Brush cutter blade

[DC]

Does anyone recognise this kind of brush cutter blade. It used to have pins in the holes that clipped into a sort of axe handle. What I'm wondering about is whether it's decent steel. It would make a nice small drawknife. It takes a nice edge, I just don't know if it will keep it. I did a spark test and it wasn't all sparkley like high carbon. It had a few sparkles but it also threw off little balls like ball lightening for lack of a better description. I have a feeling that they were throw away replaceable blades but that doesn't necessarily mean they were crap steel does it.

[mmattockx]

Does a file touch it?


Mark

[DC]

Yes a file will cut it. I compared filing it to filing a saw blade and it's about the same. I redid the spark test on my grinder and it sparks very much like a file so it's looking hopeful.

[Handforged]

the little blue light balls are likely chromium. My guess is it's 4140, possibly 1050-1060...all are lower carbon steels used for cutting tools like that. Before messing with it much I would try to heat treat it. Get it hot and quench it in mineral oil. If it will skate a file then anneal and have some fun with it. If a file will still bite then it won't get hard enough to make a knife, unless you plan to is it as layer for a Damascus with a high carbon cutting edge.

[DC]

I was hoping to use it as is. I'll stick some handles on it and try it first. See how it holds an edge. I can always mess with the heat treat later. I was just hoping that someone had some experience with these blades and knew if they were decent steel or not. I've seen some comments on here about some alloys that required special treatment. If this was one of them I would hate to mess up a "good" blade trying to make it "better"

[Handforged]

I was hoping to use it as is. I'll stick some handles on it and try it first. See how it holds an edge. I can always mess with the heat treat later. I was just hoping that someone had some experience with these blades and knew if they were decent steel or not. I've seen some comments on here about some alloys that required special treatment. If this was one of them I would hate to mess up a "good" blade trying to make it "better"

with the importation of Chinese powder steels, various alloys and compounds there is just no way to know for sure what it is. A guess is all that can be had. Those types of tools are meant to have soft blades.

[DC]

I've had this blade for at least 20 years. Possibly 40.  I don't throw much out I couldn't find the handle to post it. That might twig a few memories. I tried a Google search and struck out.

[DC]

So here it is with rough Ocean Spray handles. Took about ten minutes to make. It works really well. Better than my store bought ones. The blade came with a single bevel which helped but someone sharpened both sides. I ground most of the flat side but the edge is not quite flat yet. I think it will work better when that is sorted out. I'm thinking that the low edge angle is why it works better than my others. I tried it on OS and BL for a while and the edge is holding up. I'm a happy camper

[YosemiteBen]

The blade looks like it from a tool called a Sandvik(sp), they are made for brushing and limbing. I do not know what type of steel but used the tool a lot in my younger years.

[DC]

If you have any blades kicking around they sure make a quick, easy, and good draw knife.