best steel for sparks

[LRB]

5160 makes a good clever, Bowie, or chopping knife, but is only marginal as a skinner. It just doesn't have enough carbon to compete with higher carbon skinning or processing type blades, nor will it match 1095 as a striker. Due to the possible problems of micro cracks mentioned by Bo T, it is best purchased as from the mill bar stock. As I mentioned, not all automotive leaf springs are 5160. Though 5160 will be passable with a simple forge heat treat, it is not at it's best unless done with a controlled heat treat that includes a short soak time of 10 to 12 minutes or so before quench. 5160 is an OK knife steel, but only reaches greatness when shock resistance is needed, or desired

 

[Auldgoat]

I've always had good success using old files. Heat to the point where the striker does not respond to a magnet (about cherry red) then quench in slack water. Draw temper to a light straw.
Will

 

[LRB]

Good files make very good strikers, but it is better to go by color, if possible, than by loss of magnetic attraction. Steel loses magnetic draw at 1414°. Not the best temp for hardening steel. A heat of red-orange will put it in a better temperature range to harden. A warm 9/10% brine quench solution is less violent to the steel than water, and will harden better and deeper than water alone, with less chance of the steel cracking.

 

[Auldgoat]

Thank you, Wick. I'll give that a try.

 

[LRB]

A common box of salt is 26 oz. 13 oz. or half a common box per gallon of water gives a good brine mix. I warm mine to about 100°, to 120°. The salt prevents the formation of a vapor jacket around the heated part being quenched, or it breaks up the vapor jacket as fast as it forms. One or the other happens. This allows instant full contact with the water, and with a much more even, faster, and deeper cooling effect. Broken and cracked steel during quench is most often caused by uneven cooling, but not all steels will tolerate a water or brine quench. Most files are W-1, or 1095 steel. Unless very thin, both of these usually do well in a brine quench. However, both will also do well enough, in a warm thin oil quench, with even less chance of cracking. I have never cracked a 1095 striker in a brine quench, but have cracked a few in plain water years ago. If I harden a 1095 frizzen, I use warmed canola oil. They are too pricey for me to risk. Money wise, and time spent fitting a new one.

 

[jferguson]

My nine year old son bought his at a Ronny and as he used it later it snapped right in two! Inside the break, the surfaces looked kind of like silver chalk surfaces in texture. Otherwise, it sparked decently.

 

[coloradoclyde]

My nine year old son bought his at a Ronny and as he used it later it snapped right in two! Inside the break, the surfaces looked kind of like silver chalk surfaces in texture. Otherwise, it sparked decently.

Yep!...I have broken several....Over hardening makes them brittle...I have a habit of using the striker to re-knap an edge on the flint....which breaks them sometimes...

6 months ago I was using an imported file and it fell off my bench...it hit the concrete floor and snapped in half....Now it a mini file.... :haha:

 

[LRB]

It isn't "over hardening" that makes a fire striker brittle. Strikers and files are inherently brittle from not being tempered, or not being tempered but a very slight bit. They cannot be tempered very much, or they will not work as desired. Neither is made to dropped on concrete, or rocks, ect. Files are heat cycled to make a fine grained steel structure that adds more strength, and strikers can be. But they will still be considered brittle, and should be treated as such. I don't know what was meant by silver chalk appearance of the broken steel in that other post, but if you break a piece off of a quality file, it will look like fine gray velvet. You will not be able to see individual grains with the naked eye, as you would with a coarse grain structure.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Thanks for the correction Wick.... :thumbsup:

 

[jferguson]

Thanks for the added information it! Now, I'm wondering if the vendor will be willing to replace it for him ......

 

[Lin Rhea]

The one in the picture is from an old file. It will fit in a small tin. I prefer the ones with two tails, sort of C shaped.

I have a suggestion for those of you who are wanting to make a striker. Instead of quenching the whole thing, just quench the edge of it and allow the red to fade leaving a bit tougher "spine". When the red fades in the spine, just dip it below the surface and stop the residual heat from drawing the hardened edge. I use water (sometimes vegetable oil) to quench most of my strikers and don't draw them back at all.

In the above picture the striker is just in the heat cycles as mentioned above. This toughens it and shrinks the grain. The apparent color of the striker in the picture is a little low for quenching. If it was a shade brighter, it would be just about right.

 

[jmforge]

Lynn, I read somewhere that L6 can throw crazy sparks. Of course, we know the downsides of trying to work with that stuff. :rotf:

 

[rickystl]

Thank you all for this interesting Thread. I just learned a bunch. :haha: Just another example of the value in the Forum. Much appreciated.
It was mentioned somewhere above that many of the old, original fire steels were larger than what we typically carry today. So I thought I would post one here that I own that is very decorative. Thought you all might like to see it. The stricking edge is almost 5" long. Central or South India. Late 17th or early 18th Century. Very cool looking item. I've never tried using it to see if it will spark, but am now tempted. :haha: The two lions/decoration is the same on both sides. Bet this one took a while to make. :haha:

Rick :hatsoff:

 

[LRB]

:thumbsup:

 

[Billnpatti]

Would a piece from an automobile leaf spring make for a good striker? I have a broken rear spring from my '92 Wrangler ( hit a hidden pot hole hard last winter)that I'm trying to find a way to salvage in some form. Hate to throw out all that metal if it can be used for something.

There are some good knife makers out there who make some pretty nice knives from automobile spring steel. High carbon steel such as that used in making files is about the best sparking steel.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Due to the possible problems of micro cracks mentioned by Bo T, it is best purchased as from the mill bar stock. As I mentioned, not all automotive leaf springs are 5160

The Arkansas Knife Makers Association reccomends leaf spring steel but new only and the type used for large trucks.

 

[LRB]

Even so, it may not be 5160. Order from a steel supplier and you have a better chance of getting what you want.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Even so, it may not be 5160. Order from a steel supplier and you have a better chance of getting what you want.

Can't debate that. I dunno :idunno: wat it is. But they like it. And, their forged knives are tough.