When I was a stocker I would have to flip my box cutter blade halfway through the day and a new blade every morning. Cardboard is a blade killer and the knife you just made seems very robust and took that cardboard like a champ!
All ya have to do is do a grind test .if it produces almost no sparks it’s low carbon steel …if there is tons of sparks it’s high carbon and should be good 👍🏻
Sir, I am impressed. You have definately inspired me to finish getting my forge up and running to see if I can reproduce your blade. I can't wait to get started on it.
It's like the old adage goes....not knowing he "couldn't" make a decent knife from a wrench, he made a decent knife from a wrench. I love it, no knife snobbery here. If it works, it works.
Usually those general purpose tools are made from steels of .40 or .50 series, containing carbon in range of 0.40 to maybe 0.50 percent. With that carbon, you can generally not go beyond 50-55 hrc in best conditions. In your case, forging process also takes some of that carbon, from the surface. You heat treat in the furnace, without any proper data about the temperature. So oil quenching should not be any option, need water quench to get max. from that piece. Also before tempering, you could try to bend a tiny piece from the tip, measuring toughness. If not breaking easily (I bet it would not crack), no need for tempering and reduction of hardness. Edge retention can be because of bevel angle, it seemed fairly steep. Anyway, good piece, thanks for sharing.
Blacksmiths can add carbon to steel through several methods, primarily during the forging or heat treatment processes. Here are some common techniques: 1. Carbonizing: This involves heating the steel in a carbon-rich environment. The steel is often placed in a container with carbon-rich materials, such as charcoal or carbon powder, and then heated to a high temperature. The carbon diffuses into the surface of the steel, increasing its carbon content. 2. Pack Carburizing: In this method, the steel is packed in a carbonaceous material (like charcoal) and heated. The carbon penetrates the surface of the steel during the heating process, allowing for a more controlled addition of carbon. 3. Cementation: This is an older method where iron or low-carbon steel is heated in contact with a carbon-rich material, such as charcoal, for an extended period. This process allows carbon to diffuse into the iron, creating a higher carbon content layer. 4. Using Carbon-rich Alloys: Blacksmiths can also add carbon by using high-carbon steel alloys or adding materials like cast iron, which has a higher carbon content, during the forging process. 5.Heat Treatment: After initial forging, blacksmiths may perform heat treatment processes like quenching and tempering, which can also influence the carbon content and the microstructure of the steel. These methods allow blacksmiths to tailor the properties of the steel for specific applications, enhancing hardness, strength, and wear resistance.
That is not EDC do you even know what EDC means?! Nobody is carrying this heavy industrial pointy wrench around every single day lol it’s good for maybe a garage beater knife, but that’s about it.
I've done a few of these now. They are most of the time 6140 and from what I've seen they are around 34 hrc. I carry one as my daily, like you mine just cuts all the time.
I would absolutely love to have a set of drop forged wrench knives. I think you could really make some money on this one! Lots of guys that can cook and are mechanically inclined would be very proud to have knives like this.
Nice looking knife. I like the way the handle looks and assume it feels good, too. I use old tools for my own purposes, so if a tool dulls, I can sharpen it myself. I use a softer knife like this to cut leather because I can get it shaving sharp with just a few passes on a whetstone. My business is "Second Chance Forge" and my belief is that everything (and everyone) has a purpose!
My guess: forging may have caused decarb so the outer jacket was low carbon when you tested with the hrc files, but after sharpening you may have gotten down to the "good" steel. I cant recall the exact figures but a half decent steel with good heat treat should cut like 200 ft of cardboard and still slice paper/shave. People have gotten super nerdy about the cardboard test and you can look up alot of data about known steels to get a better picture of edge retention. You could try adding carbon by cooking it with calcium carbonate or something. Cool video and project, even just for the forging practice .
