Knife Steels Carbon steel: 10XX or 10 standing for carbon content of a %. i.e. 1095 is carbon “10” .95% carbon. 1050-1095 also including W1 and White #1,2&3. Low Alloy steels: S1, S5, 5160, 8670, L6, A6, 15N20, 80CRV, O1, O2, W2, 52100 Cruforge V etc. High-speed tool steels and high-speed steels. Although not always…
Components of Steel Alloys: Carbon; C Chromium; Cr Molybdenum; Mo Silicon; Si Manganese; Mn Vanadium; V Tungsten; W Cobalt; Co
Heat Treatment Heat treatment of steel is heating steel to a temperature, usually between 1400 and 2050 degrees F, and then cooling that steel (quenching) down quickly in order to freeze it at a structure that will remain hard. See hardenability. Tempering is reheating to a much lower temperature (around 400 degrees+or – for two…
Hardenability A steel composition that, through various heat treating, can be made hard. Usually measured by HRC, HRB, or Rockwell Hardness Rating, part C, B of the scale. Other measures than Rockwell are Brinell HB, Hardness Brinell HB, or HBN. A hardness test is the amount of pressure needed to indent the steel.
Types of Steel for Knife Making Iron is by far the main ingredient in steel. Simple steel used for blades has a “high” carbon content of, but not limited to, roughly one-half of a percent to two percent of carbon. Carbon in the steel makes it “hardenable” with heat treatment. With time, trial and…