sword from stainless

Knife Saber

Thanks for the real terms o-tanto. I would guess that being purpose made Tanto would be a very loose clasification.

I believe that the term would be saber ground. Good flat upper profile with a lower hollow ground. The steel was only 4mm thick and needed both weight and guage for strength apart from the difficulty in hollow grinding 4mm all the way up.

Finishing materials were very short as the cutler was experiencing farm invasions and informal transfer of property. The hilt was made of two flat ground Rhodesian 25c (2&1/2 shilling) coins, superb and some flat ground 10c (one shilling) coins soldered together for the pommel.

The scabbard is laminated bamboo with brass hoops.

I generally don't show it to guests as it is shaving sharp and has caused more than one friend to visit outpatients.
 
I have a junglee panda axe in aus-8 stainless, cutting edge is about 6 inches. I have chopped through wire mesh impregnated plaster wall and it had some dings and small chips in the edge about .005~.01 inches but nothing major. My occupation is kitchen remodeling, so my knives and tools have gone through some major abuse.

It is just those shopping networks sell cheap steel that is improperly tempered. But what I'm saying is that stainless is not for swords, but I would keep stainless (for heavy chopping purpose) cutting edge under 15 inches and use properly heat treated 440a, aus6, or aus8.
 
ive heard au8 is fairly tough because of the nickel content, what do you guys think. and what about h1 it has 8% nickel i think.
 
M Wadel,

I have made a short sword, Japanese influenced but with fewer stress risers and much thinner (5/32") of 440C stainless (rc58). It has been used very hard on wood, cutting 2" poplars in single swipes, chopping spf lumber cross grain, and some chopping of harder materials. No problems reported by the owner yet. Another sword, almost 3', just 1/8" thick, ATS34, RC 60, tested not as hard on wood owing to lighter construction, bends 90 degrees (I have to stand on it to do so) and returns to straight. My D-2 swords are the only swords I have seen cut a 2 by 4 in one swipe...the high alloy doesn't cause them to shatter on impact...not even after hitting steel clamps on follow through.

Bottom line, the right high chrome alloys can make a decent sword if done properly. I expect even higher performance from the L-6 that just arrived, though. If you want the ultimate performance go with shock resistant steel. If corrosion is a problem, use high chrome and eliminate stress risers...heat treat experty (no residual stress, no hidden cracks).

I have a video of some tests around here somewhere...am willing to send it free though it takes a while.
 
For those of you who may be interested, Rob Criswell has started making swords again. His hands have healed and the 28" katana and small tantos are being sold at a few select stores.
 
swordrep said:
For those of you who may be interested, Rob Criswell has started making swords again. His hands have healed and the 28" katana and small tantos are being sold at a few select stores.
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Thank you SO MUCH for this news!

I'm very happy for Mr. Criswell, and equally happy for those of us who had not had the opportunity to purchase one of his swords.



B.
 
Cliff Stamp said:
Yes, it is easily possible, the point of contention is what would be more demanding on a blade cutting up some wood or a person.

Not speaking of general knives, especially the various tacticals, many of which are not really knives but more general purpose sharp tools, but knives specifically designed as wood cutting tools, a Valiant Golok for example, you can see the entire profile in the review I did as I mapped it out, it has a very thin profile and would not work well as a thick bone cleaver.

-Cliff
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Several posts on the Himalayan Imports forum confirm that even a khukuri with a 3/8 " thick blade can falter on chopping bone. It can be done but expect the possibility of blade damage. Wood is much easier to chop than bone. A Valiant golok is even less suitable for chopping bone than a khuk, but it can match the performance of a khuk weighing up to 6 oz more as a chopper of wood. I test chopping blades on 2x4s to assess performance. This is a fun process and sometimes yields results that are counterintuitive.:)
 
Knifeclerk said:
Yeah, there is a reason why these functional swords are made of carbon steel.
I think that Rob Criswell made some katana from 440C, but I'm not sure. Still, they were not designed with hard use in mind. Otherwise I doubt he would use a hollow grind.

If you insist on making a sword from stainless, then knock your self out. Just don't get to dissapointed if it chips, bends, or snaps.

As an aside, you may want to refrain from lashing out at other members just because you don't get the sort of lip service you like.

Have fun.
-KC

Out of curiosity, why do you think stainless will be just as good?
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Rob Criswell's blades are made from differentially heat treated A2 steel. They will stand up to some pretty hard use. In fact they will take more of a beating than many swords.
 
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