1095 for a sword?

D

Delta Blades

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Feb 1, 2016
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I'm thinking about making a katana-like sword via stock removal.

Is 1095 a bad idea? I also considered O-1 but would like to make a working one from a little affordable steel first.

Also, any advice on heat treating something that big?
 
There is a sword and knifemaking forum available, but hey, I'll give this a go.
The original katana's probably used a lesser steel, so 1095 would work. But if you use a stainless, the blood of your victims won't make it rust.So I would recommend a good stainless like S35V or if you're on a budget maybe 440C or 420HC. If you're really on a budget go to you're local salvage yard and get some leaf springs, of course those will rust.
 
I would recommend something more alloyed like 5160 (should support a full sword), or lower carbon like under 1075. 1095 would not have the toughness you would want with a katana, unless it is differentially treated, but even then it is iffy.
 
1045 or 1055 makes a better sword than 1095. Both are tougher than 1095 for the application, and less likley to chip or break.
Of course the heat treat plays a major roll for how well a blade holds up, be it a normal knife or a sword. What is good for a knife, is NOT good for the sword. The sword should be softer, maybe tempered to the hardness of the working edge of an axe.
The experts will chime in, I'm sure.
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One steel I never see and would like to try out is CPM 1V. Seems like it would be fantastic for large swords!! If you are looking for cast, 1075 would be good, 5160.
 
Delta Blades said:
I'm thinking about making a katana-like sword via stock removal.

Is 1095 a bad idea? I also considered O-1 but would like to make a working one from a little affordable steel first.

Also, any advice on heat treating something that big?
Click to expand...

No. for a sword you need impact resistance. So something in the mid-range carbon content is what you want. 1055 for a straight carbon steel. 5160 for an alloy steel.
NO stainless.

Early katanas had a differential heat treat. Edge was very hard. Spine was much softer. You won't match that on a first outing. Their heat treats were high art.
 
The extra carbon content of 1095 is largely wasted on long blades, as the hardness range required for the application is low enough to be attainable by lower carbon steels like 1075 and 1055. Carbon steels alloyed for toughness are generally preferred, such as 5160.
 
The only sword I actually use for edgeless blade on blade contact is
5160 CRV steel at a hardness of 50hrc.
It's doing pretty great, even for the other guys who've been using their identical swords for quite some time.

That's all I know about sword steel and that 5160 works great doesn't mean that there aren't any better steel out there.

Thus listen to the advice from the experts here.
 
Thanks for the responses so far. Sorry for posting in the wrong section.

So it seems the consensus is 5160. Being somewhat new to the art of knife knife making, I have some related questions.

The place I would be ordering sells by 224 inches units, so if I sink $100 in steel and shipping, would it be a good steel for smaller knives?

Second, is 5160 a steel that can be heat treated with-out professional tools?
 
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Time to start a new thread, about 5160 for knives. Maybe in shoptalk, or one of the other practical forums.
5160 has been used a lot for knives. It is pretty low tech, so should suit your purpose.
 
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