What’s the going rate for old sawmill blades?

M

mpcoppin

Joined
Dec 8, 2017
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I spotted a 34” sawmill blade on my local FB marketplace. She’s asking $100. I have no idea I’d that’s a “good” price. I usually only see these after somebody has painted it or made it into some kind of yard decoration.
AZ4JWZA
 
I have many old sawmill blades. I collected them to plasma cut pictures in them. The largest is 54 inches. I paid $40 for it. I've several around the 34 inch size, I don't think I paid any more that $25 for any of them. The only thing I've made from them is tomahawks with the grandson. I have been giving the 12-14 inch ones away. I'm down to 15 or so of that size. If you were closer I'd give you several. Take your $100 and buy known steel.
 
If you're lucky, you may get some M2 steel, it's good stuff, but the odds are it will be a lesser type of carbon steel. Without knowing the chemical makeup, it's really not worth the effort to work it to shape, grind it, heat treat it & then expect a good knife blade. If it's cheap, it's good practice steel, but as the above poster said, pay for good steel if you want good results!
 
noseoil said:
If you're lucky, you may get some M2 steel, it's good stuff, but the odds are it will be a lesser type of carbon steel. Without knowing the chemical makeup, it's really not worth the effort to work it to shape, grind it, heat treat it & then expect a good knife blade. If it's cheap, it's good practice steel, but as the above poster said, pay for good steel if you want good results!
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He said sawmill blade so Thoes would never be M2. Most likely it’s a medium carbon steel or around that. Does it have carbide teeth?, if it does then the it could be anything. Can you contact the manufacture and ask them what it’s made out of.
 
I live in saw mill country. Just because it has carbide teeth don't mean Ship. There's tons of people who come around and install carbide teeth on old saw mill blades. With that said I wouldn't trust any of it to be knife quality steel. I've spent a enormous amount of time and energy cutting knife blanks from 36" non carbide blades that I couldn't get to harden with multiple different HT regiments. But I have also made some incredible knives from old saw mill blades. You are way more ahead to buy known steel IMHO. Your mileage may vary.
 
I work for a saw mill and thy NEVER use old blades let alone braze new carbide onto old blades. Once the carbide has been sharpened past it’s useful life it’s scrapped and the carbide knocked out of it. I’m not saying it doesn't happen but not at large production mills. 99% of the time the blade has started to develop cracks Along the very edge by the time the carbide is shot. I have confirmed with the manufacture that the big circle saws I have access to with carbide teeth are 8670 and the smaller ones are 1075 with a pinch of chromium.

but I will side with LCoop in that it’s generally not worth the effort if you don’t know who made it or don’t have access to a steady supply so you can have it tested. Generally big blades have to be some type of spring(ish) steel to support the load and return true.
 
They make great decorations … but $100 is crazy high unless it is a new usable blade and y7ou want to put it in use on a sawmill.

Some good things to do with a sawmill blade:
Paint a rustic scene on it … especially an old sawmill or blacksmith shop.
Cut out decorative silhouettes in them.
They can be used as house/shop signs with the name and house numbers painted on them.
Hang it on the wall inside or outside your smithy/shop. Put your name or the shop mane on it.
Make a circle of 1/4"to 3/8" round stock and weld/braze it to the teeth all the way around to make a rim. Then weld 30" legs on the blade to make it into a hot table to lay knives and such on in the shop.
Same as above but paint it with a couple coats of good exterior metal paint and make a deck table for plants or food.
 
JTknives said:
I work for a saw mill and thy NEVER use old blades let alone braze new carbide onto old blades. Once the carbide has been sharpened past it’s useful life it’s scrapped and the carbide knocked out of it. I’m not saying it doesn't happen but not at large production mills. 99% of the time the blade has started to develop cracks Along the very edge by the time the carbide is shot. I have confirmed with the manufacture that the big circle saws I have access to with carbide teeth are 8670 and the smaller ones are 1075 with a pinch of chromium.

but I will side with LCoop in that it’s generally not worth the effort if you don’t know who made it or don’t have access to a steady supply so you can have it tested. Generally big blades have to be some type of spring(ish) steel to support the load and return true.
Click to expand...
What mill do you work at JT? Vagans or Boise?
 
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