Great video and great knife you made - My old mill millwrights used to make knives out of old large bandsaw blades and those knives were really works of art and worked really well. Hardness of steel is related to carbon content, and other ingredients like manganese, nickel and molybdenum
I really appreciate you did with without a bunch of fancy hammers. Even your anvil use was basic enough that it could be improvised as well. Thank you for sharing your skill and creativity. I hope all is well with your Grandfather. Cheers! Robert
Thanks for this video. I will be trying to make knifes in Philippines with next to no technology helping just routine steps like you are showing in your video. I have large bearing races and also spring steel. Still looking for large circular saw mill blades.
@raydreamer7566 most carbon steels need to be up to around 1500° F, so I'm not sure about that thermometer. Usually a magnet is a good test. Heat your steel until a magnet no longer sticks to it and then quench in warm oil (100° to 120° f).
It will do. I use pocket knives every day cutting all sorts of stuff . I don't Buy expensive knives as they get lost sometimes. My point being I'm always sharpening so that one is doing a good job. Well done.
My best guess is the carbon content isn't the highest. For wrenches you would want a tough steel, doesn't have to harden much. The knife has a good look to it, I liked how you left the forged steel text on.
Could totally make a little sheath, drop it into a pocket and everyone would think you are packing a crescent wrench. That knife has a beautiful size & geometry. The interesting fact is every man can imagine exactly how that knife grips in their hand.
Kabar makes one, which i own and love. I often carry it as a neck knife. PS: Fyi the steel Kabar uses on this knife works well and has acceptable hardness. It takes and keeps a good edge. I put it through it's paces, particularly cutting up nasty cardboard boxes not a few and it held up nicely.
Bottom line, you forged a functional blade. The inherent problem working with mystery steel is that you can never know the proper heat treating protocol, or even the proper quench medium. I sell these as letter openers, not to say they don't work as knives, but I don't want to confuse my customers.
I do the same thing, a novelty blade like RRspike knives. In my tests the edge would always roll unless it was buffed to a polish, and then it will shave and cut but it seems to have no toothyness"" to its cutting.
Some steels harden best with air hardening. It might be worth trying. No matter which works "best" you already have a nice knife. I have always had the same questions you did and was looking forward to good answers...so much for that!😅 It also makes me wonder if old wrenches are better then newer ones or what brand of wrench would be best. Guess we will never know all the answers.
Great video up front!!! However, if you 'weld', you can consider TIG welding a used Cobalt Drill Bit onto the blade AND the edge. A cobalt steel drill bit typically has a Rockwell hardness around 65-67 HRC (Rockwell C scale), and so if you TIG welded it into you metal's surface and edging, probably as you were getting 'close' to your refined baseline and edge, then refinish/grinding it to sharpness of the TIG welded metal onto the edge would definitely raise your Rockwell rating and overall edge life. Been proven many times over and yes people do that so there's at least an option to explore. Cheers!
You sir, are a monster. That was an original *_Crescent Tool & Die_* crescent wrench from Jamestown, New York. That's the company that literally invented the crescent wrench. I know because my great uncle worked there before they shutdown. I live less than a mile from the original factory. Those wrenches are collectible as Hell, even in unusable condition as wall hangers.
I wonder if you split the knife end and folded in a material type good for the knife edge. I really like what you have done here as the handle being something very familiar to have the feel of in your hand. I really like what you have done and your narration description throughout is fantastic. Thankyou for sharing what you have done here. 🎅🏻✨☮️🇦🇺
If you looked at the handle of that wrench, you'll see it was chrome/vanadium steel. Most steels have some amount of chrome, vanadium, molybdenum or other element added to enhance the strength and durability of the steel. You just need to look up the correct quenching medium for that steel. There are different quenching oils for different types of steel.
I looked it up. Get the steel of that wrench to 780 - 840 degrees C you can do the math to convert to Fahrenheit. Quench in either oil or water, your choice. You should get 64-66 HRC according to the expert steel makers. That is a nice looking knife.
Well, I’d stay that’s still sharper than a Swiss Army knife mostly. In terms of edge retention. And part of it might be you just got a really good edge geometry on it.
That it cuts well and holds as long as it does means it does hold an edge reasonably well and frankly most people use knives that are way duller than this and a quick swipe on a cheap sharpener will likely be just fine before use. Why then bother with expensive steel. An old wrench will do. It must be decent enough steel to make along lasting wrench.
