• The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
    Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.

  • Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I pray that this nation does not forget the loss of lives from this horrible event. Yesterday conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I worry about what is to come. Please love one another and your family in these trying times - Spark

W-2 steel

Tom Lewis

Tom Lewis

Joined
Feb 24, 2000
Messages
1,882
Has anyone used Aldo's W-2 steel lately? I have a lot of his W-2 steel that I got years ago. I stopped making knives with it because of heat treat problems. The steel was very inconsistent. I tried all sorts of normalizing and what worked on one piece of steel didn't work on a different piece.
I have been using 26c3 steel and have liked the Hamon that clay tempering produces but lately the 26c3 steel has had alloy banding problems.
I am thinking of trying W-2 steel again but would like to know if the heat treating problems have been solved.
 
Accentuate the banding, customers love it.

Edit: try switching to 1095, most steel these days is made from recycled materials and will have a tiny bit of alloy making it very close to W2.

Hoss
 
Just buy some Don Hanson III W-2 steel. You'll love it. ;) :cool:
Problem is, I don't think there is any more for sale. I saw some large round stock on The Bladesmith's Forum recently that was all snapped up in a day.

20 years ago I bought W-2 from Admiral and Aldo. Both were fine back then. I know that Aldo's isn't the same now, and don't know about Admiral's current material. I haven't bought any since I made a lifetime supply purchase of DH3 W-2. There are probably people with a search engine that watches for my eventual obituary, waiting to offer my wife or heirs help in cleaning out my shop and supplies. Hopefully, none want me to hasten that day. I plan on using it for another 20 years ... and still will have leftover steel. Watch the Exchange in 2040-2045.
 
I am using some now that I bought about a year ago. So far I'm just doing everything pretty much standard and look to have a great hamon on the first one finished. I just forged some more stuff with it so I'll report back later.
 
This is one I just did in DH III W2.
You might be amazed at how close to that you can get with W1. I don't think folks give W1 enough credit.
pQSSNwK.jpg
 
Tom Lewis said:
Has anyone used Aldo's W-2 steel lately?
Click to expand...
I see a lot of comments about DHIII W-2, not much info on the OP question.....:(


Pardon my rant, but we all know Don's W-2 is great AND not available, so please stop posting about this let's answer the original question.

(I might be a bit sour about seeing post on bladesmithsforum for the W-2 for sale the same day it was posted and still too late to get my hands on any....)
 
FYI, there is SOME DH W-2 still available. I am selling it. It is posted on the Bladesmith's Forum, under Tailgate Sales, Tools and Supplies and Materials, Hanson W-2 for Sale.

Sold 2" x 11" round $110 ea.
Plus shipping

Check is much preferred over PayPal or other electronic transfer methods.

Located in Eagan, MN (a southern suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota)

Let me know. I was planning on keeping this last part of my stash, but I could let it go.

Thanks,
Dan Kaschner
dkaschner@comcast.net
 
Last edited:
weo said:
I see a lot of comments about DHIII W-2, not much info on the OP question.....:(


Pardon my rant, but we all know Don's W-2 is great AND not available, so please stop posting about this let's answer the original question.

(I might be a bit sour about seeing post on bladesmithsforum for the W-2 for sale the same day it was posted and still too late to get my hands on any....)
Click to expand...
My post was mostly about giving W1 a try. If a person is seeking hamons - as is the OP - W1 is under valued. It will be nearly as nice as the W2 photo I posted. I used that photo as an example.
These are W1 from Fastenal.
:
rwLApI1.jpg


8Fq5DKN.jpg


0PLOD1a.jpg
 
I will be more than happy to try W-1 steel. I just went to Fastenal and typed in W-1 steel. The results were anything but W-1 steel for knifemaking.
So my question is, how can I find W-1 knife steel on Fastenal or any other place?
 
Tom Lewis said:
I will be more than happy to try W-1 steel. I just went to Fastenal and typed in W-1 steel. The results were anything but W-1 steel for knifemaking.
So my question is, how can I find W-1 knife steel on Fastenal or any other place?
Click to expand...
I buy my W1 from McMaster Carr. It's been very reliable for me.
 
In addition to W1, I've had really good results with 26C3, but with current potential banding issues, I've recently ordered some Sheffcut from Pop's to see how it compares.
 
I used to get that from Fastenal in my early days. I heard that Fastenal was wholesale only now, and didn't sell to the public anymore.
 
weo said:
email sent
Click to expand...
Billy, I am packing the steel today. I don't have (and/or misplaced) your shipping address. Could you please email or call with the address you would like me to ship to? This way it will be ready to ship when the check clears.

Sorry for the hassle.

Thanks,
Dan Kaschner
dkaschner@comcast.net
(612) 963-0624
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top