Knife Thread

[Mr.Sandman]

Looking good Jake, that mahogany handle with palm swells looks slick.

[jakethebeast]

Yeah, fits to hand so perfectly

[sharpshooter11000]

Lovely looking knives there!
I'm working on a knife at the moment (though I'm cheating and getting most of it laser cut), full tang bushcraft knife, but I was wondering is there an ideal type of steel to use? And would you recommend using carbon steel or stainless?

[jakethebeast]

I think carbon steel performs better, but the ideal type of steel depends on what you do with it.

If its a chopping knife the blade needs to be tought, so lower carbon content is better. Like 0.6-0.8%. 5160 is pretty ideal steel for leukus, bowies and others.

For smaller knife for liek skinning and woodworking, the blade needs to be hard. But too hard is not good. So higher carbon content is better, i like to use 0.8% pure carbonsteel, and k560 (1.3%C, little V and lots of Cr) makes very hard and good blades.

MY puukkos are forged from k560, dont know the hrc but my tempering technigue makes preetty strong blades (i guess its around 59-61hrc)

And for chopping knifes, i would recommend 55-57hrc

[Mr.Sandman]

How does k560 stack up against something like 52100? Bohler makes some top notch steel, i just picked up a spyderco paramilitary 2 in m390.

[sharpshooter11000]

Thanks for that post Jake, really helpful! Just wondering, would it be better to use stainless if I'm using it near water a lot or would carbon steel be alright as long as I take care of it?

[jakethebeast]

If you remeber to wipe the water away your fine! Properly heat treatedcarbon steel is pretty corrosion resistant.

Havent used 52100 much, but i have noticed thats its more brittle than k560. Iv made few blades from 52100 to use as drill-latheing delrin and brass.

I do have 10mm x 12mm x 320mm piece of 52100, maybe ill try to make a blade from it

[daniel0663]

But 64hrc with those grinding angles??

I like lean slicers however, i would of preferred 60-61 HRC

One thing i've noticed with this file steel - considerably harder to sharpen compared to other high carbon steel i've used (O1, Elmax, Calmax and AEBL) which have been generally HT to 59-60 HRC. It almost feels like i'm sharpening S35VN and other modern steels.

AO sharpening stones isn't working too well with this steel, might try Silicone carbide stone or diamond coated hones.

However, 600 grit edge with a stropped edge seems to be working well.


Looking at your other projects, i might try a hidden tang!

[jakethebeast]

Hidden tang has its own things that needs to be considered. Bolster fitting, making snug hole to the wood etc. I could take some pics next time im doing a puukko to show you how i do it

[daniel0663]

Simple pics would be awesome

[Mr.Sandman]

That full tang knife looks really good daniel, in fact its really good for a first knife

[Crna Legija]

can anyone find the pic of Jakes knife shaving aluminium?

[jakethebeast]

Shawing aluminium? If i remeber correctly, there is no pic like that...

[Zeus]

And if there was, the person doing it would have a large piece of 4140 at cherry red shoved up their arse?

[jakethebeast]

Occurs to my mind, Lab, could you make a video of the bitch knife first cutting paper, then shredding few cans and then again cutting some paper?

Cause JSR is a whimpy pussy with hes knife and i, right now, dont have a knife to test. And if i remeber correctly, it wouldt be the first time for that knife