D.O.G. Posted January 19, 2014 Posted January 19, 2014 I know rebar is generally worthless fore blades. I am not by any means suggesting that anyone waste their time and efforts on rebar knives. A couple years ago while wandering a patch of woods for mushrooms, I found a 3.5 ft length of thick rebar(11/16-3/4'' diam.) I brought it home to throw in the pile, but the grinder said it needed further investigating. I flattened a piece out to 3/16'' or so heated to nonmagnetic and quenched in water. Very hard and brittle, even scratched my file. It did warp, so I tried with oil, and it was very hard and no warping. I was happy with double tempering at 400. I decided to make a simple blade to test it out. Yes it is ugly, but over the last year and a half it has become my favorite knife in the kitchen. I intended to use it for fish decapitation, but I use it for more things than any knife I have and it just keeps cutting. I not easy on it either. I decided to make a new reknife that was thinner and longer. I ground the ridges off the rebar before starting this time, to avoid cold shuts and stress. Nothing fancy but this metal hold its edge like a champ, and I made something of useful out of scrap which I love doing. The small knife in the last pic is 1095 not rebar. Thanks for looking Dustin Quote
Frosty Posted January 19, 2014 Posted January 19, 2014 Dustin: Sure rebar is usually not blade steel but the biggest problem is how unpredictable it is alloy wise. However like any found steel dealing with a little mystery is a must, it's just not very often a good report with rebar. If your blades take and hold an edge without being brittle you got a piece that'll work. The fish cleaver actually has some post apocalyptic appeal. The other blades look like good work, I wouldn't apologize if they'd come out of my shop. Then again, I'm not a bladesmith guy. Good score and nice results. Well done. Frosty The Lucky. Quote
D.O.G. Posted January 19, 2014 Author Posted January 19, 2014 Definitely unpredictable stuff. I have only ever found this one piece of rebar that seemed to have promise, most is random. But I hated to scrap this piece without trying something and was willing to have wasted my time. I have plenty of known blade steels and spring but the rebar was just asking for a new life and was more fun for me. This is a hobby and if its not fun what's the point. A lot of people like the fish cleaver for its crude appearance, myself included as I am somewhat of a crude fellow with similar crude appearance ;) Thanks for the kind words Frosty Dustin Quote
Arbalist Posted January 19, 2014 Posted January 19, 2014 That cleaver has some real style to it Dustin! Quote
bikecopXXX Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 nice work DOG. i need to learn that paracord wrap skill. along with many other skills. Quote
ThomasPowers Posted January 20, 2014 Posted January 20, 2014 I've run into some square rebar from the 1920's that seemed to be a medium carbon steel. Quite usefull for tooling and easily found along the river bank spoil piles where I used to live, Columbus OH But like all found steel: no guarentee what it really is and no guarentee that any teo pieces will be the same. TEST TEST TEST! Quote
D.O.G. Posted January 21, 2014 Author Posted January 21, 2014 Thanks Arbalist and Bikecop. I need to learn more about cord wraps as well. These were my first real cord handles, and I really like the way the feel in hand. This piece of rebar was found dumped with old concrete in a ravine that has become a forest. A truck hasn't been able to access this area to dump in this area for at least 40 years(based on the large cottonwood and elms blocking the way) and I'm doubting it was new rebar when dumped. I am sure it is quite old, and I have not encountered any other rebar with a useful carbon content. Definitely test testy test, and sometimes you get lucky. I got skunked mushroom hunting but brought home something I enjoy more. Quote
Jim L. Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 I wonder about the new formulations that were made for bridge work? Quote
ThomasPowers Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 Bridges, skyscrapers, nuclear power plants all use high quality re-bar. However remember that they want tough rather than brittle steel and so I would expect medium over high carbon steels. Quote
Steve Sells Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 seem some have missed the point about rebars being made to add structure to cement Quote
gearhartironwerks Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 This rebar thread seems to come up frequently in knife making. Why, I don't know, as many have attested to its uselessness as a blade. As a letter opener, it's probably ok, but that's it. It's kind of like a railroad spike being used as a bona fide cutting edge. Not going to happen. My suggestion to those who want to begin making pointed things...and it's a slippery slope :) is to begin with a known carbon steel and pound away. In the end, at least you'll have a blade that will be useful assuming proper heat treat etc. Try some spring steel, leaf or coil, which is probably 5160 and very forgiving, and give it a go. Make art out of that rebar as it's pretty cool twisted. John Quote
Steve Sells Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 they fight so hard to save 50 cents or $1 on steel, then later ask about spending $20 of fuel to attempt to add carbon to it by case hardening is fun also. Quote
D.O.G. Posted February 2, 2014 Author Posted February 2, 2014 Again, I do not recommend that people use rebar for blades, I did because my testing said that this one piece would make a decent knife. The cleaver has only been sharpened once in a year and a half. It was still cutting/chopping pretty well when I sharpened it. These are useful blades. I certainly did not use rebar to save money, as I already own enough 1095, 5160, springs, and files to make plenty of knives. I definitely would not have made a second if the first had not worked so well. I have almost 2ft left from this piece and I will use it for blades eventually, and that will likely be the last rebar I ever use. Rebar is bad for knives most of the time. Please do not waste your time. Dustin Quote
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