I heard cyanide makes the steel hard ... but possibly brittle? we requested round bar shafts for gear bearings on conveyors... that were treated that way to make the gear drive shafts metal surface harder and less likely to deform or wear as fast. They also do that to chisels as well. 💪
I'm with the other folks in that there's probably not enough carbon to harden "properly" but you can also try salt water, it takes out heat even faster than fresh water which can harden some steels. Try it on that cut off wrench end so you don't have to clean up the knife again.
Yes been trying to find one myself but no luck 😂I would love to get one that's made well..but no just junk..if you come across one let me know look like you know what you are doing in video 😮
I think it's a low carbon steel, I probably got it as hard as it's ever going to get. Most likely not an air hardening steel. It's a wrench, so it's supposed to be tough and resilient, not hard, as that would make it brittle. Thanks for watching!
I figured it was the blade geometry that kept it sharp for so long. Did you accidentally crack some magical code that makes the process of cutting cardboard sharpen the knife?
Thanks for the video ! I was thinking about making one myself. Could you list the belts you use ? I'm new and just finished building my 2x72 and wonder what belts to go with ...
Ceramic belts are great for knife making. Make sure to get a variety of grits. 36 grit is good for hogging off material. 60 grit is good for grinding your initial bevels. 120, 240 are food for finish grinding before hand sanding. 3m trizact belts leave a really nice finish. Different brands all sell some form of a scotch Brite belt which is good for satin finishes in blades. Hope this helps.
@@beser12v66 buffing wheels are great, I mainly use mine to polish knife handles. Definitely don't have to have one. Harbor freight sells them and that's where a lot of people start.
Most hand tools do NOT have high carbon steel suitable for knife making. If dropped, they might shatter. If stressed, they might snap. Knives cannot be used as prybars or screwdrivers or you ruin them. This vid is a good demo of exactly that! The steel in the wrench is strong, but not HARD.
I'm a wood carver. This knife would work for me. What did it take to put the edge back? Could you add carbon by heating it with rice straw wrapped in clay?
I was able to get the edge back with a few swipes on a 1000 grit sharpening stone, didn't take much time at all. As far as adding carbon, there are many ways to do that, however I've never tried it. I do plan on trying it in a future video. Thanks for watching!
so i am from germany i can tell you if you use the knife in the kitchen you want a middle hard knife so you can resharp it. if you are in the forest you want a bit harder knife so you can cut hard materials. it is the situation about a kniffe. i made knifes so hard you cand make them sparp with normal tools so they are mostlikey made for outdore.
These days people are getting weirs with hardness. Hard enough is hard enough. I broke blades while using them working outside. Apparently they were made fo cut and nothing else. Not to hard, edge retension and easier to sharpen are way more valuable to many people
Yes, but I definitely did not have it in the forge long enough to make a difference. I don't think it had much carbon to begin with. Probably a lower carbon steel that is meant to be tough and resilient instead of hard like a knife. Thanks for watching!
thats really interesting.the cardboard test doesnt match the hardness test in my opinion.i cant see my benchmade or spyerco shaveing my arm hair after that either.and those two knives add up to 500 dollars.
It did better than 90% of most commercial blades on the market.
When I was a stocker I would have to flip my box cutter blade halfway through the day and a new blade every morning. Cardboard is a blade killer and the knife you just made seems very robust and took that cardboard like a champ!
That's a good knife, your test proves it.
All ya have to do is do a grind test .if it produces almost no sparks it’s low carbon steel …if there is tons of sparks it’s high carbon and should be good 👍🏻
Sir, I am impressed. You have definately inspired me to finish getting my forge up and running to see if I can reproduce your blade.
I can't wait to get started on it.
A good blacksmithing video. Good narration.
Yes your narration here is really good, I would take a guess that you may even have a teaching background?..
9:08 your card board test is about the most thorough I have seen. You cut small slivers which is even more rigorous than cutting chunks.
Thanks again!
