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Post by L Driggers (fallen) on Jun 15, 2023 10:26:22 GMT
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pgandy
Moderator
Senior Forumite
Posts: 10,296
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Post by pgandy on Jun 15, 2023 13:16:34 GMT
Thanks for the photos/information. I had not considered using the various sections of a rail to make a blade but thinking on it, it would require a huge forge to do otherwise, even for a small section of rail.
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Post by mrstabby on Jun 15, 2023 13:52:37 GMT
Rail can be pretty good steel, but it can be crap as well, depending on age and source it can be as low as 0,25% carbon or as high as 1,10%. Modern rail should be equal to 1084 in the US. Unfortunately most rail you can buy for cheap is old stock. You can still get good ones if you are lucky. If it hardens well, it's a good source of material.
I like the form of the knife you are making, how big is it going to be?
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Scott
Member
Posts: 1,680
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Post by Scott on Jun 16, 2023 7:07:45 GMT
Nice lines on the Bowie. The best I've managed to find out about rail here is that it's a fairly plain medium carbon steel, and that's from asking the fettlers. The manufacturers only say it complies with the relevant Australian standards.
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Post by L Driggers (fallen) on Jun 16, 2023 19:06:11 GMT
Rail can be pretty good steel, but it can be crap as well, depending on age and source it can be as low as 0,25% carbon or as high as 1,10%. Modern rail should be equal to 1084 in the US. Unfortunately most rail you can buy for cheap is old stock. You can still get good ones if you are lucky. If it hardens well, it's a good source of material. I like the form of the knife you are making, how big is it going to be?
It has a 5in tang, blade 11 1/4in long, 1 7/8in wide, a little over 1/4in thick. It hasn't been harden yet, but it will skate a file, I'm going to say it's 1084, might be higher, I'm going to heat treat it has 1084.
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Post by L Driggers (fallen) on Jun 16, 2023 19:12:26 GMT
Thanks for the photos/information. I had not considered using the various sections of a rail to make a blade but thinking on it, it would require a huge forge to do otherwise, even for a small section of rail. Using the web part will be the best way to go if you don't have a forge press or power hammer. Even the web is pretty thick would only take a small piece to make a large knife.
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Post by mrstabby on Jun 16, 2023 20:20:51 GMT
Rail can be pretty good steel, but it can be crap as well, depending on age and source it can be as low as 0,25% carbon or as high as 1,10%. Modern rail should be equal to 1084 in the US. Unfortunately most rail you can buy for cheap is old stock. You can still get good ones if you are lucky. If it hardens well, it's a good source of material. I like the form of the knife you are making, how big is it going to be?
It has a 5in tang, blade 11 1/4in long, 1 7/8in wide, a little over 1/4in thick. It hasn't been harden yet, but it will skate a file, I'm going to say it's 1084, might be higher, I'm going to heat treat it has 1084. That's great. My father used a piece of rail as a small anvil, I tried to buy one (in europe mind you) and struck out hard. They had ripped it from a 100ish year old line and put in new ones. Very soft unfortunately, I was able to scratch the rail easily with wood nail.
Man, I'd love making a knife like this one day. Hope it turns out the way you want.
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