Spring Tooth Harrow Steel

[dphipps]

Hello, anybody used harrow steel for knife making, I own an 8N ford tractor that has a few hitch attachments and the harrow is one, I also have a 2 blade plow. The tractor is from 1948 and the hitch attachments are probably as old. Anyone know? If I don't rebuild the tractor I may just strip the steel from all of it.

[NJStricker]

For as popular as those tractors are, even if it were good steel for knifemaking, you'd be a lot farther ahead to sell the tractor to someone who wanted to restore it or use it for parts, and then use the money to buy some known steel. And, you'd probably have a chunk of money left over. An 8N in running condition will bring $2500-4000 here in central Ohio, and even non-running ones will bring $400-750 for parts.

[NuViking]

Wow I wish I was closer. I would love to have that 2 blade plow. I am using an old one way plow for breaking up land for my potatoes. Perhaps the harrow teath s they can be replaced with new ones could be used. I am collecting some old diamond harrow teeetth from a set of harrows that I am not using. I think this may be OK steel.

[Crex]

I have had good results with old tines like that, but I have to agree with Armory414. Trade off value doesn't make sense in this case. You can usually find the occasional "drop" tine at any old farm and get it for the asking without breaking up a "matched set", if you are just wanting material to practice with.

Get the tractor running and sell the package, then go buy you some real plunder! Think new big anvil, upgraded forge, money for fuel, fresh known steel..................

[Mungo Park]

A farmer friend gave mr a few cultivator shovels to try as knife steel, have one half done, anybody know if it is useable steel?
Cheers Ron.

[NuViking]

without breaking a chunk its hard to tell. some of them are case hardened. There use to be a fellow in our area that use to come arround every spring and reharden cultivator shovels and disker blades. but that doesnt mean that they are case hardened.