I also use a lot of different steels to make cutting tools. I believe the chromium vanadium content of the hand tool helps with its wear resistance.
It's like the old adage goes....not knowing he "couldn't" make a decent knife from a wrench, he made a decent knife from a wrench. I love it, no knife snobbery here. If it works, it works.
@@jamesdavid7099 my dad made a kitchen butcher knife from a file and,,, no need to harden this thing.
Nice work and great blade shape! I'd buy one!
Excellent video, thanks for making it. 👍
I have 5 crescent wrenches missing the thumb and now I know exactly what to do with them.
Looked great to me. I save all my old tools so I can turn them into knives some day. Well done!
Usually those general purpose tools are made from steels of .40 or .50 series, containing carbon in range of 0.40 to maybe 0.50 percent. With that carbon, you can generally not go beyond 50-55 hrc in best conditions. In your case, forging process also takes some of that carbon, from the surface. You heat treat in the furnace, without any proper data about the temperature. So oil quenching should not be any option, need water quench to get max. from that piece. Also before tempering, you could try to bend a tiny piece from the tip, measuring toughness. If not breaking easily (I bet it would not crack), no need for tempering and reduction of hardness. Edge retention can be because of bevel angle, it seemed fairly steep. Anyway, good piece, thanks for sharing.
Blacksmiths can add carbon to steel through several methods, primarily during the forging or heat treatment processes. Here are some common techniques:
1. Carbonizing: This involves heating the steel in a carbon-rich environment. The steel is often placed in a container with carbon-rich materials, such as charcoal or carbon powder, and then heated to a high temperature. The carbon diffuses into the surface of the steel, increasing its carbon content.
2. Pack Carburizing: In this method, the steel is packed in a carbonaceous material (like charcoal) and heated. The carbon penetrates the surface of the steel during the heating process, allowing for a more controlled addition of carbon.
3. Cementation: This is an older method where iron or low-carbon steel is heated in contact with a carbon-rich material, such as charcoal, for an extended period. This process allows carbon to diffuse into the iron, creating a higher carbon content layer.
4. Using Carbon-rich Alloys: Blacksmiths can also add carbon by using high-carbon steel alloys or adding materials like cast iron, which has a higher carbon content, during the forging process.
5.Heat Treatment: After initial forging, blacksmiths may perform heat treatment processes like quenching and tempering, which can also influence the carbon content and the microstructure of the steel.
These methods allow blacksmiths to tailor the properties of the steel for specific applications, enhancing hardness, strength, and wear resistance.
Quench in water. 😂😂😂😂
I’m here from your wife’s channel. So glad she mentioned your blacksmithing channel. I enjoy the process blacksmithing. You have a new subscriber.😊👍
Impressive. What more can one say. Looks like a very functional EDC utility knife to me
That is not EDC do you even know what EDC means?! Nobody is carrying this heavy industrial pointy wrench around every single day lol it’s good for maybe a garage beater knife, but that’s about it.
@alexjohnsonjustme well I guess I'm a nobody then ;) because I totally would carry it around
A nice length video with a nice looking and functional knife!👍
I've done a few of these now. They are most of the time 6140 and from what I've seen they are around 34 hrc. I carry one as my daily, like you mine just cuts all the time.
I would absolutely love to have a set of drop forged wrench knives. I think you could really make some money on this one! Lots of guys that can cook and are mechanically inclined would be very proud to have knives like this.
Nice looking knife. I like the way the handle looks and assume it feels good, too.
I use old tools for my own purposes, so if a tool dulls, I can sharpen it myself. I use a softer knife like this to cut leather because I can get it shaving sharp with just a few passes on a whetstone. My business is "Second Chance Forge" and my belief is that everything (and everyone) has a purpose!
My guess: forging may have caused decarb so the outer jacket was low carbon when you tested with the hrc files, but after sharpening you may have gotten down to the "good" steel. I cant recall the exact figures but a half decent steel with good heat treat should cut like 200 ft of cardboard and still slice paper/shave. People have gotten super nerdy about the cardboard test and you can look up alot of data about known steels to get a better picture of edge retention. You could try adding carbon by cooking it with calcium carbonate or something. Cool video and project, even just for the forging practice .
