As a chemist, I am very fascinated by your explanation of the chemistry of steel! I always take notes during these...very informative. Also, how many times has you wife walked out as you’re cutting cardboard and counting “499...500...501” and asked you when you’re going to get back to work? Love the channel, keep up the good work
@@FireCreekForge So follow up question: if chromium slows carbon diffusion, is that why stainless steels can be air or plate quenched? The diffusion of carbon is slow enough that it will cool faster than the carbon will diffuse out of the iron lattice without needing an oil quench?
@@andrewneilson227 that's correct, chromium does contribute to that, as do other alloys. however, plate and air (still air, that is) quenches are quite different in cooling speed. An aluminum plate quench is equivalent to about a medium oil, I believe. A true air hardening steel (A2 for example) is different than say, 440C.
Excellent video and classroom overview on metallurgy with the 52100 steel. Incredible quality and durability with that knife. One heck of an edge! I wouldn't mind having one as my permanent EDC. 👍👍👍
My first knife was from a bearing and tiny slender blade as I didn't have much heat treatment and quenching knowledge I could sharpen it but didn't stay sharp but because it shape I could skin a apple in one piece and somehow it was gone so I'm wanting to get my next try right. Thanks for this video I believe your help is going make me successful 🙏
Yeah great steel but overall to much quenching and heat treatment for a hobbyists level Smith to do successful Thanks for helping this DIY hobbyists BlackSmith .
Thank you for the excellent lesson in metallurgy! I'm far from your level of knowledge and skill, but this video caused me to re-prioritize my next shop purchase. Clearly, if I want to get better results I'm going to need to invest in a heat treating oven. Thanks, they're cheaper than 20 ton hydraulic presses!
I love this video and all the info you provided. I will acknowledge that your cutting test could be considered “problematic” in that you are running into hard wood after each cut… I feel that would cause dulling more so than cutting the cardboard? But just an observation ,I don’t know…
I would love to have a knife like that for skinning. As someone who has done alot of skinning i know that normal blades if well maintained wil last about 5 sheep or deer of similar size and you don't always have time for maintenance on the blade so for me it would be wonderful if there is a steel or blade i can use from daily chore and survival were you don't have to stress whether or not the blade is sharp were you don't need to attain maintenance
I worked at a forge shop. May I recommend you make a bubbler to put in your oil when quenching? I think that would help in a lot of your quenching with your knives.
Have you tried multiple quench cycles? When I tried 52100, I didn't have a way to control temperature precisely for prolonged durations, but I was able to tease better results with a triple quench. I'm wondering if it is of any benefice with proper temp control equipment?
Multiple quench cycles will have no benefit except in a situation as you describe, where it's not possible to hold at temp for the appropriate amount of time. Even with multiple quenches it will be nearly impossible to bring the potential out of the steel.
@@FireCreekForge that's why I have a pile of 52100, at least it was cheap 🙂 Would multiple quench with good temp control still result in reduced grain size?
Most of my 52100 I temper at 375F. Your tempering temperature really depends on your processes prior. When heat treated properly 52100 is quite tough, and will work just fine for a bigger knife.
One of my ballbearing steel knives, is too hard to sharpen, even with diamond stones or ceramic, it takes for ever, like it's 65 hrc or more I don't know. Is there a way I can make it softer? It has the most beautiful rosewood-b.ebony handle scales, I 'v eer seen! Problem is, that the maker, made the steel wayyyy to hard. It would be very generous, if someone could help me, on how to make it a bit softer. It's simple to describe ballbearing steel, it's the BEST steel for fixed blades. Simple as that!
If the problem is that it needs tempered more than that requires heating the blade to between 350-400. It's possible you could submerge the handle in water and carefully heat the spine of the blade until the right amount of heat reaches the edge. But this would be risky and imprecise. The other option is to remove the handle and temper in an oven.
