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October 8th, 2011, 07:28 PM
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#1 | | Designated Marksman
Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 578
| Question for any knife makers out there
OK
I want to make a couple of custom knifes for myself, I want to use carbon steel because I hate stainless for knifes. What would be the best steel to use? I will cut the blanks out on a water jet machine and will send them out to be heat treated at a professional company. These will be fairly large knives with a thickness of at least 1/4".
Casey
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October 8th, 2011, 07:38 PM
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#2 | | Scout Sniper
Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: under a rock IN CENTRAL MASS.
Posts: 822
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Steel known as d-2. It is an air hardening die steel. You will not break it once it is done. It is hard to work with.
IT IS ALSO EXPENSIVE, BUT WORTH THE MONEY.
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October 8th, 2011, 08:39 PM
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#3 | | Snappin In
Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: S.E. Michigan
Posts: 15
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Second that. D-2
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October 9th, 2011, 02:44 AM
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#4 | | Snappin In
Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: nc
Posts: 25
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Years ago I made some out of O1 (oil hard) they held an edge well.
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October 9th, 2011, 03:03 AM
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#5 | | Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: NC Florida
Posts: 10,123
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For high carbon steel its hard to beat old leaf springs. But they are already formed & tempered so you really need a forge. Heat them & let them cool to take the temper out of them. Then heat & flatten. Then you can start forming them.
I've the top forge. http://www.nctoolco.com/pages/forges3.htm
HH
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October 9th, 2011, 03:16 AM
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#6 | | Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: NC Florida
Posts: 10,123
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If you exclusively want to do knives I suggest the bottom one on the page. With either of them you can do your own tempering. With either you can make your own tongs. Also be able to make your own hardies for an anvil. And a host of other useful tools.
HH
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October 9th, 2011, 04:58 AM
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#7 | | Platoon Commander
Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: cent-IL, USA
Posts: 425
| Springs;
I have often thought of trying a leaf spring. Just haven't gotten around to it. What I have used in the past and has worked very well.
You can find old files of various sizes very cheaply at garage sales. The metal is very hard and once you work it makes a strong edge holding blade. I've made throwing and hunting knives from files.
I have also used large railroad hacksaw blades to make filet and skinning knives. I don't think they use these type blades much anymore since the cut off wheels came into use.
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October 9th, 2011, 05:06 AM
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#8 | | Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: NC Florida
Posts: 10,123
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Old hand crosscut saw blades make fine fillet knives. I temper them in salt water which allows for flex in the blade.
HH
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October 9th, 2011, 06:22 AM
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#9 | | Platoon Commander
Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: cent-IL, USA
Posts: 425
| Salt water;
I've never considered salt water. I'll have to try it. I learned to oil temp my blades from a metal smith years ago and have always used that process.
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October 9th, 2011, 08:34 AM
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#10 | | Grunt
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Big Arm Montana
Posts: 104
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While I've never made a knife myself the best knives that I own seem to be the ones made from 1095 carbon steel.
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October 9th, 2011, 11:08 AM
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#11 | | Designated Marksman
Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 578
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Huntinghawk
I never thought about using leaf springs, I used one to make a seat spring for my bosses hard tail chopper. I cut it to look like a dog bone one the water jet and bolted it to the frame on a bracket I made, It actually has a very nice ride. [pic is not the best] I did not anneal it because the water jet will cut any thing,
Casey
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October 9th, 2011, 11:25 AM
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#12 | | Rifleman
Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: florida
Posts: 68
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Hi,
I've forged knives for awhile now and do my own heat treat,but this restricts me to plain carbon steels. Spring steel(5160) files (1095,W-2) O-1,ect. Your D-2 is a die steel actually and made for machining,but is excellent for knives if you have a knife makers temp-timing control furnace as this steel needs soak time to heat treat correctly. Jimmy Lile that made the first "Rambo" knife used this steel!
If you are really interested in knifemaking I would suggest that you find your local chapter of ABANA in you state and go to a meeting and talk to people face to face. You will learn more in an hour there than a month here on the Internet!!!
Last edited by seagiant; October 9th, 2011 at 12:01 PM.
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October 9th, 2011, 12:13 PM
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#13 | | Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: NC Florida
Posts: 10,123
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I agree 100% with the above.
HH
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October 9th, 2011, 02:18 PM
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#14 | | Rifleman
Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 44
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i like D2 but it is hell on stones...although it does hold a heck of an edge...
O1 is nice too...I have a folder made out of that that I usually carry daily...
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October 9th, 2011, 02:30 PM
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#15 | | Fire Team Leader
Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Puget Sound Area
Posts: 192
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D2 is good stuff, but 52100 is my favorite non-stainless blade steel, but it's mostly used by forgers.
Second the 5160 suggestion.
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