Would grinding to shape from the start be advised?
Nice work, cool knife. Thanks for taking the time to share. 🙂👍🍻
The fact that there's no Scrubs reference in the intro is insane.
Came here to check if anybody mentioned it 😂
"Knife wrench!"
Great video and great knife you made - My old mill millwrights used to make knives out of old large bandsaw blades and those knives were really works of art and worked really well. Hardness of steel is related to carbon content, and other ingredients like manganese, nickel and molybdenum
I really appreciate you did with without a bunch of fancy hammers. Even your anvil use was basic enough that it could be improvised as well.
Thank you for sharing your skill and creativity.
I hope all is well with your Grandfather.
Cheers!
Robert
I've watched your video and you definitely deserve a thumbs up 👍
Thanks for this video. I will be trying to make knifes in Philippines with next to no technology helping just routine steps like you are showing in your video. I have large bearing races and also spring steel. Still looking for large circular saw mill blades.
@@raydreamer7566 Spring steel and bearing races make excellent knives when heat treated properly. Good luck with your knife making!
@@NickVanLeuven I have a InfraRed Thermometer That reads up to 1112 Degrees F or 600 C is that high enough ? Still learning ?
@raydreamer7566 most carbon steels need to be up to around 1500° F, so I'm not sure about that thermometer. Usually a magnet is a good test. Heat your steel until a magnet no longer sticks to it and then quench in warm oil (100° to 120° f).
It will do. I use pocket knives every day cutting all sorts of stuff . I don't Buy expensive knives as they get lost sometimes. My point being I'm always sharpening so that one is doing a good job. Well done.
My best guess is the carbon content isn't the highest. For wrenches you would want a tough steel, doesn't have to harden much. The knife has a good look to it, I liked how you left the forged steel text on.
Could totally make a little sheath, drop it into a pocket and everyone would think you are packing a crescent wrench. That knife has a beautiful size & geometry. The interesting fact is every man can imagine exactly how that knife grips in their hand.
Talk about timely. I found a wrench missing the thumb.... Just like that one and I was planning on doing pretty much the same thing. Thank you.
Looks like it would be a good throwing knife.
Looks Very cool, I want one
Beautiful blade!
Nice! Much better than Bronze Age knives!
Kabar makes one, which i own and love. I often carry it as a neck knife.
PS:
Fyi the steel Kabar uses on this knife works well and has acceptable hardness.
It takes and keeps a good edge. I put it through it's paces, particularly cutting up nasty cardboard boxes not a few and it held up nicely.
Very good video.
Bottom line, you forged a functional blade. The inherent problem working with mystery steel is that you can never know the proper heat treating protocol, or even the proper quench medium. I sell these as letter openers, not to say they don't work as knives, but I don't want to confuse my customers.
I do the same thing, a novelty blade like RRspike knives. In my tests the edge would always roll unless it was buffed to a polish, and then it will shave and cut but it seems to have no toothyness"" to its cutting.
I mean he cut a huge chunk off that he could easily test both temp and quench mediums with before finishing the knife.
Some steels harden best with air hardening. It might be worth trying. No matter which works "best" you already have a nice knife. I have always had the same questions you did and was looking forward to good answers...so much for that!😅 It also makes me wonder if old wrenches are better then newer ones or what brand of wrench would be best. Guess we will never know all the answers.
Very cool knife.
Great video up front!!! However, if you 'weld', you can consider TIG welding a used Cobalt Drill Bit onto the blade AND the edge. A cobalt steel drill bit typically has a Rockwell hardness around 65-67 HRC (Rockwell C scale), and so if you TIG welded it into you metal's surface and edging, probably as you were getting 'close' to your refined baseline and edge, then refinish/grinding it to sharpness of the TIG welded metal onto the edge would definitely raise your Rockwell rating and overall edge life. Been proven many times over and yes people do that so there's at least an option to explore. Cheers!
You have impressive skills. I wouldn't mind owning a knife like that.
🔪 well done.
