Steel Recommendations?

N

nailcreek

Joined
Sep 21, 2003
Messages
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I'm about to try my hand at making some hunting knives via the "stock removal" method. I'd like some suggestions as to the steel with which to start. I am also going to try heat treating, so I'd like to find a steel that's relatively forgiving and "easy" to work.

Also, where to locate a supply in central Wisconsin ...

Thanks much,

Kerry Brunner
Stevens Point, WI
nailcreek@hotmail.com
 
Read the stickies, try and understand them. Get 1084 if you plan to heat treat yourself. It's about the same thing anyone else will say. If not 1084 then 1080 or 1070. Those are your best bet.
 
If you do not have a temperature controlled kiln stay away from O-1. Get some 1084 from Aldo

http://njsteelbaron.com/shop


or if you need really thin stock try Kelly Cupples

octihunter@charter.net

Aldo is a great guy to deal with, I buy all of the steel I use from him these days. He has a lot more inventory than what is on the webpage, I've found that all I have to do for just about any premium blade steel I need is email him and he's got it

-Page
 
Read the sticky, "working with three steels". There is a lot of info there.

The short version is that if you don't have a controlled HT setup, use 1084 ( or anything from 1070-1084). Aldo's 1084FG is made for knives and the HT is the simplest possible.

Because 1084 is the eutectoid, it needs no real soak time once at austinitization temperature,1500F....which is about 100F hotter than non-magnetic.

Once you start adding alloy ingredients, like O-1, the HT requires more accurate temperatures and a hold at austinitization ( called a "soak").

If I was going to recommend a steel for hunting knives, i would suggest CPM 154, and that you send the blades out for HT. It is a good stainless steel and takes an excellent edge.
 
I recently went to Japan and I never saw a "temperature controlled kiln" their and they seem to work O1 steel fine.
 
Virgilio said:
I recently went to Japan and I never saw a "temperature controlled kiln" their and they seem to work O1 steel fine.
Click to expand...

Working it fine and getting the most out of it are two very different things. If you don't have controlled heat treatment, you aren't going to get more out of O1 than 1084, so why not buy the cheaper one?
 
What about Aldo's 1084FG makes it different and better for knives? I'm trying to go through all the options for when I get low on my current stock of 1080 from Admiral. Aldo only lists the 1/4" thick but I know he has a lot of stuff not on the site and if that's the only option I still might try a piece or two for some choppers.
 
You know what the world is yearning for? A hunting balisong. :)

I'm only half kidding. Hunting knives are so big and bulky, and someone having to pack it in and out of wooded sites probably gets it snagged a lot. Something in the way of a folding knife with a huge blade might be just the ticket.

Okay, probably a stupid idea. Likely make the knife useless for chopping your way through thick brush... unless you came up with some way to stablize the handle by using some interlocking pattern...

I'll stop now...
 
Aldo's 1084 has vanadium to pin the grain boundaries and manganese to make it deep hardening which also makes it etch a nice deep black Trypper if you want to chop use a machete or axe :)
 
Remyrw said:
What about Aldo's 1084FG makes it different and better for knives?
Click to expand...


Easy answer; Aldo is omnipotent and all knowing and one cool dude to work with!(blatant attempt to soften him up for my next steel purchase) ;):p:D
 
Interesting, and good to know. Thanks. I'm thinking about trying an acid etch finish on the blade I'm working on now and am just starting to look into which chemicals for what look... I've got a test piece ready to go so it's just a matter of picking up the chemicals and trying things out.
 
Thanks for the recommendations ... where is a good place to purchase steel? Not a junkyard, as I want to know what kind of steel I have. I've checked with a local steel dealer, but they don't stock any of the steels suggested here.
 
try Aldo first

http://njsteelbaron.com/

he has a lot of stuff that is not listed on his website so if the "shop" page doesn't have what you want, go to the contact page for his email or phone number and ask him. His webpage does not list most of what he's got, and whoever he's got building it hasn't finished yet.

If you want really thin 1084 try Kelly Cupples at octihunter@charter.net

-Page
 
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