What steel is more file friendly?

[Musicman88]

Hey guys, Ive managed to make my first knife semi successfully using 1095 and hand-filling the bevels and edge. I say semi successfully cause I dont know how hard it is after my HT. I found that i spent way too long filling down the bevels and I’m wondering if 80crv2 would be easier to hand file for my next project. Basically as I’m not using a belt sander and doing this as more of a hobby, I’m just looking for a good steel that is easy to work with a file and easy to heat treat! I only have a coal forge at my disposal, a home made file jig, sandpaper, a vice, some clamps and a decent bastard file. Would really appreciate some steel buying advice for my next project and if 80crv2 would be the best bet for me. Thank you!

 

[Joshua Fisher]

You won’t notice a difference filing annealed steel between most simple high carbon steels, 8670 has a wider range for heat treating making it easier to get good results in a forge, I’d recommend it over 80crv2 for most applications.

 

[Natlek]

Hey guys, Ive managed to make my first knife semi successfully using 1095 and hand-filling the bevels and edge. I say semi successfully cause I dont know how hard it is after my HT. I found that i spent way too long filling down the bevels and I’m wondering if 80crv2 would be easier to hand file for my next project. Basically as I’m not using a belt sander and doing this as more of a hobby, I’m just looking for a good steel that is easy to work with a file and easy to heat treat! I only have a coal forge at my disposal, a home made file jig, sandpaper, a vice, some clamps and a decent bastard file. Would really appreciate some steel buying advice for my next project and if 80crv2 would be the best bet for me. Thank you!

With good and right file should not be that difficult to grind bevels .Grind bevels in steps , like on this picture ...first red then green and blue last . Make same 15-20 mm wide and long as file plate to hold sandpaper and use it on jig you have as you use file . . .

 

[Musicman88]

You won’t notice a difference filing annealed steel between most simple high carbon steels, 8670 has a wider range for heat treating making it easier to get good results in a forge, I’d recommend it over 80crv2 for most applications.

Hey Joshua, thanks for your reply. Thats almost disheartening I was looking forward to the idea of being able to file bevels easier than my previous knife... unfortunately I design my knives on cad and the company who laser cuts them doesnt have 8670. My choices are 12crv 80crv2 01 D2 Elmax and 1095

 

[Musicman88]

With good and right file should not be that difficult to grind bevels .Grind bevels in steps , like on this picture ...first red then green and blue last . Make same 15-20 mm wide and long as file plate to hold sandpaper and use it on jig you have as you use file . . .

Hello Natlek, thanks! Im not sure im fully understanding the diagram correctly though. Will a sandpaper “file” eat through the material faster than a file?

 

[Natlek]

Hello Natlek, thanks! Im not sure im fully understanding the diagram correctly though. Will a sandpaper “file” eat through the material faster than a file?

You set angle on your file jig to remove material like red color first, then you lower angle so file to remove material like green color ,the you lower angle even more so file remove material till you get even surface from edge to upper line of bevel ? That way you remove less material in any step and it will be faster ... Is it clear now?
Sandpaper file you use AFTER you finish bevels with file .............to get rid of big scratches from file ....
Sorry for my English

 

[Bill DeShivs]

You might look for a Nicholson "Magicut" file. They cut pretty fast. Then use your existing file, then use sandpaper.

 

[A.McPherson]

I agree with bill, the magicut files are great.

Also, get new large files for fast removal of metal. Like 14" files. The longer the file the faster it can remove metal, cause you can take a longer stroke.

Also, try to clamp your work down securely. If your work has any flex in it, you are wasting energy on bending the metal.

 

[Chalet]

I highly recommend a Pferd Chipbreaker for this task. It will leave grooves that you’ll need to use a finer file and sandpaper on but someone here recommended it to me and before I got a belt grinder it made filing much faster (still slow though).

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I second the use of a fast take-down file like the Magicut and Chipbreaker.

BUT, whatever file you use it is important to file correctly. A file cuts in one direction. Filing back and forth with a sawing motion will kill a good file fast. You should lift the file on the return stroke and not slide it backwards over the metal. I see this sawing motion done by people with file jigs and just shake my head.
Also, use a file card or stiff wire brush to brush the teeth clean regularly. Make sure all grease and oil are cleaned off the file before starting or it will clog up faster. I think chalking a file is more about absorbing oil and grease than filling the grooves.