocket knife which I can always get to hair-whittling sharpness, VG10 which is my favourite chef knife and my hunting knives by Roselli. The lowest carbon content of these is 1% but the higher the carbon goes the more I enjoy the knives, they are easier to sharpen and hold their edge longer but VG10 is still nice and much more corrosion resistant.

What appealed to me about the HT for white #1 steel is that you quench very close to the non-magnetic stage which gives a beginner like me something very easy to recognise. I can buy white #2 or blue steel easily although it is quite costly, but maybe this would be a good option?

I have had a quick search for W2 and 1084, I haven't found them yet but I will do some research. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
Back to the topic, if I were you I would rely on old Nicholson file. They are mostly 1% type plain carbon steel (W1 or 1095) and should be comparable to Japanese Whitesteel.
 
To get the finest edge you really want a low carbide volume, since carbides are larger than the rest of the steel matrix. Simple heat-treat means something that doesn't require a soak at high temp in a kiln w/ foil. So 1075-1084 would be the range of simple carbon steels you're after. 1084 gets very hard, is very tough compared to other steels at a given hardness, is cheaper than fancy potting soil, and heat-treats easily (JT's recent issues notwithstanding!).

-E
 
Also newbie here, but are you planning to heat treat yourself or outsource? If you are going to do it yourself in fire/coal or with a heat torch, probably anything above 0.85% carbon doesn't make sense. It seems like the best (cheapest and most available) steel in Europe for home heat treatment would be 80crv2. There is a topic about heat treating it at home without a kiln..
 
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Also 80crv2 is the same or similiar european equivalent of 1084+, if i am not wrong.
daizee said:
To get the finest edge you really want a low carbide volume, since carbides are larger than the rest of the steel matrix. Simple heat-treat means something that doesn't require a soak at high temp in a kiln w/ foil. So 1075-1084 would be the range of simple carbon steels you're after. 1084 gets very hard, is very tough compared to other steels at a given hardness, is cheaper than fancy potting soil, and heat-treats easily (JT's recent issues notwithstanding!).

-E
Click to expand...
 
Go on www.workshopheaven.com
It is a UK supplier of many things … including some Hitachi steels. You can get shiro#2, ao#2, san-mai with either of those in the core, and suminagashi.

If that isn't enough ( which it is) go to www.dictum.com (Germany) and they have a very extensive selection of Hitachi steels.
 
Trolloween said:
My favourite knives are from Roselli Wootz, specifically the UHC steel (1.8% carbon, 64-66 HRC). But I cannot find any supplier of steel even close to this.

I have managed to acquire a small amount of shirogami #1 (white paper steel 1) which is perfect for what I want, but I have enough for 1-2 knives and I cannot find any way to buy more so I now realise how lucky I was.

I am new to knife making and don't own my forge yet, it will be coming soon. But I need a reliable source of steel that is both easy to heat treat with the extremely fine grain for the best possible sharpness and fine edge. Edge retention would be great but really I am trying to make the sharpest blades possible so a simple steel with very high carbon content is what I am after.

I have looked at so many options and seen so many varying opinions on every single one I am now just left confused. I thought I found a winner with 26C3 but delivery to the UK is $80 which more than doubles the price for the amount of steel I want right now. I did contact them to see if there was any means of cheaper delivery but after they replied with 'where do you live' I have heard nothing back, even after following up so I assume they don't care.

Other steels I am not sure about are 07 (1.2519) and some scandinavian steels like 14C28N, but so many are described as high carbon and turn out to be less than 1% or they are produced for stain resistance instead of fine edges and retention.

I just can't seem to find what I need, can anyone help?
Click to expand...
I make lot of knife from 1.2519 steel .Crazy sharp and can take very , very thin edge .........63-64 Hrc
 
shqxk said:
Back to the topic, if I were you I would rely on old Nicholson file. They are mostly 1% type plain carbon steel (W1 or 1095) and should be comparable to Japanese Whitesteel.
Click to expand...

Unless you're going to send each file out for a chemical analysis to know the EXACT composition. Dont do this
 
shqxk said:
Back to the topic, if I were you I would rely on old Nicholson file. They are mostly 1% type plain carbon steel (W1 or 1095) and should be comparable to Japanese Whitesteel.
Click to expand...
Old Nicholson Black Diamond file have far more carbon then 1% . .. .
 
Stromberg Knives said:
That'd probably be a good choice.

Supplier in the UK:
https://www.gfsknifesupplies.com/Shop1/c/12519-o7/p/12519-o7-600mm-lengths1
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Well . . . .. once I was trying to grind double hollow grind from side on one kitchen knife and make mess...............well I was thinking that I make mess ..I sharpen it just to see what would happen :D blade is now that thin that I think I can see through bevels , it flex like paper not useful for knife but surprised me how much even that thin can withstand . ..
PS. I m talking about 1.5mm thick on spine steel
 
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1.2519 is a good steel. It needs a bit more temperature than non-magnetic though. It would be better heat treating with a furnace.
 
Larrin said:
1.2519 is a good steel. It needs a bit more temperature than non-magnetic though. It would be better heat treating with a furnace.
Click to expand...

I am ordering a propane furnace, I was planning on making one but it turns out about the same cost to order one from devil forge.
 
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