High carbon steel

[Ron T]

I've been side tracked from carving lately making knives.

It got me wondering, how do you know whether the steel has high carbon content and will make good carving knives?

Is there a way of determining the carbon content?

Past posts include railroad spikes, bandsaw blades, plane blades, old tools, straight razors, hardened nails, O-1 tool steel, etc.

[Tom-H]

Ron, Google up "spark test". Their description is better then I can come up with.

Tom H

[feb]

Don't forget old files.

Feb

[a.priddy]

this breaks it down easy enough for me to get- so, everyone else should comprehend it. sharpenguide.htm

[davidinsarasota]

Hi Ron,

I've been making some tools too. I started off with sixteenth inch finishing nails because the shape of the heads are irresistible for fishtail type firmers and gouges. Alas the carbon content was too low and the edge would actually fold when I tried carving basswood.

It turns out there is a place that sells steel rods across from where I work and the old guy that owns the place sold me some 1/4 inch rod (pictured) that, although he was a little sketchy on the details, which you will find is common when trying to know the carbon content of a given piece of steel (these guys aren't set up to satisfy the curiosity of tool geeks like me.), he said the blue paint on the end indicates high carbon steel. This is apparently an industry standard because I found some square rod (my favored shape to work with now since I can get a beautiful 'square to round taper' graduating from the handle end to the tip) at Ace Hardware. Music wire works well too and is also sold at Ace.

I have found this steel works nicely with a propane torch and hardens well when quenched in water rather than oil. And may even be harder when quenched in an acid/water mix. I use CLR (calcium lime remover) because thats what I found under the sink.

[Ron T]

Thank you all for the input. It's very helpful.