Gee this sure is empty!

[Rich Hale]

Let me be the first to mar this really clean board.
Material selection for knives; Most of you that have discussed this area with me will know that I almost always suggest that we buy and use new steel for blades,,I feel that is simply the way to eliminate a problem in used steel that may cause a failure in a blade later on in the process. Does new material guarantee success? Of course not. Will it new push the odds in your favor even a tiny bit? Maybe. I order new steel mail order. For 1084 1/8"x 1" for example I pay $2 a foot plus shipping. I order one day it is here the next. If I want to get used material I need to print out the list on here that tells me what items are made from what steel and go find them at recycle yard or auto salvage yard. If I forge a piece of new and it shows a crack in it later I know pretty well it is something I created. If I use recycled steel and a crack turns up was it there or was it me? There is a nice feeling about makeing something out of something else. If I use all my powers to heat treat and it does not hold an edge? Is it the steel or is it me? Enjoy

[ThomasPowers]

"used steel" is always a gamble---was it abused, is it really the alloy I expect it to be? (first time you run across a low carbon strain hardened leaf spring you think you're going mad---stuff will not quench harden!)

But new steel has a definite cost be it in time or money or perhaps even more telling the unwillingness to practice on "bought metal".

I generally suggest that people starting out use new steel of known composition, try to limit the unknowns in a piece as much as possible---then I myself often use "found" metal....

HOWEVER, if I do not know what the alloy is explicitly, I will not call it that! So "Old Truck Spring" *NEVER* 5160 unless I have had it tested!

Thomas

[Glenn]

BP0002 Junk Yard and Rail Road Steels