Horseshoe steel for knife blades question, and a little rambling please.

[Tallbald]

Hello all and thanks for letting me join the forum. Recently joined the leather forum and am thoroughly enjoying seeing the amazing things that can be done by members there. I served my toolmaker apprenticeship in a modern plant but worked almost exclusively with mild steel (1018), titanium, aluminum, O-1 and D-2, and the various stainless steels. No blacksmithing was taught, sorry to say.

I respect and admire the old ways. I would imagine that in frontier America, all steels were "re purposed" as is popular to say now, much like material was quilted from scraps. My wife has her great grandmother's treadle Singer sewing machine from the  1800's on which just this was done. She was an orphaned Cherokee Indian whose parents fell victim to the Trail of Tears. When I look at the machine, I feel a link to our country's past.

I hope to build a very simple home forge this season from a brake drum, piping and a blower. I have access to an anvil and a plunge tank. I would like to use repurposed steel almost exclusively if I can. I have a few worn out German files I can use. I have no clue where in Bowling Green, KY I could buy railroad spikes. However, my son-in-law manages a horse farm and I bet I could get horse shoes from his scrap bin. But are they made of a high-carbon steel that would hold an edge? Or could I try damascus with lamination of a higher carbon steel?

Information sure appreciated. Don

[Will Ketchum]

You might try to get a hold of Jeff Farmer, I believe he teaches blacksmithing in Berea.  He is on the NCOWS Executive Committee and posts on the Cas City NCOWS forum as Jefff.  You could learn a lot from him and he is a great and helpful guy.

If you can't find his contact information send me a PM and I'll ask him to contact you.

Will Ketchum

[Dave Cole]

The majority of horseshoes are mild steel and would not hold a decent edge.Pretty much the same with RRspikes unless you find ones the have "HC" stamped into them, which denotes High carbon.If you are using files again many are just casehardened.The best files for edgeholding and really good knives are Nicholsen 'Black Diamond" files.If you plan on using unknown steels, heat treat some samples and then test your samples before proceding.Dave

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[Professor Marvel]

Greetings My Dear Monsieur Tallbald -

If you are looking for good, cheap, all purpose steel for your projects you need look no further than my favorite:

 old automotive leaf and coil springs.

 One can often find a broken leaf along the side iof the road, or get them for free from folks replacing a spring stack. When I was blacksmithing at an historic 1880's farm I found that by varying the tempering I could use this stock for everything form cold chisels, hot cuts, sheath knives, tongs, fireplace and oven tools, and replacement parts for buggys. Dandy stuff

yhs
prof marvel

[The Elderly Kid]

As a literary aside, it seems that 19th century smiths believed that old cast-off horshoe nails could be forged into superior steel. They thought the repeated shocks the metal received made it harder. In "Moby Dick" Captain Ahab orders the Pequod's smith to make him a new harpoon just for sticking the white whale. He gives him a sack of horshoe nail stubs  for the purpose, and not just any old nail stubs but nail stubs from the shoes of race horses. Then he gives the smith his razors to forge into the edges, because he's vowed not to shave until he's killed Moby Dick.
Captain Ahab is what you might call a bit obsessive.

[Cliff Fendley]

If your wanting cheap steel that will make a good blade then leaf springs are probably your best bet. You still don't know for sure what it is and can never be assured your getting the best HT on it. In the long run by the time you have blades of hit and miss quality the cheapest steel is some of known variety so you get the HT right every time.

You said you have worked with 0-1 and D-2. Those are a couple of the best knife blade steels out there so why not start with them.

No to the horse shoes, I have many friends that are farriers and my sister in law is one as well, I have buckets of horse shoes and could get more. They are no good for a blade. I've never made one but been told by other makers railroad spikes aren't that great either, they just make a neat looking knife.

If you ever make it up to the Louisville/Frankfort area to a Johnson County Rangers NCOWS shoot there are some knife makers there to chat with. I make knives and Mike Carter (bowiemaker on here) is a knife maker. We do stock removal but then you have Jeff Farmer that is a metal smith and teaches at Berea college, he is more of an expert in the area your wanting to pursue. Would be glad to chat if you ever make it this way. I know a few knifemakers down your way also, the best way to learn is from someone who has already made the mistakes.

[jefff]

i teach a class open to the public on wensday night from 6-9pm cost is 20$ +mat.most of the tools i have are made from scrap steel but having idea of what kind it is and how to heat=treat it will save you some dissappontment.a spark test can get you close.after that you have to try what works for you.let me know if i can help.jeff farmer 858-985-3232 work#