Tried using railroad spikes for my last 10 knives but now I'm wondering if the mystery steel is worth the headache

At a hammer-in up in Portland last summer I watched a guy snap three blades in a row from recycled rail stock while his partner holding proper 1080 went through the whole batch without a single failure, so which side do you fall on for everyday users who aren't trying to win any awards?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_ben16d ago

So are we forging knives or gambling? Sounds like your buddy at the hammer-in was playing the lottery with those spikes. I've had decent luck with a few old spikes from a line that closed in the 50s, but the modern ones are junk. For an everyday user I'd stick with known steel and save the spikes for a wall hanger or a fun project when you're feeling lucky.

anna75816d ago

The 1950s line you mentioned is exactly the kind of luck I'm talking about... I've got maybe a dozen spikes from a bridge job my granddad worked on back in the 40s, and those forge up into real solid knives with a good heat treat. But you're right, the modern ones from the big box stores are total garbage, they crack or just won't harden right. I think the key is knowing your source and being real about what you're getting into... if you grab a random spike off a track today, you're rolling the dice, but if you can find an old rail from a known date you're a lot better off. I still use known steel for anything I'm gonna sell, but for a beater camp knife I'll take my chances on an old spike every time.

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