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-   -   Knife Steels-Material Science (http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10648)

Night Stalker 06-14-2013 13:28

Sorry I did not read entire thread.

Bill Harsey 06-15-2013 07:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Night Stalker (Post 511317)
I found a few old hay cutters. I have started making a knife using files and a dremel. now I am trying to smooth out the rough stuff. Any tips on hardening it? I can sharpen it now to shave the hair of of me, but it is very soft metal. Thank you

Night Stalker, Have you read this entire thread?

Night Stalker 06-15-2013 11:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Harsey (Post 511402)
Night Stalker, Have you read this entire thread?

No I did not Bill I'm sorry. I have a lot of trouble concentrating and focus. I've asked the Team SGT to remove my account. The last thing I want to do is offend or upset anyone. All do respect to all of you.

Bill Harsey 06-15-2013 12:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Night Stalker (Post 511439)
No I did not Bill I'm sorry. I have a lot of trouble concentrating and focus. I've asked the Team SGT to remove my account. The last thing I want to do is offend or upset anyone. All do respect to all of you.

Night Stalker,
I wasn't asking you to leave, just hoping you'd read post no 11 (I think).

Night Stalker 06-15-2013 14:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Harsey (Post 511402)
Night Stalker, Have you read this entire thread?

Hey Thank you very much Bill that helped a lot. I was going to use brownells Templique.
On the other issue I think I have been jumping into threads where I should not be making a statement. I been having a pretty tuff time. My pain-attention span is shot.

TCT_Knives 09-18-2014 19:49

I just finished reading all 180+ posts and nowhere on the internet will you find more applicable information compiled in one place! Awesome job Bill!

I'd like to chime in and talk briefly about the temper and how important it is. But first put into perspective the HRC # thrown around. Imagine a dial scale that reads 0 to 100. Similar to Celsius where 100 boils and 0 freezes, 100 on the Rockwell is equivalent to the hardness of a diamond, and 0 is just plain air.
As Bill has spoke about so eloquently, hard is not necessarily good. When a knife is quenched in either oil or air, it's at its hardest the chemical composition will allow. This is not a good thing because it's very brittle. Think of Ceramic or marble, they are very hard but hit them with a hammer and they will fracture. The same WILL happen to a blade, I've lost a few to loose fingers on the floor and I'm sure Bill has lost a few too. LOL
Thus comes the temper. If not done correctly you will be left with a brittle knife, or one that will bend on you and not flex back. The temper adds some ductility and adds "toughness". Unfortunately there are no scales that I know of that can read that. Therefore, you should ALWAYS use the manufactures recommendations on what temperature to use, for how long, and how many times. The Crucible website is a great source for this information.
Imagine a leaf spring or coil spring in a vehicle. It holds the weight of the car for it's entire life. It bends, contorts, springs and always goes back to it's original form. Has anyone tried to drill a leaf spring? How about the frame of the car? I challenge anyone to take a drill bit and give it a shot. Second thought, don't bother, you will just dull the bit. :) That is a direct result of car manufacturers figuring out how to heat treat a high carbon steel and temper it so it has that ductility.
Last word on Temper. Has anyone "Lost their temper"? That term was coined years ago by blacksmiths when a user of a dagger or knife he made came back with an issue. His first thought would be "Must of lost it's temper" or "Snapped". Thus when we get so mad and snap, we "lose out temper". A temper CAN be lost during the knifes life by a few bad practices. One being sharpening. If you are using any type of powered machine being a dry stone, belt, ect.. you can very easily create enough heat to pull the temper out and ruin that knife edge. Another mistake knife makers do is coat their knives with Duracoat, Ceracoat, or Powder coat not knowing how that "bake" will affect the temper. The above practices are legitimate and create either a nice ascetic appearance, or can prevent rust on a hi-carbon steel as long as you work that into your Temper. Don't take the knife to a higher temperature than it was tempered at or... you guessed it.
OK Bill, please make corrections LOL, you know I'm thick skinned.

Team Sergeant 09-19-2014 12:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by TCT_Knives (Post 563157)
I just finished reading all 180+ posts and nowhere on the internet will you find more applicable information compiled in one place! Awesome job Bill!

I'd like to chime in and talk briefly about the temper and how important it is. But first put into perspective the HRC # thrown around. Imagine a dial scale that reads 0 to 100. Similar to Celsius where 100 boils and 0 freezes, 100 on the Rockwell is equivalent to the hardness of a diamond, and 0 is just plain air.
As Bill has spoke about so eloquently, hard is not necessarily good. When a knife is quenched in either oil or air, it's at its hardest the chemical composition will allow. This is not a good thing because it's very brittle. Think of Ceramic or marble, they are very hard but hit them with a hammer and they will fracture. The same WILL happen to a blade, I've lost a few to loose fingers on the floor and I'm sure Bill has lost a few too. LOL
Thus comes the temper. If not done correctly you will be left with a brittle knife, or one that will bend on you and not flex back. The temper adds some ductility and adds "toughness". Unfortunately there are no scales that I know of that can read that. Therefore, you should ALWAYS use the manufactures recommendations on what temperature to use, for how long, and how many times. The Crucible website is a great source for this information.
Imagine a leaf spring or coil spring in a vehicle. It holds the weight of the car for it's entire life. It bends, contorts, springs and always goes back to it's original form. Has anyone tried to drill a leaf spring? How about the frame of the car? I challenge anyone to take a drill bit and give it a shot. Second thought, don't bother, you will just dull the bit. :) That is a direct result of car manufacturers figuring out how to heat treat a high carbon steel and temper it so it has that ductility.
Last word on Temper. Has anyone "Lost their temper"? That term was coined years ago by blacksmiths when a user of a dagger or knife he made came back with an issue. His first thought would be "Must of lost it's temper" or "Snapped". Thus when we get so mad and snap, we "lose out temper". A temper CAN be lost during the knifes life by a few bad practices. One being sharpening. If you are using any type of powered machine being a dry stone, belt, ect.. you can very easily create enough heat to pull the temper out and ruin that knife edge. Another mistake knife makers do is coat their knives with Duracoat, Ceracoat, or Powder coat not knowing how that "bake" will affect the temper. The above practices are legitimate and create either a nice ascetic appearance, or can prevent rust on a hi-carbon steel as long as you work that into your Temper. Don't take the knife to a higher temperature than it was tempered at or... you guessed it.
OK Bill, please make corrections LOL, you know I'm thick skinned.

Damn, you learn something new everyday! (Bill never told us that.....)

Bill Harsey 10-19-2018 07:11

TCT_Knives,
Thank you. I never knew about the origin of "losing temper", I'd thought that was just something learned naturally while working in the woods logging.

7624U 10-19-2018 12:25

So when the Smith takes the badly tempered blade from the owner and melts it down to make a new knife would that be considered a "Tantrum" ?

Then the owner then combines the two and has a "Temper Tantrum" thus acts like a child.

pcfixer 09-01-2021 11:00

I'm still learning in the area of edged weapons.
Especially the steel they are made from.

I'm looking at a knife from Bark River.Bravo 1.5 s45v/Cru

:munchin:munchin


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