AR600 armor plate for knifemaking?

W. Anderson

W. Anderson

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Jun 22, 2016
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I've stumbled a company offering knives made of "AR600" armor plate. I've searched the forums and abroad and have found references to ar500, but not this. I have a suspicion that it wouldn't be as suited for knifemaking as a standard carbon steel, but my curiosity has been piqued. Would anyone knowledgeable care to chime in?
 
Looks like it has a bit more carbon & nickel than AR500. Might make a good axe or machete except it would be hard to sharpen.
 
While armor plate sounds cool, I think you are right on your assessment of its suitability to making any sort of edged tool. It would be very tough, but I doubt it could be hardened to any real degree, and I wouldn't think its abrasion resistance would be anything special.
 
Grade 38 Ti would be a better choice.
 
Here is the composition:
C(%)____Si(%)____Mn(%)____P(%)____S(%)____Cr(%)____Ni(%)____Mo(%)____B(%)
0.47%__0.70%____1.00%___0.015%__0.010%___1.20%___2.50%____0.70%____0.005%
http://www.titussteel.com/our-products/wear-steel/ar-600/

With half a percent of carbon, you should be able to harden it to the mid 50's.
I wouldn't expect fantastic edge retention, but it should be pretty tough.
kind of like 1050 carbon steel.

I think I'd rather have something in 5160, though.
 
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I machine high hard (46100) armor, 12560 armor amongst other materials. High hard when we machine it, is upper 40's lower 50's rockwell C I believe.

I've thought of making a hawk from it, I have a crap ton of it. And 12560.
 
W. Anderson said:
I've stumbled a company offering knives made of "AR600" armor plate. I've searched the forums and abroad and have found references to ar500, but not this. I have a suspicion that it wouldn't be as suited for knifemaking as a standard carbon steel, but my curiosity has been piqued. Would anyone knowledgeable care to chime in?
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What’s the company that makes Knives with that material? I’m allways interested in super tough knives.
 
Sounds like a gimmick to me.
As others have said, there are better steels for a knife blade.
Just because it makes good(?) armor does not mean it will make a good knife blade.
 
Ah ok, thank you. I’ll dig around. I’m obsessed with toughness, so I have knives made of crazy steels, like 4340, Ultrafort (Maraging steel, also used in armor for high end vehicles), k600 (0,45% carbon, 4% Nickel - a beast! Makes an incredible big chopper) and S1 Steel. S7 is not available here in Europe (maybe in rounds only), so no knife in S7 steel (yet).

W. Anderson said:
Look up RSR Steel Targets, on the homepage it only offers blanks but on another forum I noted complete knives being referenced.
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Think of it ... handgun bullets would bounce right off your blade and back toward the shooter.
 
I
LG&M said:
How about a m390 target? :D
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Would rather a spoon...

I have seen an AR500 San Mai blade, and it looked nice since the AR500 core doesn't etch much, but it would perform as others have said.
Tough but lacking edge retention.
 
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