Theoretical steel question

[Jared Stenoien]

For those of you out there with more knowledge about steels and their compositions. If you had to option of making two batches of steel for free, whatever composition you want. What would be your choice for carbon and stainless? Just curious.

 

[Phillip Patton]

Never thought about a special stainless, but for carbon steel, here's what I'd like to see:

Carbon: 1.00% for wear resistance
Nickel: 2.5-3% for toughness and contrast (in damascus)
Vanadium: .30% for grain refinement and carbides
Molybdenum: .30% OR
Manganese: .80% for increased hardenability

 

[Larrin]

Well I'd like some high tungsten carbon steel with relatively low carbon, the DIN is 1.2442, there is a possibility that I could get some imported from Germany. For stainless I'd like what Roman Landes is working on, AEB-L with some added C, Nb and Ta for extra wear resistance, it is unknown whether they will be able to maintain the tiny carbide size, but that's the hope, of course.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

C .80%
Cr 1.0%
V 1.0%
Mn 1.0%
Mo .40%
P <.04
S <.05

This should make a good blade with an easy HT. Just enough alloy to slow things down a bit at quench, and enough to get an edge that is hard and tough. The same batch but with 3.0% nickel and only .30% Mn would be the mate for damascus. That would yield a subtle, but distinct stripe that should twist well.
Stacy

 

[Larrin]

I'm not really interested in any more of the same moderate wear resistant carbon steels. We have a good variety of tough forging steels (L6, S5, 5160, 1075, etc.) and moderately wear resistant carbon steels (1095, 52100, O1, W2, etc.), but nothing that is high in wear resistance, hence my interest in higher tungsten alloys. AKS does have some O7, though.