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sword steel
- Thread starter cmott69
- Start date
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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- Aug 20, 2004
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a little more info please-
size?
will it be used in parctise or cutting?
is it just a wall hanger?
how are you going to make it- forge or grind?
Stacy
size?
will it be used in parctise or cutting?
is it just a wall hanger?
how are you going to make it- forge or grind?
Stacy
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2003
- Messages
- 2,361
I would say what Stacy said plus countless other variable and qualifiers. I believe any attempt to categorize steel using the word "best" is an exercise in futility, as has been clearly demonstrated in many a thread. On top of what mete and Stacy have pointed out I would also add, howwill it be worked? Tools and methods that will be used? A sword is a cleaving cutter, acting for the most part like a wedge so many of the steels that function well in abrasion resistance slicing will not only be unnecesarry they could create problems. I will not define things according to wall hangers vs. users, I will simply call them swords and sword shaped objects; if it cannot function as a sword, it is not a sword (unless time ans corrosion has changed the original intent
).
For the most part stainless alloys are going to be out (there are some who would say that you can do creative heat treatments and make them work but this is a matter of forcing a square peg into a round hole when there are round pegs available, thus it is the heat treatment that was suitable not the steel).
For simple tools with ancient designs and methods the simple carbon steels will work best.
For modern tools and processes with precise methods the carbon alloys will have the most potential.
The final product will rely much more upon the makers skill in shaping and understanding the dynamics of sword function than the steel type or perhaps even the heat treatment... Yes I actually said that last part
). For the most part stainless alloys are going to be out (there are some who would say that you can do creative heat treatments and make them work but this is a matter of forcing a square peg into a round hole when there are round pegs available, thus it is the heat treatment that was suitable not the steel).
For simple tools with ancient designs and methods the simple carbon steels will work best.
For modern tools and processes with precise methods the carbon alloys will have the most potential.
The final product will rely much more upon the makers skill in shaping and understanding the dynamics of sword function than the steel type or perhaps even the heat treatment... Yes I actually said that last part
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2004
- Messages
- 237
it will be used for cutting, blade style similar to a Burmese Dao.
16 to 20 inch blade some where in the neighborhood of 3/16 thick stock.
Would really love to forge, but unfortunately not set up for it (forge is almost complete but nothing close to an anvil yet). will be stock removal with some heating and bending to get a curve.
16 to 20 inch blade some where in the neighborhood of 3/16 thick stock.
Would really love to forge, but unfortunately not set up for it (forge is almost complete but nothing close to an anvil yet). will be stock removal with some heating and bending to get a curve.
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2004
- Messages
- 38,524
5160 or 1080 should work.
Stacy
Stacy