T15 HSS

[MBB]

So I've been reading the "Tool Steels" link that Larrin posted recently, and I've noticed that at the time it was published (circa 1999-2000), T15 was the highest performing steel in a lot of the comparisons. So, what happened to it? Did it just get replaced by newer PM steels or what? Just curious as I see M2 and M4 on AKS as blade materials but no T15.

Mike

 

[Larrin]

T15 is a high wear resistance high speed steel with relatively poor toughness. Why it isn't popular among knifemakers I can't say but there are other high wear resistance steels to choose from. There is also a CPM version out there, here is a datasheet: https://www.zapp.com/fileadmin/down...ahl/02-cpm-werkstoffe/CPMRexT15_Datasheet.pdf

Another datasheet: http://www.wujii.com.tw/PDF/CPM-T15.pdf

 

[Robert Erickson]

Just checked the Hudson Tool Steel website for T15 pricing and for the low low price of $88 plus shipping you could own a 0.5" X 1.5" X 8" bar of it. (It didn't come any thinner)

 

[skillgannon]

That's not so expensive if you just use a hacksaw and cut it into 4 .125" pieces.

 

[MBB]

Damn! It still is a super steel...as in super expensive!

 

[DevinT]

Damn! It still is a super steel...as in super expensive!

Were you planning on making plane blades from the T15? Knives?

Hoss

 

[MBB]

Were you planning on making plane blades from the T15? Knives?

Hoss

I wasn't although it would be interesting. Probably would chip out a lot on uneven woods but would hold an edge forever at 67-68 HRC.

I have been trying to learn as much as I can about metallurgy while learning the knife making at the same time. T15 is used as a super steel reference in the "Tool Steels" book, so it got me wondering as to why I hadn't seen it used in knives. Something I read suggested it had been used in planer blades at one point, although casual googling only turned up T1 in some Asian import blades.

Anyway, just a point of curiosity.

Thanks,

Mike