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Thread: Stainless Steel

  1. #1
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    Default Stainless Steel

    I have a piece of stainless steel flat bar. I have no idea where it came from or what it was used for. How can I tell if it is knife quality steel (besides making a knife out of it and having it be no good).

    I was reading about various tests (spark, acid, etc..) but I thought perhaps you guys knew of a "quick and easy" method...


    Alan


  2. #2
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    The way I test a piece of unknown steel is probably not helpful, but I heat treat it to see if I can get it hard. It's sort of a hit or miss attempt. I did find quite a bit of information which you have probably already seen. These methods are not helpful to me, but may be to you. https://www.weldinghandbook.com/type...dentification/
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  3. #3
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    Thanks Dave. I'll see what it does with a quick heat treatment. If it looks like it's going to harden up I'll proceed. It cuts very easily with a file. I hit it with the grinder in the dark and got a short video. I'll see if I can match it up with the spark test description. I think your suggestion on heat treating a piece to see what it does is the way to go though.

    I appreciate the response.


    Alan
    Last edited by Alan R McDaniel Jr; 08-15-2020 at 05:45 AM.

  4. #4
    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    If it hardens you can anneal it back to dead soft by heating cherry red and burying it in a bucket of dry sand to cool slowly overnight.
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