Hay it looks good and cuts when it gets dull sharpin it
Hello greate work. If is possible please inform me what type is your watch . Thanks for all.
Modded Seiko SPB185
You sir, are a monster. That was an original *_Crescent Tool & Die_* crescent wrench from Jamestown, New York. That's the company that literally invented the crescent wrench. I know because my great uncle worked there before they shutdown. I live less than a mile from the original factory. Those wrenches are collectible as Hell, even in unusable condition as wall hangers.
That was a good video thanks u made a good knife. Would be very functional
I wonder if you split the knife end and folded in a material type good for the knife edge. I really like what you have done here as the handle being something very familiar to have the feel of in your hand. I really like what you have done and your narration description throughout is fantastic. Thankyou for sharing what you have done here. 🎅🏻✨☮️🇦🇺
Nice work I'd use that knife.👍
Could the blade geometry contribute? It looks pretty slicey.
Thanks for this information! Great content, new sub.
i could see little amount of sparks during the belt sanding, high carbon steel produces a lot of them, but great work, nice video, keep it up
If you looked at the handle of that wrench, you'll see it was chrome/vanadium steel. Most steels have some amount of chrome, vanadium, molybdenum or other element added to enhance the strength and durability of the steel. You just need to look up the correct quenching medium for that steel. There are different quenching oils for different types of steel.
I looked it up. Get the steel of that wrench to 780 - 840 degrees C you can do the math to convert to Fahrenheit. Quench in either oil or water, your choice. You should get 64-66 HRC according to the expert steel makers. That is a nice looking knife.
You can always grind the cutting edge off and use a hard facing electrode to weld a hard ware resistant cutting edge on your knife
I like it,,cool knife
Now thats what you call a "full tang" 👍
Well, I’d stay that’s still sharper than a Swiss Army knife mostly. In terms of edge retention. And part of it might be you just got a really good edge geometry on it.
Experiment with mig hardfacing wire?
The Rockwell may not be ideal but you probably put a very good edge on it allowing it to perform the results you got
Probably it’s the chromium forming carbides in the steel that is giving you a sharp edge
That it cuts well and holds as long as it does means it does hold an edge reasonably well and frankly most people use knives that are way duller than this and a quick swipe on a cheap sharpener will likely be just fine before use. Why then bother with expensive steel. An old wrench will do. It must be decent enough steel to make along lasting wrench.
I heard cyanide makes the steel hard ... but possibly brittle? we requested round bar shafts for gear bearings on conveyors... that were treated that way to make the gear drive shafts metal surface harder and less likely to deform or wear as fast. They also do that to chisels as well. 💪
Do you sale them? I really want this 😆
I'm with the other folks in that there's probably not enough carbon to harden "properly" but you can also try salt water, it takes out heat even faster than fresh water which can harden some steels. Try it on that cut off wrench end so you don't have to clean up the knife again.
This guy made The Janitor from Scrubs dream come true. “KNIIIIIFE WREEEENCH…for kids”
Lol, I forgot about that scene!
Yes been trying to find one myself but no luck 😂I would love to get one that's made well..but no just junk..if you come across one let me know look like you know what you are doing in video 😮
i would use it San mai as outer layrs seen like tough material
You can buy a lot of softer knives... so I think that amazing for the job
I would like one😊
I only made some tire tools ,, help in motorcycle tire changing,,, but it was repurposing those old crescent, wrenches.
Dam nice. What state you in
I'm in Arizona
Режит хорошо дома на кухне он будет хорош по сравнению с китайскими ножами😊😊😊
You made a that's all that matters The knife is functional. That's all that matters
Could it be an air hardening steel?
I think it's a low carbon steel, I probably got it as hard as it's ever going to get. Most likely not an air hardening steel. It's a wrench, so it's supposed to be tough and resilient, not hard, as that would make it brittle. Thanks for watching!
I figured it was the blade geometry that kept it sharp for so long. Did you accidentally crack some magical code that makes the process of cutting cardboard sharpen the knife?
Lol, I think it's just good edge geometry
Great work. A blade any us would be pleased to have.
