What is a Good Steel for a Kukri?

[skmo]

Well, now that I'm officially retired from teaching, I can spend a little time out in the barn. I'd like to get around to making a few simple projects, but my first is a big one: I want to make a kukri.

What steels should I consider? I know that both the genuine and the scoundrel Nepalese makers say they use old truck springs which are 5160 steel, and I trust this from HI but occasionally question from others. I'm wondering if this is the steel I want to use.

Would 6150 be a better choice over 5160? Would CPM-3V be worth the cost to go with that?

Also, I don't have the equipment nor the skill yet to do the heat treatment on it. Who should I use for heat treating it?

 

[kuraki]

I made two from 1095. I kept one and gave one to a friend. They've held up well.

 

[skmo]

Very nice! Doesn't it try to jump out of your hand without a big knob at the end? Did you make the Micarta yourself? I'm planning on doing that with a very old Boy Scout uniform.

 

[gabe4183]

80crv2 is pretty amazing stuff.

 

[kuraki]

Very nice! Doesn't it try to jump out of your hand without a big knob at the end? Did you make the Micarta yourself? I'm planning on doing that with a very old Boy Scout uniform.

The finger groove helps with that. I use mine for clearing brush around game cameras and I haven't felt like I was going to lose it yet. I laid up the carbon fiber scales myself with some remnant material I had left over from a canoe paddle project.

I'm done screwing around with home made laminates though. I've done linen, carbon, blue jean, canvas - I've used 3 different epoxies as well as polyester resin, and while I'm glad I did it for what I learned doing it, it's not worth my time and effort for the quality of product I get. Commercial G10 is lightyears better than anything I've produced and easier to work with.

I may do more carbon fiber, as that is actually cheaper to do yourself.

 

[skmo]

...I've done linen, carbon, blue jean, canvas - I've used 3 different epoxies as well as polyester resin, and while I'm glad I did it for what I learned doing it, it's not worth my time and effort for the quality of product I get...

I can understand that, but I want to do it at least once, I have an old Boy Scout shirt that was mine, and it's 100% cotton so it has some sentiment to go along with it.

Do you have a recommendation on a resin or epoxy which works better than others? I'm not as worried with how difficult it is, because none of the videos I've seen looked particularly simple, but one time I want to do this. I'll use T-25 Torx screws, but other than that the only thing someone else will make will be the steel itself.

 

[kuraki]

Hey I understand. System 3 SB-112 epoxy is the only one I've used that I recommend. Do not use the System 3 T-88, it's too viscous. I see West Systems recommended here and on the boat building/fiberglass world all the time as well.

I will make one suggestion. Do a lot of prep work. Get your fabric cut, and be rather precise about all of your layers being cut to the same dimensions. Then build a wood form, like this:

To clamp your layup in. Doesn't have to be pretty. Clamp it with drywall screws on either end if you don't have bar clamps, just clamp it evenly from one end to the other, and not so tight it squeezes all the resin out. Line it with wax paper prior to doing your lay up.

Then set up your linen, a paint pan or throw away aluminum pan, and your wood form in a line. Mix your resin and pour into the aluminum pan. Then take a piece of linen, coat it in the pan, making sure it's wet through and through, squeegie the excess off and lay it in the form. Then start back over.

You'll need more layers than you think to get the block thickness you want, and you'll want the longer setting resin catalyst as this takes some time. I've used polyester fiberglass resin, it sets up way too fast.