How soft is 1020 steel?

T

Triq

Joined
Oct 1, 2009
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I purchased an FT Iroquois hawk (24 days ago and still hasnt shipped grrrrr :grumpy:) and was wondering how soft the 1020 steel is? I would like to use it to pound in tent pegs ect but I don't want the eye to get all bent out of shape. Should i have just bought one with a hammer pole?
 
It's considered a low carbon steel at .30 carbon content in comparison to 1095 which is

.90 i believe.
Do they put a harder bit in the edge? I hear they make good hawks. Not sure what 1020 can be hardened to though.

Regard

Robin
 
In the 10 series (1095, 1070, etc) the last two digits are the carbon %, but with a . in front so 1095 is .95% carbon. 1020 is only .2% carbon. honestly I have never heard of 1020 being used in anything cutlery related. I expect pretty soft.
 
Well generally, the 10xx steels have a min/max range of carbon that tends to vary by the steel maker. 1095's acceptable range is 0.90-​1.03% Carbon, so the median is more or less .95% hence the naming. 1020 would therefore be only ~.20% and would be as tough (but also as incapable of taking a keen, hardened edge) as iron. That said, the thought of a tomahawk being made of 1020 scared me at first so I checked out the website and saw that they "start with a strap of 1020 steel and wrap around a full insert piece of 1095 high carbon steel" which is a pretty good, proven method that yields a nice hard edge and soft back.

Anyways, to answer the OP's question:
wooden or plastic pegs, sure. Metal pegs a definite no-no. Unhardened 1020 would be pretty dang soft, and the fact that the hawk is poll-less design gives you a very unsatisfactory shape for hammering and no metal as a "buffer" before effecting the eye itself.

But hey, you're bringing along a hawk and presumably a knife - making tent pegs out of branches is enjoyable :thumbup:
 
I only mentioned the steel that made up the eye as thats the bit that i would be hamering with. I was just concerned with deforming the eye by pounding in (wooden) tent pegs. Thanks for the comments guys.
 
OK, so apparently the 1020 is there to have some give and not break? I would have thought 1095 would be great for that and just harden the bit.

I would think you're OK on the wooden pegs even in hard ground.
 
Triq said:
I only mentioned the steel that made up the eye as thats the bit that i would be hamering with. I was just concerned with deforming the eye by pounding in (wooden) tent pegs. Thanks for the comments guys.
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If I read this correctly you're thinking the eye is the bit. The bit is the edge. If the eye is 1020 you'll be hamering with the soft 1020 at the eye.

Regards

Robin
 
Pipeman said:
If I read this correctly you're thinking the eye is the bit. The bit is the edge. If the eye is 1020 you'll be hamering with the soft 1020 at the eye.

Regards

Robin
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When i said bit above i meant part.
 
Triq said:
When i said bit above i meant part.
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Hey Triq

I figured that's what you meant, just wanted you to know that you would be pounding your pegs with the soft steel.:D I have deformed soft eyes with not much pounding.

Best regards

Robin
 
Unless the steel around the eye is pretty thick you can plan on a little deformtion if really swinging it.
Look at the eyes of the original trade axes - most all of them were wrought iron (even softer than 1020) and they pounded the crap out of 'em. It's rare to find an original trade axe without at least a little deformation to the eye.
RMJ
 
cckw said:
OK, so apparently the 1020 is there to have some give and not break? I would have thought 1095 would be great for that and just harden the bit.
Click to expand...

Differential hardening may be too time consuming/tricky for the makers, it would be easier to use a mild steel for the rest of the hawk, as well as cheaper to produce.
 
Just take a rock to pound things with. They come in all shapes and sizes, and they're free.


Ookami
 
Liam Ryan said:
Differential hardening may be too time consuming/tricky for the makers, it would be easier to use a mild steel for the rest of the hawk, as well as cheaper to produce.
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Historically, tomahawks that had any steel at all in them were done this way - inserting a steel "bit" into the low carbon axe body. Of course this was done to conserve steel (expensive back then, difficult to get in sizes other than small square stock - not great axe stock) but it also has it's advantages. It allows you to make a hard cutting edge with a shock resistant body easily. I'm a big fan of differentially hardening axes (obviously) but don't discount the older methods - they absolutely have their merits.
Great posts on this thread!
RMJ
 
Well, if you wanted to do a lot of hammering, then yes, you should have gotten one with a poll. I bought a custom Iroquois with a hammer poll for that reason.

You can probably get away with hammering wooden tent pegs, or you could use a baton to pound them into the ground.

As far as the wait time, he does really good work, but isn't real fast.
 
Cpl Punishment said:
As far as the wait time, he does really good work, but isn't real fast.
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Its been a month since my order was confirmed and i'm hopeing this is worth it. I ordered a hawk from him because all i had heard was good things about his products. I generally don't complain about a bit of a wait but his website claims only a ten day wait on custom orders and mine was bone stock so according to the site it should have shipped in like five days or something. oh well. I'm hopeing that when i get it, it will be well worth the wait.
 
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