You are amazing! Is that knife for sale? 🔪💲
... ? proč ten nůž 2 krát kalíte , ?...
I'm working on a website where I'll list any knives I have for sale!
@NickVanLeuven congratulations, it's always nice to see other smith's.
Deff make and sell them.
That is one robust knife👍🇬🇧
Thanks for the video ! I was thinking about making one myself.
Could you list the belts you use ? I'm new and just finished building my 2x72 and wonder what belts to go with ...
Ceramic belts are great for knife making. Make sure to get a variety of grits. 36 grit is good for hogging off material. 60 grit is good for grinding your initial bevels. 120, 240 are food for finish grinding before hand sanding. 3m trizact belts leave a really nice finish. Different brands all sell some form of a scotch Brite belt which is good for satin finishes in blades. Hope this helps.
@NickVanLeuven thanks !
What about buffing - what do you think a begginer need ?
@@beser12v66 buffing wheels are great, I mainly use mine to polish knife handles. Definitely don't have to have one. Harbor freight sells them and that's where a lot of people start.
@@NickVanLeuven
Thanks again for all the advice!
Most hand tools do NOT have high carbon steel suitable for knife making. If dropped, they might shatter. If stressed, they might snap. Knives cannot be used as prybars or screwdrivers or you ruin them. This vid is a good demo of exactly that! The steel in the wrench is strong, but not HARD.
are the wrenches made of carbon steel,?
Chrome vanadium steel is what it says on the handle. There are a number of different steels that fall under that category
That’s why forge welding a bit into those is the only way to make a good rail spike/wrench knife
Unknown steel can usually be heat treated by its loss of attraction to a magnet at proper quench temp....usually, but not always.
I'm a wood carver. This knife would work for me. What did it take to put the edge back?
Could you add carbon by heating it with rice straw wrapped in clay?
I was able to get the edge back with a few swipes on a 1000 grit sharpening stone, didn't take much time at all. As far as adding carbon, there are many ways to do that, however I've never tried it. I do plan on trying it in a future video. Thanks for watching!
You could try quenching even faster maybe. Ice water? Liquid nitrogen? Maybe get it cryo treated just for S&G?
so i am from germany i can tell you if you use the knife in the kitchen you want a middle hard knife so you can resharp it. if you are in the forest you want a bit harder knife so you can cut hard materials. it is the situation about a kniffe. i made knifes so hard you cand make them sparp with normal tools so they are mostlikey made for outdore.
High toughness?
I have all kinds of old tools. I wonder......
Thats what we call hard enough. Your testers were for 40 and up but maybe it could be a 30 or 35.
“Knife wrench, for kids” Janitor from Scrubs
These days people are getting weirs with hardness. Hard enough is hard enough. I broke blades while using them working outside. Apparently they were made fo cut and nothing else.
Not to hard, edge retension and easier to sharpen are way more valuable to many people
Nice anvil btw..
Cool
Seems flexible but still strong enough for a workable knife. Processing wood by batoning thicker pieces might be a different story.
The good thing is that it takes 10 strokes of a stone to be hair splitin sharp agin.
Heat treat and dunk it in bacon grease,,, the gliserin will harden it,,, it was used during WW2,,to harden gun barrel's
I didn't think a wrench would make all that great of a blade. I'm surprised it did that well. There is probably chromium and some vanadium (?) In it.
Put Dawn detergent in your water quench
FYI-when testing the hardness, clean the blade first! Then test hardness, you'll get false positives if it's not clean. Scale is HARD Lol
Show the old man!!
At long as it is red hot or hotter, the steel is losing carbon, no?
Yes, but I definitely did not have it in the forge long enough to make a difference. I don't think it had much carbon to begin with. Probably a lower carbon steel that is meant to be tough and resilient instead of hard like a knife. Thanks for watching!
@NickVanLeuven Thank you; points taken.
thats really interesting.the cardboard test doesnt match the hardness test in my opinion.i cant see my benchmade or spyerco shaveing my arm hair after that either.and those two knives add up to 500 dollars.