PCB knife

[Lin Rhea]

I had some blades cut from some 15N20 sheets a while back and have been slow to make anything from them. No good reason, just slow.        

They are pretty thin. About .080 and have a little flex to em. The blade is 3 inches and the OAL is 7. This one has rosewood on it. I will use a brown Micarta most of the time since I bought it to use for that. I may use a black liner with the Micarta but still  need to get the sheath details worked out so I can be sure that any knife like this will work with the sheath pattern. The liner will enable me to tighten it to the sheath if I need to. This might be one of those knives where I make the knife after I get the sheath.  I certainly wont stop making my dressier knives. I am just experimenting with these to fill a niche. They do sharpen up like a scalpel. I see a bit of dust and oil on the pic.
     
     

[Roughcountry]

Lin, that looks like a very handy blade. I'm a big fan of scalpel sharp.

[2Tim215]

Very nice. I have been wondering why no one uses 15N20 for a knife steel. Research shows it unavailable in anything over 1.5mm. I can get in 3.2mm,3.5mm and 5mm and am curious as to how it performs.

[D.Ellis]

Lots of guys use 15n20 for blades, but it gets mixed with 1084 a lot of the time   :D
There are a few more guys starting to use it as a stand alone blade steel. I am considering it for folder blades.
Very nice little edc there Lin. Good way for the average joe to get his hands on a Rhea blade. Not everyone is in the market for the fancy stuff...........
Darcy  

[Lin Rhea]

When you consider what the main reason this stuff is made (band saw blades) and how much it has to flex and hold an edge, you would think it would make a good blade.

[TaterHill Archer]

I like that one.  I'd like to find out how much you want for a knife like that.

[gudspelr]

I'm in the process of grinding a full tang thin 15n20 bird/trout. I'd be curious what you do for heat treat on yours? I brought mine to about 1525/30 in the new salt pot then quenched in Parks 50. It's tempered twice at the moment for two hours each time at 415. Need to finish grind it and hoping I don't over heat that thin tip...

I'm really liking your profile and especially those pins. What finish did you put on the blade and pins? Looks great.

Jeremy

[Lin Rhea]

Jeremy, I am taking a very simple approach to these little knives. I do thermocycle and quench in Parks 50 but I draw it back lower than you are. I am following Ray Kirk's findings for this steel. I will say that it is pretty hard but I like that on a small blade.

Here is another PCB I just finished. I left the oxides from the heat treat on it and this one has Micarta.
   

[gudspelr]

Thanks, Lin. I hadn't found any specific info on HT for 15n20, so went with what folks said for 1080/15n20 Damascus. I ended up tempering 3 times for 2 hours each at 415. Whatever and however you make it, betting it does exceptionally well   .

Jeremy

[tippit]

Interesting Lin...

Jason Knight & his son did a project in making similar knives mostly as plain steak/kitchen knives.  They have done quite well.

[Xander]

Lin, I love little handy belt knives like this. I have one also in 15N20 about that thick that was plate quenched and has worked out very well quenched that way.  Mine has walnut scales and a long clip but is laser sharp as well.

Nice little blade. I love seeing master smiths take simple and refine it. Very elegant shape.


-Xander