ak15-t

Ok, so do different kinds of steel demagnetize at different temps? Is there a good online, free guide for this info?

Hello all, I am new to knife making and have some questions. I want to make a hunting/skinning knife, roughly 4" blade. I am not sure what kind of steel to use. I live in Alaska, and would be using it frequently hunting in the mountains and wetlands, so something rust resistant is very attractive. I had originally thought 1095, but then realized that that is too prone to rusting. I kind of wanted to use CMPS 90V, which is supposed to maintain a good edge, and be rust resistant, but thought that maybe for my first attempt, I should use 1095, as it is cheaper? I want to make an extremely rugged, tough knife that will stay sharp, and not rust easily, I just need to figure out what kind of steel to use.

Howdy. I am currently deployed in Kuwait, and am looking at getting into knifemaking. I have been looking at designs for forges, and I have a pretty good design for a forge I want to make with an ammo can, bricks, metal pipe, and a hairdryer. We have plenty of scrap wood, and charcoal is cheap at the PX so fuel is no problem. I can also find a section of I beam to use as an anvil. I want to buy some sections of steel, I am not sure which is better, either 1095 hi carbon, or CMPS 90V. I want to design a hunting type knife for a wet, crappy climate, (Alaska). We have all the necessary tools for cutting and hammering and grinding, but I am curious about heat treating. On the website www.knifemaking.com,, the strips of 1095 they sell are supposed to be heat treated at 1400-1475f. Can a small, homemade charcoal forge get that hot? I am assuming that I can buy a thermometer to mount on the side of the ammo can? Any advice you can give me on starting up is greatly appreciated!