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- Jan 9, 2011
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The title sums it up, what steels are best for the beginning knifemaker?
I have only been making knives for about a year and a half so it hasn't been long since I started myself. I remember looking at all the advice given to new makers and was a bit confused. I have completed and heat treated about 200 knives in this time so my experience is very limited, I hope my fresh perspective sheds some light on this topic. I hope this helps out!
I am heavily summarizing to make this easy to read and simple. Heat treating is a discipline of it's own that you need to research. I couldn't even begin to touch on how and why, the stickies will help you learn that.
OK here we go!
1. You need a complete plan, do you want to make blacksmithed knives with a minimal setup, stock removal knives, maybe something in between? Do you have a kiln, a forge or a way to heat treat your knives? Are you dead set on using a fire pit and files? What kind of tools do you have, that will help you determine your overall plan.
2. OK so you have a plan, now you need to purchase the appropriate steel. Collecting your own steel isn't really an option at this point, you need to know the steel's composition to heat treat it. What is important now is how the steel will be heat treated.
3. OK how will you heat treat? You have a few basic options.
A - At home simple heat treat, I consider this to be any method in which you have to determine the temperature yourself and have no controlled heat source. You have to know what you are doing so you don't burn your steel, a magnet will probably be your best way to determine temperature along with eyeballing it. Not easy but not expensive, there is a lot to learn to get this right.
B - Do it yourself heat treat with a controlled heat source. Plan on spending a fair bit of money and or time aquiring the equipment, knowledge and materials. This gives the knifemaker lots of options.
C - Send it off - this may ultimately be the cheapest option for the beginning maker. You have more options as far as steel choice go. It is probably best to stick to something affordable and relatively easy to work.
Steel
Option A - simple to work, heat treat and inexpensive
1084 - probably the best overall beginner steel but don't let that confuse you, it is top notch material.
5160 - more complicated to heat treat but can be forgiving, it is also inexpensive as far as blade steels go
1075 - also a good steel and simple to heat treat, get the correct variety for the quenchant you have, some versions are water hardening (fast oil)
There are a few others I am forgetting but these three are cheap, easy to purchase and come in good sizes for making knives
Option B - You really need to have a controlled heat source and the proper equipment to quench - Air hardening even more complicated!
1084
5160
1075
Warning!
These steels are not really for beginners but someone who is starting out and has a better grasp on heat treat
O1 - comes precision ground generally and is a good overall steel - much more complicated heat treat - needs special oil
A2 - also precision ground but air hardening, it is a little tougher to work with than any listed so far but you can plate quench - need ss foil, etc
1095 - not too complicated of a heat treat temperature-wise but must be quenched correctly to harden, it is inexpensive and relatively easy to work - has higher distortion and needs a fast quench
CPM154 - stainless and you can take it to a thin edge pre heat treat - needs super high heat, inert environment, plate quench, etc
once again, there are more options I haven't touched on
Option C - Send it off
Why stick to steels you have to heat treat yourself? Let the pros do the work!
I'd still stick to an easier to work and lower priced steel like 1084, 5160, 1075, O1, 1095 or A2. Spend the extra time making more knives! Here are a few more options.
CPM154 - this is just an example of the many steels that aren't too hard to work in the annealed (soft) state and will not take a lot of post heat treating clean up work
Air hardening steels are generally harder to work with and some really should be avoided if working with hand tools. On the other hand steels like A2 and cpm154 are not bad to work in the softened stage and as a big advantage can be taken to a thinner edge prior to hardening, giving you less work to do post heat treat.
More to consider!
Oils - some steels like 1084 and 5160 can be successfully quenched in canola or olive oil, this is nice if you only plan on a few blades and already have some oil.
Steels like O1 may need a slower quench oil, I don't really consider O1 a beginner steel because of this.
Other steels must have a very fast nose on the quench, 1095 and other steels listed as water hardening meet these requirements. They can distort more during quench and also require a special quench oil. Water or brine may be used but the risk of failure is great, slower oils like canola may work depending on blade thickness, etc... best left for thos more experienced. (just my opinion, I personally enjoy brine quenching and don't mind an occasional broken one )
Air hardening steels usually can be plate quenched. Air hardening steels usually aren't recommended for beginners but I see no reason why not as long as you have the correct set up and use the steels that are simpler to heat treat and work.
Soak time, rate of temperature etc... must be considered when selecting steel
I think it is best to get used to one steel at first, it will eliminate a variable in your process.
Don't deviate from the norm! If the steel needs a 45 minute soak at 1740 F, a stainless foil bag and a quick plate quench don't even consider doing that on a campfire!
I'm just touching on this and it is just my opinion, other opinions, thoughts, facts, help, etcetera are more than welcome! I'm just trying to help out so any corrections or thoughts are most appreciated.
