What steel would be good for this design?

T

TheSolitaryTraveller

Joined
May 26, 2013
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41
So i've finished a design for a tanto blade I thought up, and have really all the information i need on it except the steel. Right now I'm thinking 1075 spring steel because it seems like a good steel for this design also seems like it wouldn't be an expensive steel to. Thou I haven't dived into the bottomless pit that is steel types, so I'm not sure about really anything when it comes to this subject.
Anyways i'm looking for a steel that would be good at being outdoors for an extended period of time, able to hold an edge rather well, and be able to take abuse thus have a low chance of chipping and such. Also can't be some expensive steel that in turn will just make it an expensive knife.

Anyways heres the specs on my design, since I feel like that might help.
-Blade length: 8”
-Blade width: 1.6”
-Blade thickness: 0.25”
-Handle Length: 4.5”
-Handle width: 1.25”
-Handle thickness: 0.75”
-Overall length: 12”
-Possible Steel: 1075 spring steel
-Handle material: G10
-Estimated Weight: +- 1.40 LB
Also here's the 3d model I made of it, because why not.
http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/IvanKesja723/slideshow/Finish%20tanto

Also on a side note, what would you guys say for sheath material leather or a good polymer? Because I'm kinda split between them since leather is easier to deal with, yet poly gives me the ability to make a pretty good sheath yet at a higher cost.

Also if one of you happen to have a link of some steel type fact sheet that would be awesome if you could tell me it.
 
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5160, its relatively cheap and car sure as hell take a beating, edge retention and durability depends on the heat treat. But since it is a carbon steel the edge retention wouldn't be as good as a stainless but the durability is superior. D2 Would be the perfect steel type for that blade because it has very good edge retention and durability but the cost is higher.
 
Hm D2 doesn't seem that bad price wise considering around 90-100 dollars worth will get me 3 blades, if they are cut out correctly. Thou I wonder how hard the metal is to work with, because I lack the equipment to build my designs. Thus someone has to build it for me and knowing the workable and cost of the materials I ask for, helps me negotiate a both parties can accept.

Oh anyone have a link for a site I can buy varies steel types from, because it would be nice to have an easier way of finding prices. Plus sometimes supplying a build with the materials can save me money.
Also another side note, from what i've read and the slight experience I have with working metal and other materials building a knife seems pretty simply and easy (depending on the equipment you have). Just wondering from those of you that have built a knife before would you agree it's pretty easier depending on the knife your building, or is it just a hard task regardless. I ask because knowing the difficulty of the task help me know how much labor cost most likely will be, thus I save money and if I make a limited run I can keep prices reasonable for people.
 
TST,

Knives are simple tools. You can't get much more simple than a wedge. But even the most basic designs are deceptively hard to make. A lot of consideration and work goes into designing, making and heat treating a knife. First you have to figure out what kind of work the knife will be asked to perform. Will it be used for slicing, chopping? Will it be used for occasional prying? Will it be going through paper, hardwood, flesh and bone? Will it need to stand up to the elements, salt water, dirt, chemicals? These and other considerations dictate steel type, edge geometry, blade profile, weight distribution, handle material, heat treat, etc.

It sounds like your experience making knives is limited. If I understand you correctly it seems you are planning to have someone else build it for you. If you have an experienced maker in mind, great. If not, I would suggest looking at examples of the kind of designs in which you are interested that have been posted by makers who are members of this forum. Their work can be found displayed in many different threads. Contact them and discuss your project with them. Some of the very best makers in the world show their stuff here. Sharpening and heat treating a simple piece of steel and putting a cord wrap on it is one thing but the hand work that goes into the fit and finish of more complicated designs is not to be underestimated. Many of the gentlemen who post their work here are top of the food chain in that regard.

