I have for some time had a hankering to make a blade out of an old tool such as a billhook that has seen better days. How good is the steel in these old timers and how does it compare with custom knives of today?
How good is old steel?
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Some older blades had an edge of higher quality steel for the cutting edge which was backed by a more inferior steel or even wrought iron.
Depending on how you make the new blade such as cutting it out and shaping with minimal forging then you should be ok.
Depending on how you make the new blade such as cutting it out and shaping with minimal forging then you should be ok.
It depends how old you mean; 19thC steel was 'basic' compared to modern - none of the added alloying elements like chromium and magnesium so less 'jack of all trades' - even less than 01 tool steel now. However, I have a number of blades made from late 19th and early 20th century steel and they are very capable. To achieve any toughness in a cutting tool such as a knife or a bill hook the steel either had to be softer than a modern blade (so needed sharpening more frequently) or, as Steve says, the hardened cutting edge was backed by a less hard steel. You can sometimes see the transition if you polish the blade. I love using old tools and bringing new life into them.
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