4140 and 4142 steel

I'm not sure of their intended use, but the carbon content is low for knife use, though you might be able to make a decient tomahawk out of it. It'd be ideal for hammer heads.
 
I asked Fitzo last night about 4140 and he said, "4140 will harden, but not to the levels desirable for a knife blade. Makes good hammers , hawks, and forge tools!"
 
These alloys are very good for many things . This is the 'chrome moly' steel that guns are made from, the 'aircraft tubing' ,the 'high stregth bolts' etc . But they don't have the carbon content necessary to maintain an edge well. Hammers , 'hawks, forging tools ? yes !
 
Mete beat me to it again :D
41XX is chrome moly steel. Its used for a lot of things, from gun parts to axles to engines. I guess its pretty stable in heat treating and hardens deeply. The last two numbers designate the carbon content though, so you're looking at .40 -.42 % carbon content. I think you really need to be above .50% to have a decent blade.
 
I make pry bars with it. It can also be used for swords. As stated things that you want a high toughness with edge holding being secondary. If anyone want some shorts of 7/8" hex 4140 contact me.

Wayne
 
Sure am glad to see this topic. I've got about 20 ft. of the stuff that was formerly a windmill drive shaft (1" round). Been wondering what to do with it.
 
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