XC75 steel or 1085 steel ?

V

vroni

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Jul 29, 2016
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Hello.
My name is Damien, I'm new on this forum and I'm French so excuse me if my english is not great.

I would like make my own stock removal knife but I'm a beginner and I don't know exactly what steel choose. In fact I can't decide me on two types of steel: XC75 or 1085 ?
What is the difference between them ? And which one you recommend me ?
 
Bonsoir Damien.

Xc75 is 1075 got 0,75% of carbon.
And 1095 (not 1085) got 0,95% of carbon.

Start with Xc75.
Great steel.
Very forgiven.

One of Fred Perrin favorite.

Vas y fonce ! Et montre nous tes réalisations !

Cheers !
 
Damien, the two steels XC75 (1075) and 1085 are very similar. Each will heat treat very similar. Not many people see 1085, usually it's 1084, but I do know some 1085 to be floating around in Europe.

However, if it is NOT 1085 but instead 1095, I would agree with Nemo. Use the XC75 for a beginner (or the 1085 if it is really 1085). For those two steels, 815C, equalize, quench in oil (canola at 54C should work well if you don't have commercial quench oil).

1095 needs a tight temp window and a soak and a very fast quench oil (or water/brine). 800C with a 10 minute soak, quench in fast oil/water/brine. Canola at 54C will work in thinner cross sections to achieve through hardness, thicker cross sections above 3mm may not harden through completely with canola.
 
Thanks for your help.
In fact when I watched a video on youtube, I found a man who wrote in the description he used 1085 steel (and no 1095 steel). When I sent him a message he confirmed it was 1085 steel.
But I will take your advice and I will begin with the XC75 steel.
Anyway, I didn't find website which sell 1085 steel.
 
1084 is what is most common now, at least here in the USA. It used to be non-obtainable not that long ago, but Aldo and a few other steel suppliers had a German company do a run. We don't see much 1085. As a matter of fact, the two steels are basically identical, the 1085 having a little more Manganese, at least according to Zknives chart.

Yes, 1050, 1060, 1075, 1080, 1084, 1085, 1095 are all considered spring steels, along with 5160 which has a bit of Chromium in it. The difference in heat treating is there, tho. 1075, 1080, 1084, 1085 are all eutectoid steels, and receive the same HT. 1050 and 1060 and 5160 are technically hypoeutectoid, with a different HT. 1095 is hypereutectoid, and has the most demanding HT out of all of them.
 
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