5160 steel for small knives?

D

Delta Blades

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Feb 1, 2016
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So I'm look at buying some 5160 for a sword blade. The problem is the place I'm looking at buying it from sells it in 224 inch units.

The question is, if I sink $100+ in steel and shipping, will it be a good steel for smaller projects?
 
Will be acceptable, but not ideal, for small knives, where you will likely prioritize hardness over toughness. It will be ideal for large, hard use knives.
 
I LOVE 5160, let me say that again I LOVE 5160. Is it the best steel for small knives, no. But who can say what the best steel is for a small knife. Knives are so personal and vary depending on so many factors that all we can really do is narrow the steel selection down to a more manageable sized selection. But that being said I have made a TON of small blade 5160 knives and thy have always been loved. Easy to sharpen and tough and gets wicked sharp, what's more to ask for. It does not have the edge retention of the other small blade steels like say 1095 or the advanced CPM aloys. But don't let that stop you from making that aloy shine in its own right. The great thing about this steel is its for the most part a forgiving steel that will over look things that would otherwise distroy the more advanced steels. Now with all this being said I also say this. Would I order 5160 just to use with small blades knives, no. I would pick something that suited the job the knive will be tasked with. But if you have a bunch of 5160 laying around there is nothing wrong with using it for most any knife you want to make.
 
I completely agree with JT. Love 5160. Personally I like larger knives and tend to abuse them so 5160 is a good fit. My edc knife is 5160 with a 5" blade and ive never found to be lacking for my uses
 
Sounds like Admiral, who tries to sell you a 20 foot full bar. Tell the seller you only want 48". Most sell it in shorter lengths, but it doesn't always show on the website. I would also recommend Aldo, Alpha, or USA Kninefemakes as a source. Their steel will be clean and annealed properly for knifemaking.

I know Aldo shows it out of stock, but call him anyway. There is often a bar or two sitting in the shop.
 
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5160 is excellent for small knives. It gets very sharp, is easy to sharpen and the toughness allows the edge to be ground very thin without worrying about chipping.

Chuck
 
Great steel, I just have bad luck keeping it from rusting lol. Got those infamous welders' hands that rust everything.
 
Teppojutsu said:
Damn a little under 19 ft? How wide is the stock?
Click to expand...

Right?! LOL! I feel like if I had that shipped here I'd be paying as much in freight as I would for the steel itself.

Stacy knows best. If you can't get that SHWACKED down to a better size, might wanna find a different supplier. And from what I saw on the link, your options are 5160 at 240" or 9260 at 224".

Good luck to you!
 
How much 5160 do you need?
 
5160 is an excellent steel. A lot of ABS Journeyman smiths including myself have used it to pass the Journeyman smith tests.
 
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