People don't get it when I'm not excited over a phone book paper or tube test. This is why. I watch real knife makers who make ~Knives~ longevity, craftsmanship, style. Like I don't like stick/rat tangs. But you didn't just apoxy a stick/rat tang nub and jam it in. You integrated the bolster and full tanged it out to a proper peen on a copper plate. You didn't nub bowie into a handle(cringe), instead it's a knife proportionally right to the tang construction.That knife looks like a proper skinner and could do more if needed to. Ps beautiful flex on the brass rod. I'm a member on certain forums a I really see the best knife makers use stick into rat into bolt tangs on some of the most beautiful safequeens and think what a waste. Because if I had to the door shif I'm grabbing a schf 38 that's a full tang dump truck over that $1000+ art bowie. It's out of your budget go love your Chinese steel. no I'm just not out of my mind lol.
Only guy I've ever seen use his thumbnail to sharpen a knife. Are you really human? I was already thinking that you must be a robot with a computer for a brain, with all the knowledge you retain, but what is that thumbnail made of??
As a chemist, I am very fascinated by your explanation of the chemistry of steel! I always take notes during these...very informative. Also, how many times has you wife walked out as you’re cutting cardboard and counting “499...500...501” and asked you when you’re going to get back to work? Love the channel, keep up the good work
Haha, yes she wondered why I had a pile of cardboard strips. Glad you liked the video!
@@FireCreekForge So follow up question: if chromium slows carbon diffusion, is that why stainless steels can be air or plate quenched? The diffusion of carbon is slow enough that it will cool faster than the carbon will diffuse out of the iron lattice without needing an oil quench?
@@andrewneilson227 that's correct, chromium does contribute to that, as do other alloys. however, plate and air (still air, that is) quenches are quite different in cooling speed. An aluminum plate quench is equivalent to about a medium oil, I believe. A true air hardening steel (A2 for example) is different than say, 440C.
Excellent video and classroom overview on metallurgy with the 52100 steel. Incredible quality and durability with that knife. One heck of an edge! I wouldn't mind having one as my permanent EDC. 👍👍👍
It was a fun video to do, thanks for watching!
Love your "technical" videos. So much knowledge.
Thanks!
Cool name lol
@@nateand3 I stole it 🤪
Now that's a freekin high-performance blade! Great work!
My first knife was from a bearing and tiny slender blade as I didn't have much heat treatment and quenching knowledge I could sharpen it but didn't stay sharp but because it shape I could skin a apple in one piece and somehow it was gone so I'm wanting to get my next try right.
Thanks for this video I believe your help is going make me successful 🙏
seen you making this knife in another video and am still waiting for the final in the series of the Viking Seax from wrought Iron and Damascus
Like the facts and proprieties about the metal! Very ineteresting!
Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Thank you.
Yeah great steel but overall to much quenching and heat treatment for a hobbyists level Smith to do successful
Thanks for helping this DIY hobbyists BlackSmith .
Thank you for the excellent lesson in metallurgy! I'm far from your level of knowledge and skill, but this video caused me to re-prioritize my next shop purchase. Clearly, if I want to get better results I'm going to need to invest in a heat treating oven. Thanks, they're cheaper than 20 ton hydraulic presses!
I really like that knife shape.
Very Good Video ! thank you
I liked this version also!! Wow, that was a lot of information. well done my friend as always. stay safe!
Thanks Steve!
Nice job.
Great video!
I love this video and all the info you provided. I will acknowledge that your cutting test could be considered “problematic” in that you are running into hard wood after each cut… I feel that would cause dulling more so than cutting the cardboard? But just an observation ,I don’t know…
Great video!!🔥⚒💪🏻
Your shirt should say, "Drink coffee, make knives, repeat". Always drink coffee first.
