CruForgeV – The Unfortunate Events that Killed a Forging Knife Steel

Interesting article. Thanks.


One quick question, it appears the steel did well when quenched in parks 50.

Is canola oil too slow to effectively harden CruforgeV??

Currenrly using 5160 and canola. Would not mind trying a stick of CruforgeV, but not likely to have Parks50 any time soon.
 
Interesting article. Thanks.


One quick question, it appears the steel did well when quenched in parks 50.

Is canola oil too slow to effectively harden CruforgeV??

Currenrly using 5160 and canola. Would not mind trying a stick of CruforgeV, but not likely to have Parks50 any time soon.
In the article I called it a “medium oil” steel. Canola is plenty fast enough.
 
Canola should work for CruforgeV. Parks #50 is better, but canola is fast enough.

Wood ash/vermiculite should get a reasonable anneal, but an oven anneal would be better.

About 15 years ago (I thought it was more like 20 years ago, but looking at Larrin's info, it had to be around 1997-98.), I was given some of this steel by my crucible rep when they were developing it. It had some sort of odd company use designation, which I don't remember. It was described as 1084 with extra stuff to keep the grain fine with repeated heats in forging. It seemed to forge well, but was hard to get really hard. IIRC, I couldn't get it past Rc58. I was given more later on after they made some changes. It was better, but I had started using Hitachi Blue steel and found the Blue steel better for my needs. I think there is still a bar of the test steel in the shop.
They used to give me some neat stuff that was still in R&D. I remember CPM D-2 as one of them. IIRC, I also got some CPM-S35-V in the early testing period. She would also giver me Crucible note pads, pens, and rulers.
When Crucible was going under, my rep (a very nice young lady) was let go and the gravy train stopped running to my shop.
 
Interesting article, thanks Larrin!

Sure is a bummer that Crucible went under, it really seems like they were pushing the boundaries and developing knife-centric steels...
Probably one of the reasons that they went under though!
 
Interesting article, thanks Larrin!

Sure is a bummer that Crucible went under, it really seems like they were pushing the boundaries and developing knife-centric steels...
Probably one of the reasons that they went under though!
They did reorganize and become a new Crucible but it is true that they are a different type of company now.
 
I like your hypothetical chemistry combinations. I would love to have a water quenching steel with the toughness/wear resistance of v4e or z-wear. Low chromium to make forge welding easier too. What you list as downsides are pluses to me.
 
It’s not very forging friendly and cracks outside of a not quite so strict but still small forging temperature window. Yet it was for bladesmiths?

thanks but 1084 does just fine
 
It’s not very forging friendly and cracks outside of a not quite so strict but still small forging temperature window. Yet it was for bladesmiths?

thanks but 1084 does just fine
We forged it from several different forging temperatures using an electric furnace to control the temperature. It showed no signs of cracking even when forging above the recommended forging temperature. It is no more difficult to forge than other low alloy steels like O1, O2, 52100, L6, 1.2519, 5160 etc.

Hoss
 
I guess not maybe I should take up damascus making if the Chinese can do it So good so can anyone right?
 
I guess not maybe I should take up damascus making if the Chinese can do it So good so can anyone right?
Go ahead, get ahold of me after you have forged as much as I have.

There are millions of tons of steel rolled out every year in carbon, low alloy, tool steel, stainless and all of them require forging, even cpm grades require forging and rolling.

Hoss
 
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