Redbow
Senior Member
Museum piece for sure. Amazing work of skill..
Welcome Guest!
Just another old file knife
- Thread starter godogs57
- Start date
KyDawg
Gone But Not Forgotten
Fine looking Knife Hank.
gobbleinwoods
Keeper of the Magic Word
I wouldn't say JUST another knife as it is gorgeous.
toolmkr20
Senior Member
Beautiful knife.
Big7
The Oracle
Very nice !!! How old is the file? They were made from O-1 carbon steel. For a long time, "modern files" used only that grade.
Of course, old files are pretty much "free". The O-1 is still widely available in flat bar, rounds, square and maybe you can get sheet flats. That stock is awesome for laser and water jet cutting knife blanks from. Easily heat treated in warm oil makes the material easy to work with. Also, it's readily edge hardened for larger blades, and other things that need to have a hardened edge as well as a softer back that helps a lot for breaking resistance.
Do you use the O-1 stock or just old files?
Just curious..
That's one dang beautiful knife.?
Could you PM me and let me know how much that one, or your similar knives would set a fellow back. I'd like to have one if available !!!
Big7
The Oracle
And another question.
Do you dull off what's left of the actual filing surface?
To have a very hard carbon steel knife that can be used for a file in a jam sounds like a win- win to me.
Even the hardest of high carbon steel blades are relatively easy to sharpen vs most other materials. Also holds an edge well.
Do you dull off what's left of the actual filing surface?
To have a very hard carbon steel knife that can be used for a file in a jam sounds like a win- win to me.
Even the hardest of high carbon steel blades are relatively easy to sharpen vs most other materials. Also holds an edge well.
godogs57
Senior Member
That file was more than likely between 50 & 75 years old. While O1 is a wonderful old carbon steel, I have never heard of a file being made of that steel. Files were typically made from very simple 1% (or thereabouts) carbon steel. I love O1 as a choice for a carbon steel knife. It works well, hardens well and takes a great polish. It’s only drawback is that if you walk by it and look at it real hard...it’ll rust up. Now, all carbon steels will rust, obviously. But O1 seems to rust quicker. That, in and of itself, is not a big deal to me because I’m not going to use a knife and put it up bloody or wet...wipe it down before putting it back in the sheath and you’ll be fine.
i grind off part of the cutting surface during the process...the hollow grind, as you can see in the photo. The “flats” I leave as is to give it a unique look.
honestly, there are so many files made from so many sources, you can’t really pin down the actual steel type in any brand file. The one common trait of all files is the simple carbon type steel (1% carbon) that they were made from. For that reason every file I use as a blade gets tested before I’ll use it. I’ve mentioned this before, but the standard testing procedure is as follows:
Take the prospective file and heat it cherry red on the END of the file only. Then quench immediately in room temperature water. Note that during the actual quench of the finished blade you DO NOT use water! But you do while testing. The intent is to get the blade super hardened to where it is brittle. Heat, quench in water....then take the file and let the quenched end hang off an anvil, and smack it downward with a hammer. A good, heat treatable, file will snap right off at the end, leaving you the rest of the file to fashion into a blade. A bad file, one that won’t heat treat, will not snap off, but will just bend over the edge of the anvil....no good...throw it away.
my preferred files are Nicholson, Black Diamond, Simonds, Save Edge and a few others. These all test out fine for me.
For carbon steel knives I use O1 and I also forge 1075, 1084, 80crv2, 1095 and 52100 carbon steels.
i grind off part of the cutting surface during the process...the hollow grind, as you can see in the photo. The “flats” I leave as is to give it a unique look.
honestly, there are so many files made from so many sources, you can’t really pin down the actual steel type in any brand file. The one common trait of all files is the simple carbon type steel (1% carbon) that they were made from. For that reason every file I use as a blade gets tested before I’ll use it. I’ve mentioned this before, but the standard testing procedure is as follows:
Take the prospective file and heat it cherry red on the END of the file only. Then quench immediately in room temperature water. Note that during the actual quench of the finished blade you DO NOT use water! But you do while testing. The intent is to get the blade super hardened to where it is brittle. Heat, quench in water....then take the file and let the quenched end hang off an anvil, and smack it downward with a hammer. A good, heat treatable, file will snap right off at the end, leaving you the rest of the file to fashion into a blade. A bad file, one that won’t heat treat, will not snap off, but will just bend over the edge of the anvil....no good...throw it away.
my preferred files are Nicholson, Black Diamond, Simonds, Save Edge and a few others. These all test out fine for me.
For carbon steel knives I use O1 and I also forge 1075, 1084, 80crv2, 1095 and 52100 carbon steels.
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IFLY4U
Senior Member
Really nice job. Old Nicholson files were made from 1095 tool steel and their file blanks were stamped out by a tool and die business in Athens Alabama. After Nicholson shut down US manufacturing, I am not sure what they are made out of. I have a few of their old blanks.
Gary
Gary
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believer
Senior Member
beautiful
Buck111
Senior Member
Fine work...
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