Sawmill Blade for Knife Steel

[ErnieB]

Sorry to keep sending one question after the other guys, I hope you will forgive me. I have one question here that hopefully I can get answered tonight.

I'm going to (Wild & Wonderful) West Virginia tomorrow to visit a friend. When I talked with him this afternoon, he told me he has a blade that came of his dad's old sawmill a few years ago because it was bent or something. This is one of the big old round blades - approx. 60" in diameter (looks like an oversized tablesaw blade) and he told me I can have it to make knives from if I can use it. Can anyone tell me what type steel these were made from and if they're any good to make knives out of?

Thanks again,

Ernie from MD

[GHNorfleet]

Me and my father used to own a sawmill as well and if I am not mistaken, the type of steel is a Swedish steel called L-6 and it will make some great blades but will rust easily, or at least mine did but you can use Gun-Kote on them or do as John Greco does and powder coat them and Brownell's even sells a Teflon/Moly coating that works great. As a bonus, the Gun-Kote and Teflon/Moly coatings come in other colors besides black.

[AUBE]

Originally Posted by ErnieB

Sorry to keep sending one question after the other guys, I hope you will forgive me. I have one question here that hopefully I can get answered tonight.

dont feel bad about asking questions! some of us are just as interested in learning the answers to the questions as you are. for those of us that can answer the questions it gives us an opportunity to help repay the knife community for all the help we have recieved. its a win-win situation for everyone. ask away, i know i do

[hammerdownnow]

Snatch it up!!!!!

[Dan Graves]

I got 3 like what you have described about 6 yrs ago. Have made a lot of knives and damascus with them and its real good steel. I have even cut out a throwing knife (oversized it) and cold ground the edges were it heated and makde a great knife that did not need heat treat. Dropped the blade from about 4 feet high and the point just chipped the concrete. I am with Hammerdown on this one. Dont walk, "Run and get that blade".

[ErnieB]

Dan & Hammerdown:
I got her! Even though I fell in the process of getting out of my buddy's garage with her and pert near't broke my fool neck and a few other vital bones! Speaking of throwing knives, there's been 2 cut out of this blade but the rest of it is all there.

So much for that - now back to the greenhorn questions, Dan, I know you said you had made a successful knife from your saw blade w/o HT'ing it. However, does that include annealing it or not when you first cut the piece out to make the blade? Also, how did you cut yours? The pieces out of my blade looked to have been removed with a cutting torch. Anyhow, I just thought I'd better check about the annealing part. BYW, if I did want to go thru the whole process just for grins and giggles, would I need to know any special tricks & how long would I have to leave it in the temper oven/what temp?

In closing, I may also ran across another source for blade material today but other than it being stainless, I don't know what it is. It's a round blade - no teeth, possibly from a meat slicer, approx 8" in diameter by 1/16" thick. It is a throw-away from a chicken processing plant down home (WV) that is past their acceptable point of sharpness, even though its still so sharp you barely touch it and it will lay you open! I was told I may be able to get some that are 16" in diameter by approx 3/16" - 1/4" thick. I'd love to know what for steel it is. Well, better stop yappin'. Thanks so much for your help.

Ernie

P.S.; Thanks to each of you who made the thoughtful & encouraging remarks about my asking so many questions. You cannot know what that means to me, especially here in this very early learning phase of my knifemaking career. God willing, I want more than anything to be a reputable knifemaker someday and to do it full-time. But no matter I end up with this, I'll never forget all those that have and continue to help me. Ernie

[Frank Niro]

I cut up several larger thickness blades. I used a cut off disc in an all metal power skill saw. Frank.

[birdog4]

Check that sawblade for any numbers stamped on it. Ya can cotact Simmonds via email and ask them for an ID.
The last one I got was 15N20.

[ErnieB]

Thanks Birdog,
I'll check the blade to see if there's any marking on it. Being so old, I never gave that a thought.

Ernie