As a young knife maker that’s been playing around with scrap steels I’ve found/bought For a few years now, I’ve been wanting to get into it more, really useful video! Keep it up 👍🏻
Thanks for the advice. Just starting out and I've been looking for a while for a good steel to start with. A lot of people get to in depth with all the different kinds of steel. Ima go with 1085 thanks to the advice!
truck springs are usually 5160, which is a very good steel for beginners..You can of course get new 5160 from spring makers.. heat treat temps are not real critical. Non-magnetic is hot enough, although 825 or 835 might be better. you *can* use a MAPP torch shooting into a small firebrick enclosure for a forge but you'll go broke buying those 400-gram bottles.far better to build a real forge.
Hey great video, answered a lot of questions. I have been making small knife designs from old files for practice and I’m now going to try the heat treatment route with 1085 the way you described! Thanks
Hi Maurice, Experience my friend. Testing your method by producing test pieces and seeing what they do in different situations. You are right on the money that the hardness and edge geometry need to be complimentary to get the highest performance. The best way to test hardness is to use a rockwell hardness test machine but they can cost thousands of dollars. If you are just starting out have a look for Rockwell test file kits. They will give you a rough quantitative result. they can be purchased for a under $200 dollars. The best thing to do would be master one type of steel to limit your variables. Use one steel and make kitchen knives and hunting knives from it. Make sure you write down how you heat treated each one for later reference if you test them. And try and standardise how you test them. A great place to research would be www.knifesteelnerds.com
What you think about O1 steel, its one of the fews i can get in my country, i only made one knife so far from a leaf spring, i have a homemade forge from a propane tank, i can get high temperatures i believe. thanks in advance.
Hi, O1 is a great steel to work with. If you don't know the exact specification of the spring steel I think using O1 to start is the lesser of two evils, because you can find information about exactly how to heat treat it. Be mindful that if you over heat it you will have problems with toughness after hardening. The blade may end up very brittle. With your propane forge see if you can get a temperature probe that will handle forging temps. You want to make sure you can get your forge holding 800-815 degrees for 10 minutes so you can give the O1 the correct soak time. I.e. get the forge to 815 degrees, put the knife in and let the blade get up to 815 degrees and keep it there for 10 minutes before quenching in oil. I am pretty sure Kevin Cashen has a good write up about heat treating O1 on his website if you want to know about normalising and forging temps. I also have a video showing what will happen with O1 steel if it is over heated.
Hey mate great video, I want to buy some steel to make some larger survival/chopper style knives, will I get the most out of 5160/SUP9 by heating past non magnetic and quenching in canola like you would with 1075/84?
I read on creativeman.com that it can be heat treated the same as the other basic carbon steel but I've read conflicting information elsewhere so I'm not sure.
Hi Wilson, the short answer is no. To properly dissolve and even out the carbides and things like chromium/silicon you will need to soak the steel. I.e. heat it to its autinisation temp and hold it there. I would think depending on the alloy/ thickness it will be between 5-20 minutes. So if you are looking for "the most" out of any steel you need to know its austinitisation temp and soak time to start.
Hi Wilson, the short answer is no. To properly dissolve and even out the carbides and things like chromium/silicon you will need to soak the steel. I.e. heat it to its autinisation temp and hold it there. I would think depending on the alloy/ thickness it will be between 5-20 minutes. So if you are looking for "the most" out of any steel you need to know its austinitisation temp and soak time to start.
I tried heat treating with 2 blow torches on 1075 and still can't get it hot enough and it only a thin chefs knife. Is there any chance you can make a video on how to read the heat treating diagram for 1084 on artisan supplies? the one with the 'temperature' up the side and the 'time-seconds' along the bottom. If the makes sense. Cheers
Just Tex those are a fair bit smaller than the oxy propane torch I am using in this vid if i am thinking correctly. You may need to insulate one side with kaowool or a heat brick to retain heat while you move the torch around. A small heat treating burner from Artisan Supplies is around $100.
Hi Spencer, if you are new I would still highly recommend tracking down some 1075 or 1084 as these will give you the best results right out of the forge with just a magnet and cheap vegetable oil. Also Kevin Cashen has released a great DVD on heat treating 1080 and 1084 steel. Do a google search for his DVD and you will be off to a great start.
I like your videos. Im starting with 1095, as Ive had advice that its easy to work with. Is there any reason 1095 is more difficult for beginners than 1075 or 1084?
