What kind of steel?

[L6steel]

What kind of steel would turn to mush when hardened and tempered the same way as ats34? I had a spring from a folder kit and it wasn't too springy so I thought I'd try heat treating it and threw it in with an ats34 blade. Held em at 1925 for 20 minutes nd cooled them in an air stream, then heated them to 950 for two one hour cycles. The blade came out fine but the spring was so soft you could tie it in knots.

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[Bart student]

I have limited knowledge on this, but Böker uses 416 steel spings, Mikov uses 420 (actually something similar but with less chrome).
These spring were the stainless type. Both comanies have more durable non-stainless springs. Something similar to 5160.

Was your spring stainless or not?
Most steels used in knifemaking can be used as springs... I know a guy who made a linerlock of 1 material only... ATS-34. Liner, washers, blade, screws, scales, even the ball-bearing. Every part had a different heat-treathement tough.

It's all in the heat-treathment !

greetz, Bart.

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[mikeS]

Michael sounds like a mild steel, if it is stainless it is probably of the 300 series which is not hardenable.

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[Jeff Clark]

I would guess that your spring alloy wanted to be quenched a lot faster than by using an air stream. For example the water quenched alloys W-1 and W-2 would probably think they were being annealed if you air cooled them.

My general guesses for cheap spring alloys would be 1095 or 5160. These would commonly be oil quenched (as you know). If the springs were stainless I would expect them to be something like basic 420 alloy. I don't know how you normally spring temper that, but your tempering temperature seems awfully high.