I would love to have a knife like that for skinning. As someone who has done alot of skinning i know that normal blades if well maintained wil last about 5 sheep or deer of similar size and you don't always have time for maintenance on the blade so for me it would be wonderful if there is a steel or blade i can use from daily chore and survival were you don't have to stress whether or not the blade is sharp were you don't need to attain maintenance
I worked at a forge shop. May I recommend you make a bubbler to put in your oil when quenching? I think that would help in a lot of your quenching with your knives.
Nice knife. Simple useful hunter. I’m sure it would dress a deer out quite nice 😉
Have you tried multiple quench cycles? When I tried 52100, I didn't have a way to control temperature precisely for prolonged durations, but I was able to tease better results with a triple quench. I'm wondering if it is of any benefice with proper temp control equipment?
Multiple quench cycles will have no benefit except in a situation as you describe, where it's not possible to hold at temp for the appropriate amount of time. Even with multiple quenches it will be nearly impossible to bring the potential out of the steel.
@@FireCreekForge that's why I have a pile of 52100, at least it was cheap 🙂
Would multiple quench with good temp control still result in reduced grain size?
@@matkins101 Yes, but reducing grain size isn't going to be your main concern, it will be difficult to bring the right amount of carbon into solution.
As long as it makes it to 420 man, groovy. :-)
Is it weird this late in the year and not being in 30 layers of clothes to forge??❄⛄☃️
lol, yes. It does help with staying productive!
Looks like it was basically a strop to get it back to shaving sharp?
Yep, didn't take much
I know this is an older video, but I was wondering what is the benefit to heating the copper before putting it on the knife?
Heating copper to a low red heat and quenching it makes it soft
Wait nd watching 🇮🇳
What about tempering? What temperature how long. Also how though is it. Would it be good to make a large blade or do you not recommend it for that?
Most of my 52100 I temper at 375F. Your tempering temperature really depends on your processes prior. When heat treated properly 52100 is quite tough, and will work just fine for a bigger knife.
Do you take custom orders?
You can sign up for my email list to be notified of open spots, it's on the front page of my website. Firecreekforge dot com
One of my ballbearing steel knives, is too hard to sharpen, even with diamond stones or ceramic, it takes for ever, like it's 65 hrc or more I don't know. Is there a way I can make it softer? It has the most beautiful rosewood-b.ebony handle scales, I 'v eer seen! Problem is, that the maker, made the steel wayyyy to hard. It would be very generous, if someone could help me, on how to make it a bit softer. It's simple to describe ballbearing steel, it's the BEST steel for fixed blades. Simple as that!
If the problem is that it needs tempered more than that requires heating the blade to between 350-400. It's possible you could submerge the handle in water and carefully heat the spine of the blade until the right amount of heat reaches the edge. But this would be risky and imprecise. The other option is to remove the handle and temper in an oven.
@@FireCreekForge Thank you very much for the help sir!
People don't get it when I'm not excited over a phone book paper or tube test. This is why. I watch real knife makers who make ~Knives~ longevity, craftsmanship, style. Like I don't like stick/rat tangs. But you didn't just apoxy a stick/rat tang nub and jam it in. You integrated the bolster and full tanged it out to a proper peen on a copper plate. You didn't nub bowie into a handle(cringe), instead it's a knife proportionally right to the tang construction.That knife looks like a proper skinner and could do more if needed to. Ps beautiful flex on the brass rod. I'm a member on certain forums a I really see the best knife makers use stick into rat into bolt tangs on some of the most beautiful safequeens and think what a waste. Because if I had to the door shif I'm grabbing a schf 38 that's a full tang dump truck over that $1000+ art bowie. It's out of your budget go love your Chinese steel. no I'm just not out of my mind lol.
I know I’ve asked this before but do you take commissions?
Yes I do, you can contact me via my website, firecreekforge.com
Thanks!
More knifey... Less talky!
Only guy I've ever seen use his thumbnail to sharpen a knife. Are you really human? I was already thinking that you must be a robot with a computer for a brain, with all the knowledge you retain, but what is that thumbnail made of??
Lol! Just scraping some cardboard fibers off