Dave Dreds it technically requires a faster quench than 1084/1075. So engineered fast quench like Houghtons K will bring out the best in 1095. It puts the steel under a lot of stress though (fast quenching in oil or even water) so your stress releiving and grind eveness need to be on point before hardening. However if you already have the steel and an idea in mind try to make the knife thin, and pre heat your oil if it is a cold day.
ahhh finally. sifted through a metric fuk ton of vids to get this unambiguous information. thanks for that mate. my head was nearly done in. one question if you get it after so long... do i need to heat the (canola) oil for quenching 1075? what temp? thanks for the no bullshit vid. cheers champ...
Depends where you are, you want canola / veg oil to be around 30 degrees in my workshop. It is all about being consistent from one batch to the next though. In Sydney I rarely worry unless it is in the middle of winter.
Technically 1095 it is a fast quench steel. To get the best results you would need to use an oil like Hoghtons K quench. In thin sections like 2.5mm you will have some sucess using a food oil like peanut oil or vegie oil, the steel will harden but not to the optimal degree and potentially not deep enough to create an edge that will last through many sharpenings.
@@batcountryforge5945 Arizona. I have been looking for 1080/1084 steel for months. I can't even find it online. It's sold out everywhere. All I can find is very limited 1075 and plenty of 1095, O1, etc.
TheWolfe83 1075 has better availability if you don't already have 1084. Heat treat them using 1084 instructions from Kevin Cashen online any you will be fine.
As a young knife maker that’s been playing around with scrap steels I’ve found/bought For a few years now, I’ve been wanting to get into it more, really useful video! Keep it up 👍🏻
Thanks mate, let me know if you have other questions
Great information. Simply and honestly delivered. Nice work mate
Thanks for the advice. Just starting out and I've been looking for a while for a good steel to start with. A lot of people get to in depth with all the different kinds of steel. Ima go with 1085 thanks to the advice!
1084 sorry
Wow buddy, clear and concise. Thankyou for sharing your knowledge with us.
Thanks Chris, I am currently building a new workshop so hopefully I can start into the videos again when it is done.
The knowledge is appreciated
Thanks mate, glad people still find this vid useful!
truck springs are usually 5160, which is a very good steel for beginners..You can of course get new 5160 from spring makers.. heat treat temps are not real critical. Non-magnetic is hot enough, although 825 or 835 might be better. you *can* use a MAPP torch shooting into a small firebrick enclosure for a forge but you'll go broke buying those 400-gram bottles.far better to build a real forge.
Hey great video, answered a lot of questions. I have been making small knife designs from old files for practice and I’m now going to try the heat treatment route with 1085 the way you described! Thanks
Whats the best way to check if your treatment has worked and what differences in hardness are required for dfferent types of blade. Is there a book?
Hi Maurice,
Experience my friend. Testing your method by producing test pieces and seeing what they do in different situations. You are right on the money that the hardness and edge geometry need to be complimentary to get the highest performance. The best way to test hardness is to use a rockwell hardness test machine but they can cost thousands of dollars. If you are just starting out have a look for Rockwell test file kits. They will give you a rough quantitative result. they can be purchased for a under $200 dollars. The best thing to do would be master one type of steel to limit your variables. Use one steel and make kitchen knives and hunting knives from it. Make sure you write down how you heat treated each one for later reference if you test them. And try and standardise how you test them. A great place to research would be www.knifesteelnerds.com
Are you around Victoria? Do you do custom made sword? How much for one but I do it in your shop but I pay full price.
you are a clown
How bout the sup9 steel is that exact 5160, is sup9 a good steel?
Very well presented.
Thanks Tom much appreciated!
What you think about O1 steel, its one of the fews i can get in my country, i only made one knife so far from a leaf spring, i have a homemade forge from a propane tank, i can get high temperatures i believe.
thanks in advance.
Hi, O1 is a great steel to work with. If you don't know the exact specification of the spring steel I think using O1 to start is the lesser of two evils, because you can find information about exactly how to heat treat it. Be mindful that if you over heat it you will have problems with toughness after hardening. The blade may end up very brittle. With your propane forge see if you can get a temperature probe that will handle forging temps. You want to make sure you can get your forge holding 800-815 degrees for 10 minutes so you can give the O1 the correct soak time. I.e. get the forge to 815 degrees, put the knife in and let the blade get up to 815 degrees and keep it there for 10 minutes before quenching in oil. I am pretty sure Kevin Cashen has a good write up about heat treating O1 on his website if you want to know about normalising and forging temps. I also have a video showing what will happen with O1 steel if it is over heated.
Hey mate great video, I want to buy some steel to make some larger survival/chopper style knives, will I get the most out of 5160/SUP9 by heating past non magnetic and quenching in canola like you would with 1075/84?
I read on creativeman.com that it can be heat treated the same as the other basic carbon steel but I've read conflicting information elsewhere so I'm not sure.
