bugbear":3t9s5xr5 said:
I found an authoritative (or at least confident) statement on the composition of "white steel"
http://zknives.com/knives/steels/steelg ... hrn=1&gm=0
(although as Derek points out, there's more to a tool than the chemicals in the steel)
BugBear
Hello,
The steel composition here is very similar to T10 steel that Quiancheng use for their pane irons. I think the carbon content is a little lower in T10 around .9 to1 percent. I read somewhere that carbon above 1 percent is pretty much redundant unless tungsten or vanadium were present, and the excess C was there to form carbides. In which case, it may be down to the hammering during forging which makes the white steel better than 'normal' HCS.
Or else, Quiancheng should make chisels!
The thing is, all these new exotic steels are to try and make, with metallurgy, the qualities found in steel from hammering during forging. It seems the powder metal comes close, but is so expensive, would it not be better to just hammer the HCS like Clifton do for their plane irons. Or laminating hard hammered steel to iron as Japanese chisels. If PM was cheaper and had comparable qualities, it might be worth the exercise, but can't decent Japanese chisels be bought for a similar price to PM-V11? Is there a market for traditional hammers steel, Western style chisels, or laminated ones?
Veritas have their chisels made from exotic stuff, as there is, apparently, no real traditional forging done in North America anymore. Blue spruce as well, CNC machined from steel billets, rather than forgings.
Has anyone tested A2,PM, chisels compared to Ashley Iles chisels, who at least forge. Is a drop hammer involved with Ashley Iles, too?
Axminster also sell a Westonised Version of Japanese chisels, though factory made and p probably poor relations. But it does suggest that a Westonised version of Japanese chisels might be something worthwhile, as an alternative to exotic steel.
Mike
