Hello Dan:
Last night we finished the first part of testing two blades made from the steel you sent us. We started forging the first blade just as we got the steel from you. The second blade was frorged from a companion bar from the same package. We Soaked the second bar for 2 hours in my Paragon at a temperature just above critical and let it cool slowly to rooom temp.
Both bars then received a full normalizing cycle being heated in the forge then allowed to cool to room temp.
We carefully forged blades from these bars, keeping our forging temp low, the forging temp range was from 1625, down until the steel quit moving. about 950 degrees.
Both blades were subjected to three 35 second quenches, after the front of the blade was forged, from above critical in room temp Texaco Type A quenching fluid. Then the tangs were forged,
Both blades were provided two flash normalizing cycles and one full normalizing cycle after forging. Then placed in the Mankel ceramic forge at about 1,000 f. and allowed to cool slowly to room temp overnight
Both blades were then provided 24 hour cycles in the paragon, Heated to
950, held at that temp for two hours then allowed to cool to rooom temp in the Paragon, in the household freezer overnight and back for the final 950 f. soak.
Both blades where ground, then hardened three times in Texaco Type A at 165 f., then kept in the oil until at room temp than back in the freezer until the next day. these steps were done in three 24 hour cycles,
Tempering was accomplished at 350 degrees, again three cycles in the Paragon, then to the freezer in 24 hour cycles.
We then sharpened the blades and did the edge flex test.
Blade 1 No soak
19 edge flexes before any chips.
550 cuts and still going on hemp rope
1 90 degree flex, then 7 complete 180 degree flexes before the edge cracked.
it broke on the eighth 180 degree flex. Very stong, required an extension on the tang to bend.
Blade 2 with soak
19 edge flexes before edge chipped.
550 cuts on hemp rope, was getting dull.
1 90 degree flex, then 17 complete 180 degree flexes then the cutting edge cracked. This blade was not as strong as blade 1. We were barely able to flex it with out the use of a cheater pipe.
Considering the results of these first test blades I would say your 5160 is every bit as good as the steel from John Deer load control shafts. When carefully forged and heat treated it will provide knives that can definately hold and edge, are easy to sharpen and can be depended on by those who
need a good knife.
Thanks for the opportunity Dan!
Ed Fowler
Bill Burke
Butch Deveraux
Jeff Davidson
Darren Cutsforth
I have most the bugs worked out of the order process.. 