Hi Wilson, the short answer is no. To properly dissolve and even out the carbides and things like chromium/silicon you will need to soak the steel. I.e. heat it to its autinisation temp and hold it there. I would think depending on the alloy/ thickness it will be between 5-20 minutes. So if you are looking for "the most" out of any steel you need to know its austinitisation temp and soak time to start.
Hi Wilson, the short answer is no. To properly dissolve and even out the carbides and things like chromium/silicon you will need to soak the steel. I.e. heat it to its autinisation temp and hold it there. I would think depending on the alloy/ thickness it will be between 5-20 minutes. So if you are looking for "the most" out of any steel you need to know its austinitisation temp and soak time to start.
It will definatley harden but you will be leaving some performance on the table. Ill look up the specifics and get back to you.
@@batcountryforge5945 Thanks mate I thought that would be the case
hey mate great vid. What steel would you recommend for a beginner wanting to make tools suck as hammers ?
Suddden Beans Hi 1045 is easily available and suits that job very well.
Cool thanks. I live in Australia too. Where would be a good place to buy 1045 and 1075 ?
Check out artisansupplies.com.au they will have everything you need ;)
This dude is blazed...🔥.
I tried heat treating with 2 blow torches on 1075 and still can't get it hot enough and it only a thin chefs knife. Is there any chance you can make a video on how to read the heat treating diagram for 1084 on artisan supplies? the one with the 'temperature' up the side and the 'time-seconds' along the bottom. If the makes sense. Cheers
I'll see if I can put together a summary of the Time Temp Transition diagram.
What type of torches were you using?
cool, the torches are the blue propane ones
Just Tex those are a fair bit smaller than the oxy propane torch I am using in this vid if i am thinking correctly. You may need to insulate one side with kaowool or a heat brick to retain heat while you move the torch around. A small heat treating burner from Artisan Supplies is around $100.
yeah i'm been looking at the gas burners on artisans and looks like i might have build a forge and go that way . Cheers
What if I am buying a forge and I am new to blade smithing
Hi Spencer, if you are new I would still highly recommend tracking down some 1075 or 1084 as these will give you the best results right out of the forge with just a magnet and cheap vegetable oil. Also Kevin Cashen has released a great DVD on heat treating 1080 and 1084 steel. Do a google search for his DVD and you will be off to a great start.
Hi mate. You mentioned the place you get the steel from in this vid. What is called?
ArtisanSupplies.com.au Links are in the description.
you need to clear those cupboards brother, good video btw.
Moved to a new workshop just recently so the cupboards have been cleared ;) Thanks mate!
how do i heat treat sup 9
Hi loo I commented on your other question a process for you to follow. Let me know if you need more detail.
@@batcountryforge5945 thank you so much
What about o1 tool steel?
I like your videos. Im starting with 1095, as Ive had advice that its easy to work with. Is there any reason 1095 is more difficult for beginners than 1075 or 1084?
Dave Dreds it technically requires a faster quench than 1084/1075. So engineered fast quench like Houghtons K will bring out the best in 1095. It puts the steel under a lot of stress though (fast quenching in oil or even water) so your stress releiving and grind eveness need to be on point before hardening. However if you already have the steel and an idea in mind try to make the knife thin, and pre heat your oil if it is a cold day.
ahhh finally. sifted through a metric fuk ton of vids to get this unambiguous information. thanks for that mate. my head was nearly done in. one question if you get it after so long... do i need to heat the (canola) oil for quenching 1075? what temp?
thanks for the no bullshit vid.
cheers champ...
Depends where you are, you want canola / veg oil to be around 30 degrees in my workshop. It is all about being consistent from one batch to the next though. In Sydney I rarely worry unless it is in the middle of winter.
WHAT ABOUT 1095 STEEL....
Technically 1095 it is a fast quench steel. To get the best results you would need to use an oil like Hoghtons K quench. In thin sections like 2.5mm you will have some sucess using a food oil like peanut oil or vegie oil, the steel will harden but not to the optimal degree and potentially not deep enough to create an edge that will last through many sharpenings.
Q: "The best steel for knife making?"
A: "That steel that you can't find anywhere."
Where abouts are you?
@@batcountryforge5945 Arizona. I have been looking for 1080/1084 steel for months. I can't even find it online. It's sold out everywhere.
All I can find is very limited 1075 and plenty of 1095, O1, etc.
@@KurNorock If you grab that 1075 and treat it like 1084 to begin with you will be off to a great start.
Or 1075
TheWolfe83 1075 has better availability if you don't already have 1084. Heat treat them using 1084 instructions from Kevin Cashen online any you will be fine.
Bat Country Forge thanks a lot I will check it out!