View Single Post
  #1  
Old 08-01-2016, 06:10 PM
jimmontg jimmontg is offline
Guru
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Now live in Las Cruces NM.
Posts: 1,345
If you could make your own alloy knife steel?

I remember reading there used to be a small company in Ca. that would make small runs of steel alloys using a magnetic induction method to melt the metals. They made runs as small as 200 lbs. If you could choose a steel and had a few thousand dollars to make it what elements would you choose that you cannot get now?
I find myself wanting an alloy of high carbon steel with about 1.3% carbon(C) and manganese(Mn) and 3% chrome(Cr) with 2% vanadium(V) and 2% nickel(Ni) with 1% of molybdenum(Mo) and maybe half % of Tungsten(W). It could be heat treated in a forge to a bright orange and plate quenched between two plates of Aluminum. About 1500 to 1600 degrees which are attainable in a forge and for knife thicknesses you wouldn't have to hold long. This alloy could attain a high hardness of RC 60-62 and would have a good abrasion resistance with some good toughness, though maybe the HT may need to be changed.

What would you want? Or have you found your perfect alloy and what is it? (Damascus doesn't count)
And what do you think of my alloy?
Reply With Quote