I have only been making knives for about a year and a half so it hasn't been long since I started myself. I remember looking at all the advice given to new makers and was a bit confused. I have completed and heat treated about 200 knives in this time so my experience is very limited, I hope my fresh perspective sheds some light on this topic. I hope this helps out!
I am heavily summarizing to make this easy to read and simple. Heat treating is a discipline of it's own that you need to research. I couldn't even begin to touch on how and why, the stickies will help you learn that.
OK here we go!
1. You need a complete plan, do you want to make blacksmithed knives with a minimal setup, stock removal knives, maybe something in between? Do you have a kiln, a forge or a way to heat treat your knives? Are you dead set on using a fire pit and files? What kind of tools do you have, that will help you determine your overall plan.
2. OK so you have a plan, now you need to purchase the appropriate steel. Collecting your own steel isn't really an option at this point, you need to know the steel's composition to heat treat it. What is important now is how the steel will be heat treated.
3. OK how will you heat treat? You have a few basic options.
A - At home simple heat treat, I consider this to be any method in which you have to determine the temperature yourself and have no controlled heat source. You have to know what you are doing so you don't burn your steel, a magnet will probably be your best way to determine temperature along with eyeballing it. Not easy but not expensive, there is a lot to learn to get this right.
B - Do it yourself heat treat with a controlled heat source. Plan on spending a fair bit of money and or time aquiring the equipment, knowledge and materials. This gives the knifemaker lots of options.
C - Send it off - this may ultimately be the cheapest option for the beginning maker. You have more options as far as steel choice go. It is probably best to stick to something affordable and relatively easy to work.
Steel
Option A - simple to work, heat treat and inexpensive
1084 - probably the best overall beginner steel but don't let that confuse you, it is top notch material.
5160 - more complicated to heat treat but can be forgiving, it is also inexpensive as far as blade steels go
1075 - also a good steel and simple to heat treat, get the correct variety for the quenchant you have, some versions are water hardening (fast oil)
There are a few others I am forgetting but these three are cheap, easy to purchase and come in good sizes for making knives
Option B - You really need to have a controlled heat source and the proper equipment to quench - Air hardening even more complicated!
1084
5160
1075
Warning!
These steels are not really for beginners but someone who is starting out and has a better grasp on heat treatO1 - comes precision ground generally and is a good overall steel - much more complicated heat treat - needs special oil
A2 - also precision ground but air hardening, it is a little tougher to work with than any listed so far but you can plate quench - need ss foil, etc
1095 - not too complicated of a heat treat temperature-wise but must be quenched correctly to harden, it is inexpensive and relatively easy to work - has higher distortion and needs a fast quench
CPM154 - stainless and you can take it to a thin edge pre heat treat - needs super high heat, inert environment, plate quench, etc
once again, there are more options I haven't touched on
Option C - Send it off
Why stick to steels you have to heat treat yourself? Let the pros do the work!
I'd still stick to an easier to work and lower priced steel like 1084, 5160, 1075, O1, 1095 or A2. Spend the extra time making more knives! Here are a few more options.
CPM154 - this is just an example of the many steels that aren't too hard to work in the annealed (soft) state and will not take a lot of post heat treating clean up work
Air hardening steels are generally harder to work with and some really should be avoided if working with hand tools. On the other hand steels like A2 and cpm154 are not bad to work in the softened stage and as a big advantage can be taken to a thinner edge prior to hardening, giving you less work to do post heat treat.
More to consider!
Oils - some steels like 1084 and 5160 can be successfully quenched in canola or olive oil, this is nice if you only plan on a few blades and already have some oil.
Steels like O1 may need a slower quench oil, I don't really consider O1 a beginner steel because of this.
Other steels must have a very fast nose on the quench, 1095 and other steels listed as water hardening meet these requirements. They can distort more during quench and also require a special quench oil. Water or brine may be used but the risk of failure is great, slower oils like canola may work depending on blade thickness, etc... best left for thos more experienced. (just my opinion, I personally enjoy brine quenching and don't mind an occasional broken one
)Air hardening steels usually can be plate quenched. Air hardening steels usually aren't recommended for beginners but I see no reason why not as long as you have the correct set up and use the steels that are simpler to heat treat and work.
Soak time, rate of temperature etc... must be considered when selecting steel
I think it is best to get used to one steel at first, it will eliminate a variable in your process.
Don't deviate from the norm! If the steel needs a 45 minute soak at 1740 F, a stainless foil bag and a quick plate quench don't even consider doing that on a campfire!
I'm just touching on this and it is just my opinion, other opinions, thoughts, facts, help, etcetera are more than welcome! I'm just trying to help out so any corrections or thoughts are most appreciated.
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