stephen thomas
Diamond
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2001
Some of you know i make (very sporadically, sigh) woodworking planes and plane irons (blades). As a preface, I am familiar with processing and heat treating the more common alloys, use A2 for common stuff, and I weld up and heat treat "better" irons out of CPM M4.
As I understand it, the best Japanese planes use Hitachi "super blue steel" laminated to wrought iron backers for the blades. It is extremely difficult to find anything but doubletalk and scuttlebutt on this steel. Here is one site that at least lists the presumed alloy (you have to scroll down to the second chart) A.G. Russell Knives | Steel Guide - A.G. Russell
There don't seem to be any US suppliers, which of course only adds to the mystique.
So my question is, has anyone used it (Hitachi super blue steel), have a source for it, comments on it based on personal experience, comparison with typical Carpenter's or Crucible products (I used to buy from Crucible before the bankruptcy, getting ready to place a tiny order with their new distributor, Niagara for some CPM M4) I'd like to put a couple blades together and compare at the bench.
I know Cash makes literally tons of knives every year, hoping he has some comments.
smt
As I understand it, the best Japanese planes use Hitachi "super blue steel" laminated to wrought iron backers for the blades. It is extremely difficult to find anything but doubletalk and scuttlebutt on this steel. Here is one site that at least lists the presumed alloy (you have to scroll down to the second chart) A.G. Russell Knives | Steel Guide - A.G. Russell
There don't seem to be any US suppliers, which of course only adds to the mystique.
So my question is, has anyone used it (Hitachi super blue steel), have a source for it, comments on it based on personal experience, comparison with typical Carpenter's or Crucible products (I used to buy from Crucible before the bankruptcy, getting ready to place a tiny order with their new distributor, Niagara for some CPM M4) I'd like to put a couple blades together and compare at the bench.
I know Cash makes literally tons of knives every year, hoping he has some comments.
smt