What heat treats most similar to 9260 steel?

[Trace Brown]

I learned a trick to forge weld spring steel from some dude from Alaska, you use a 50 50 mixture of ground powder charcoal and borax ground to be even more fine truly into powder not sand, astoundingly it works, I just need to know the steels that have nearly the same heat treatment specifications If not exactly, I have succeeded in welding 1075 and 15n20 Damascus plates to a 9260 core, I just wanna know what I can do what with and how far I can take it.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

5160 has the same basic HT as 9260. 9260 is usually done a tad hotter.

Charcoal and borax is a popular welding and casting flux from long ago. I still have a big can of it. Fopr casting, they also add a bit of salt peter. The old blacksmiths added finely ground feldspar to the mix for welding.