1095,1084,1075 what difference

[Mint Hill Mule]

Folks, I'm getting started by making a few kits. Blade steel is limited in the kits (usually SS). I would prefer to use carbon steel down the road.

Can someone tell me the differences in the carbon steels or provide a link that will explain what the numbers stand for?

Thanks

[Tim Fishell]

I like this link a lot:

 http://www.steelforge.com/forgings/forgingchart.htm

Basically the differences in carbon steels is what materials and how much of those materials make up that certain steel.

[kbaknife]

Don't forget Google.
Just type in steel designations:
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAE_steel_grades
 http://www.engineershandbook.com/Tables/carbonsteelalloys.htm
The ones you mentioned 10XX are simple carbon steels.
5160 and 52100 are Chromium steels.
Then there are letter designations that I don't see here that indicate the Quench medium like A2 = quench in AIR.
O1 = Quench in Oil.
W1/2 = Quench in water.
But many specifications you will see in the metallurgical world refer to sizes of steel in excess of 1".
In thin cross-sections like we use, the playing field changes.
By that I mean 5160 is a deep hardening steel that should be quenched in a slow oil, but it is sooooooooooooo slow it can actually harden some in AIR!
W2 can be quenched in brine if it is rather thick, but in thin sections like we use would probably crack.  
Knife making changes the rules some.

[Tim Fishell]

Great points Karl.  My knowledge of steels come from an engineering stand point and using different steels for how stable and flat they stay when hardened.  For example an O-1 plate will change shape more than a A-2 plate will.  But that is coming from a world where tolerences are keep down to +/-.0005".

[Mint Hill Mule]

Thanks for the responses. Karl those are great links that answered my questions. From what I've been reading 1095 is the choice for knife blades, using high carbon steel. Would something else be better?

[kbaknife]

It doesn't matter which steel is "BEST".
It's ALL ABOUT matching your steel to your capabilities, equipment and skills.
Each steel requires DIFFERENT learning aspects, the ability to get the steel austenized and converted to martensite.
What's your heat source?
Are you going to forge it or go through stock removal?
Do you have an oven to go through sub-critical spherodizing anneal procedures like some steels require?
Can you sustain long soak times at controlled heat like 5160 and O1 excel at?
If I had minimal experience and minimal equipment, I would probably find 1/4" 1084 or Cru Forge V and do stock removal.
1095 is a little finicky - ask Matt Lamey. He's been working with it for 10 years and still finds ways to improve his procedures.