Lion steel DART

[srki]

hi,
I'm new to this forum but for last 5 or 6 years I have collected knives and made o couple (at least tried). A year ago I got Lion steel DART as a gift. I would appriciate if someone has some expirience with lion steel knives and thoughts on blade quality - it's Z60CDV14 steel.
my experience is that is preety good blade, remains sharp long and it seems to me that knife is prety firm too. It's nicely designed that for sure. But like I said i still have much to learn. So if anyone has some info?
thanks

[Don Robinson]

Sorry, that brand of knife and the steel is unfamiliar to me.

I know next to nothing about factory produced knives.

[srki]

thanks anyway. I found a table with next data(in%): carbon:0,6-0,65; Chromium:14%; Molybdenum: 0,55-0,6 ; Vanadium: 0,15-0,2; Manganese:0,45; Phosphorus:0,02; Sulphur:0,01; Silicon: 0,35
Hardness HRC:56-58

[srki]

I'm also sending You the picture of the knife (I used it to make my liner lock knife, still working on handles, mechanisam works perfect). Tools is what I'm mising so it takes long to make a decent knife, and here in Croatia couldn't find anyone who is into making custom knives.
Also visited Your page and really liked what I have seen. especially this one on the second picture...read on this forum that's possible to by instructions for button lock knives. How to go about it? (mail, your web page...).
sorry for being pai in the...
just one more thing. got few pices of steel (3mm=about 0,12 inch thick) from metal machine saw. any idea what it could be, is it good for folding knife. made a fix blade one and seems realy hard, tough to grind and sharpen but edge is realy sharp and holds it.
I think they used it for machine sawing softer steels. maybe is too hard and therefore brittle. any thoughts?

[Don Robinson]

Click on the highlighted URL below my name here titled "Knifemakers Supplies" and you will find the button lock design.

Use Paypal if you can.

The metal cutting hack saw blade you're talking about is probably made of M2 high speed steel. That will make a great blade but can't be drilled with HSS drills. You'd have to use carbide tools.

I suggest you try to find a piece of A2 or D2 tool steel, used everywhere to make dies and punches for industrial metalworking. That would have to be heat treated after it's formed to shape.

Welcome to the forums, Croatia man. Tell us your name.

[srki]

thank's for advice. I'm sure that's the kind- M2 because I tried drilling it with HSS drills and didn't even make a mark. luckily the saw blade has holes at two ends so I'm using one for my liner lock folder knife, just needed to find the right radius pivot pin. and for the liner just trying to use pieces of steel used in cutting through stacks of paper (and making slots)-graphic tehnology is my profession and the easiest to get materials-it seems strong enough and I can almost bend it by hand when put in vice. tryed it and makes really strong lock-can not fold it back when locked.
button lock seems to me very elegant solution for locking and I got couple of springs so would like to try to make an automatic and put a spring around pivot pin so button lock seems the best way to go about it. but auto is stil a drawing. I don't have furnace at home-have to go to the friends firm and that's a lot of waiting and improvization.
Do you know what to do if the edge is too brittle (heated up and slowly let it cool on air)?...know that there is technical term for it -oposit of hardening, tampering- but don't know the english one...when you get more elastic blade with minimal lost in hardness...have some tables on croatian for different kinds of steel (temperature vs. cooling time)

name is srdjan (it' pronounced like "surgeon") stern

[Don Robinson]

Ok, Srdjan.

Tempering or drawing (either one) is the English term for reducing hardness.

[srki]

Thank you Don

B.Finnigan was telling me about annealing.
I'm not sure I understood you completely. Do you think I do not need to temper M2 or anything else or is it better to temper it (probably testing would be the best)-for my folder
I can't use PayPal in my country yet, they have been talking about it for quite some time now but nothing yet. But my uncle lives in Fremont, California and he should be coming here in croatia in a month or two so I'll try to tell him what I need and maybe if it's ok with you make him contact you on mail and get plans for me and bring them here.

[Don Robinson]

Originally Posted by srki

Thank you Don

B.Finnigan was telling me about annealing.
I'm not sure I understood you completely. Do you think I do not need to temper M2 or anything else or is it better to temper it (probably testing would be the best)-for my folder
I can't use PayPal in my country yet, they have been talking about it for quite some time now but nothing yet. But my uncle lives in Fremont, California and he should be coming here in croatia in a month or two so I'll try to tell him what I need and maybe if it's ok with you make him contact you on mail and get plans for me and bring them here.

If you have a hardened M2 saw blade and make a knife with it, it isn't necessary to temper the edge. It's already tempered.

If you anneal it (soften it) then you will need to harden and temper it again.

If your uncle contacts me I'll send him the design. My button lock design has no coil spring around the pivot. It uses a titanium leaf spring to open the blade. If you want a button lock with a coil spring, consider getting a kit from knifekits.com. You'll have to buy the spring extra.

[srki]

Originally Posted by Don Robinson

If you have a hardened M2 saw blade and make a knife with it, it isn't necessary to temper the edge. It's already tempered.

If you anneal it (soften it) then you will need to harden and temper it again.

If your uncle contacts me I'll send him the design. My button lock design has no coil spring around the pivot. It uses a titanium leaf spring to open the blade. If you want a button lock with a coil spring, consider getting a kit from knifekits.com. You'll have to buy the spring extra.

I talked with my uncle and gave him your web so when he will be sure when he is coming, he can contact you-it's not giong to be at last moment. I contact the knifekits to mail me about the shiping cost to croatia but haven't heard from them yet. if it's costly I'll have my uncle get the kit and bring it here. I'll by a kit from them anyway but not sure yet which one.
paypal is just starting over here so I can't use it.
thanks