Ultimate axe head steel

[jdm61]

Luong, I have heard the cold weather thing from makers and purveyors who have used L6 for knives for troops stationed in places like Alaska. You have to figure that someone using an axe any place north of the Ohio River could run into that issue at some point.

1.5% Ni in L6 has a huge advantage over many steels (3V included) when operating below freezing temperature. 3V doesn't has that much advantage over L6 beside corrosion resistance and minor wear resistance. With a decent ht, L6 grain can easily match 3V or even better. Hard to justify investment in a big block of PM steel to use mostly for weight.

 

[Wulf]

Winter is the best time to harvest wood.

I've never made an axe out of L6 but have used a fair amount on choppers and I have to say it's one of my favorite steels for big knives. Passed my JS performance test with an L6 blade. It is definitely not a "heat to non magnetic and quench in peanut oil" type of steel though - time and temp control are critical in getting the most out of it. L6 needs a good soak.

 

[BluntCut MetalWorks]

:thumbup:

*hand-waving flag*

When optimize metallic materials for dealing with thermal contraction, keyed attributes:

1) Elemental - atomic. Opt for low temperature radius contraction. L6 counts on Ni

2) Crystal + adjacent elem. Opt for low temperature radius contraction. Many steels heavily padded with free alloys

3) Grain. Opt for smallest grain; cleanest gb and low dislocation (mis-aligned angles). Gotta be good ht

4) Inter-crystal (lattices). Opt for highest collapse coherency. Envision, Hoberman sphere as a high coherence lattices. Gotta be ludicrously good ht

Luong, I have heard the cold weather thing from makers and purveyors who have used L6 for knives for troops stationed in places like Alaska. You have to figure that someone using an axe any place north of the Ohio River could run into that issue at some point.

 

[jdm61]

Oh, yeah. About the only steel that I use that doesn't need a good soak is 1084 and I still give it a soak, particalry because lately, it seems to always be hanging out with it trashy girlfriend 15N20. and you know what the have been doing.

Winter is the best time to harvest wood.

I've never made an axe out of L6 but have used a fair amount on choppers and I have to say it's one of my favorite steels for big knives. Passed my JS performance test with an L6 blade. It is definitely not a "heat to non magnetic and quench in peanut oil" type of steel though - time and temp control are critical in getting the most out of it. L6 needs a good soak.

 

[Willie71]

Winter is the best time to harvest wood.

I've never made an axe out of L6 but have used a fair amount on choppers and I have to say it's one of my favorite steels for big knives. Passed my JS performance test with an L6 blade. It is definitely not a "heat to non magnetic and quench in peanut oil" type of steel though - time and temp control are critical in getting the most out of it. L6 needs a good soak.

Wulf, what hardness do you run L6 at? I just did a hunter at Rc60/61. Normalized, thermal cycled, 20 min soak at 1525f, quenched in medium oil. Should I have gone a bit softer? I use a lot of 15n20 and run it at Rc62 for most purposes. I figured L6 would be quite similar based in chemistry.

 

[Willie71]

Luong, I have heard the cold weather thing from makers and purveyors who have used L6 for knives for troops stationed in places like Alaska. You have to figure that someone using an axe any place north of the Ohio River could run into that issue at some point.

15n20 would be good choice too then, but one would have to stack weld a bunch together. In my neck of the woods, -20 to -30c is common for four months of the year.

 

[Wulf]

Wulf, what hardness do you run L6 at? I just did a hunter at Rc60/61. Normalized, thermal cycled, 20 min soak at 1525f, quenched in medium oil. Should I have gone a bit softer? I use a lot of 15n20 and run it at Rc62 for most purposes. I figured L6 would be quite similar based in chemistry.

I never Rc tested any of them, only testing I ever did was with wood, antler, rope, etc
For choppers I generally temper L6 at around 450-460F, which technically should put it in the Rc58 area give or take. Never used L6 on a small cutter so can't really speak to that...

 

[jdm61]

There are more suitable steels for small slicers.

 

[BluntCut MetalWorks]

I am thinking about colonize Mar and sure don't want to be there naked cold without my blade .

Light chop test W2 blade at Mar/LN2 temperature

[video]https://youtu.be/5-mVEp7BiLo[/video]

15n20 would be good choice too then, but one would have to stack weld a bunch together. In my neck of the woods, -20 to -30c is common for four months of the year.