I reckon the first thing I'd do with them is see if they are heat treatable. Heat one end to non-magnetic, let it air cool. see if you can cut it with a file. Yes? heat to non-mag again, quench it in oil. Can you cut it with a file? Yes? Heat to non-mag again, and quench in lukewarm water. Does the file skate across and not cut so good? Then you have a warm water quenching steel. Next practice tempering. lay the piece on some hot blocks that just came out of the forge, and let the heat run up your test piece, untill the end just starts to turn brown/blue. quench in water to stop the tempering there. Sharpen the tempered end, and see what she'll take. pound it into a log, and see if you can wiggle it back out without it breaking. Didn't break? May be worth forging into a knife. Don't forge high carbon steel below a below a brite red, take another heat..
This is how I would approach an unknown steel, Lets see what others have to say..
Mike
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