I'm looking into sending out a few pieces of steel to get tested and would like to know what the best method to ask for. 

I know that LECO only tests for carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen so that's out.

ICP testing wont show carbon so thats out.

So far OES testing seems to be on track. 

What else is there?

What do you want to test for?  I generally like OES if you have access to someplace that can do it for you reasonably.

There's always the SAT and the ACT.

Gas chromatography is the only way to test for everything, as you advocated in this thread

 

GCMS.     Looks like  Mr Sells beat me to it

 

Pnut

Well wet bench analysis will still test for a lot of stuff---if you are willing to pay!  (Presence is cheaper than amount though.)

I dont recall advocating any testing methods. 

Good Morning,

No, you didn't advocate any testing methods. Nor did you be specific about what kind of testing you wished to achieve.

just $0.02 worth

Neil

Chemical composition is what I want them tested for.

That's good, because IQ testing of metals is in its infancy.

How far out do you want to go?  Are elements that are just a couple of atoms per sample important? Typically samples get tested for several large components and a lot of the little stuff is considered "trash".  However the modern research on Wootz has shown that some of those "trash" elements actually played a major part in making it wootz.

I just want to get my heat treatment right when I'm making hammers. 

Forklift fork, some 3 inch round I have and some 2 inch x 9 foot rods with threaded ends.

OES, portable system should work. You probably only need the "common" elements tested for unless you get weird alloys to play with. Some scrapyards use them.

That's Optical Emission Spectroscopy, for the uninitiated. Another testing method is XRF (X-Ray Florescence), which is also used by scrapyards. The yard I occasionally take scrap to has an XRF gun which not only gives elemental measurements, but also the appropriate SAE alloy number.

So I was quoted $600 for 4 samples. A bit more than I was hoping to pay but would be worth it in the end. I also found a place that will use there XRF gun for 49.99 per sample. I will probably go that route. I'm not messing with any crazy alloys so that should serve me OK.

the free method is to ask River Gazer to touch or taste it for you,  He used to visit here often

You are guessing that testing one fork is the same for all forks, it is not. Each can be different according to what mix the manufacture wanted when the fork was make.

Lol, there goes another perfectly handcrafted to a 64th cup of coffee...  

I have 2 sets of forks and 1200 lbs of the 2 inch round. And about 300 lbs of the 3 inch round. I understand not all forks are created equal and that's why I'm getting both sets tested!