EN45 Steel

[Bionic]

I don’t know whether this is the appropriate place to post this so feel free to move it if neccasary. I’ve recently obtained a 5m length of EN45 steel primarily for using at work for tool making and was wondering if anyone had any experience knife making with it. I’m aware it has a relatively low carbon content (circa 0.5%-0.6% if I remember correctly) and as such I assume it would lend its self more forwards tough heavy duty knifes rather than ones requiring high levels of edge retention if it’s any use at all. Having looked on line I’ve found info about it for sword making but not much relating to knives but as a spring steel I’m guessing it may not be a totally lost cause even if it’s only for parang or Kukri styles
Thanks. James

 

[ejtrent]

Is it flat plate or round? If flat I'd use it for general tool steel things like cutting dies for making wooden dowels or work surfaces on grinders and that,

Might be good for knives but I've not seen it used heavily

 

[zackerty]

Makes good kukhris and parangs, bolos etc, longish knives that are used hard.

 

[Stew]

It's a good steel to use but you need to be conscious that it has a higher austenising temperature than other carbon steels - around the 900 degree mark (it's possible as up and down some but recall that as the midpoint)

 

[Bionic]

Thanks for the info chaps especially about the austinising temp as that hadn’t clicked, not that I’d researched the h/t regime yet.
Thanks again

 

[Dave Budd]

I use it a fair bit and have been for about 14 years

as mentioned, it is a tough steel and can be bomb proof if used right It's the standard go to steel for reenactment weapons and until EN47 was introduced was one of the main steels used to make springs in the UK.

Harden from 880-920C, which is much hotter than something like O1 or silver steel and well above non-magnetic. For working knives temper at 190-220 and you'll get somewhere between 56-59RC depending on hardening temperature, oil type, etc. Hardens in oil. One if it's oddities is that the outside 0.5mm or so does not get hard, so be sure to grind back the edge before sharpening and don't panic if a file doesn't skate when you check it. It's quite hard under the hammer and stiffens up fast if forged below dull orange, which is why I use it when demonstrating bladesmithing outdoors (I can feel when it's too cold even if I can't see it). It will produce a hamon but not a spectacular one

 

[Bionic]

Thanks for that, greatly appreciated. It’s good to know about the outer 0.5mm staying soft, that’s probably saved me an awful lot of head scratching.
Thanks again. James