Most of the people here know Aldo. He is a good choice for steel. The internet and this site is full of information about steel and its properties. The search function is your friend. Below are some links to get you started. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

http://www.cashenblades.com/info.html

http://www.mcmaster.com/#about-carbon-steel/=mxizhn

http://www.mcmaster.com/#about-stainless-steel/=mxj090

http://www.mcmaster.com/#tool-steel/=mxj0yu

http://www.mcmaster.com/#88645kac/=mxj3jk

http://newjerseysteelbaron.com/
 
Thank you for the links, they are helping me out quite a bit and saving me time. But ya the reason why I rather have someone build the blade for me is because I lack any proper equipment to do it myself and obtain a good result. Otherwise I'd start grinding information to learn every little detail, then start practicing.
 
Did you want cheap or good?

Heat treat and geometry is far more important than steel selection. Use a pro and not someone who uses guesswork in their cooking recipe.

CPM3V and Paul Bos heat treat = hard to beat for hard use.

Check around here in the forums- there are plenty of stellar makers that'd be willing to take this on.
 
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I would venture to guess that if you are worried about the steel cost, you may be quite shocked by the quote of a custom knife from a good maker. Making a knife is quite simple on paper, which is fine if you want a paper knife. Making a high quality cutting tool with quality materials and professional skills take a large amount if time and effort. Not trying to deter you or anything I'm just saying that having a good knife made by a good maker will not be cheap most likely. Also your picture link takes me nowhere.
 
5160 all the way, there is nothing wrong with 1075 steel but 5160 is a all around better steel.
 
chad2 said:
5160 all the way, there is nothing wrong with 1075 steel but 5160 is a all around better steel.
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Ya After looking through the info I got of the links thanks to i4marc, 5160 seems like the best choice. Because for one I've used a large blade made of 5160 for a short time and had no problems. Also I looked into it's properties a bit more to and it seems good since it can hold an edge, take a beating, and resist chipping. But the done side is it appears to be harder to heat treat and has a higher chance of rusting, thou those aren't big issues in my opinion.
Thou a very nice plus it has is it's price since a 30 dollar strip of it can make 4 blades, which is good since if I can keep cost down I can end up with a few prototypes for testing. And ya I want to make some prototypes for testing because to me it feels wrong not to try to break a design that got built to find it flaws.
 
TheSolitaryTraveller said:
Ya After looking through the info I got of the links thanks to i4marc, 5160 seems like the best choice. Because for one I've used a large blade made of 5160 for a short time and had no problems. Also I looked into it's properties a bit more to and it seems good since it can hold an edge, take a beating, and resist chipping. But the done side is it appears to be harder to heat treat and has a higher chance of rusting, thou those aren't big issues in my opinion.
Thou a very nice plus it has is it's price since a 30 dollar strip of it can make 4 blades, which is good since if I can keep cost down I can end up with a few prototypes for testing. And ya I want to make some prototypes for testing because to me it feels wrong not to try to break a design that got built to find it flaws.
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It is very slightly harder to heat treat and it will actually resist rust better then 1075.
 
Ok that's another nice bonus, I didn't know it would resist rusting more than 1075. Also why is it slightly harder to heat treat, because I've done a few searches to find out why and the process seems the same.
 
TheSolitaryTraveller said:
Also another side note, from what i've read and the slight experience I have with working metal and other materials building a knife seems pretty simply and easy (depending on the equipment you have).
Click to expand...

Ohhh, how I chuckle every time I hear this. Oh, the memories it brings back of my own ignorance and hubris. Long story short, if it was easy, everyone would do it.

Friend, you are putting the cart before the horse. In fact, you don't even have a horse yet... and barely a cart.

If you are looking to build your first few blades yourself, I would strongly recommend a much smaller and simpler design. If you are looking to design a production model that other people will build for you, there are roughly a thousand questions you haven't even touched on yet. Not the least of which is, paying a skilled machinist or knifemaker to grind and heat-treat a handful of those will quickly run into the hundreds of dollars, no matter what steel you select. A $30 (or $200) bar of steel is quite literally the very smallest of your concerns and expenses.

I say all this not to discourage you from your dream, but rather to encourage you to learn a great deal more about knifemaking before embarking on such an ambitious endeavor.
 
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