416 stainless is getting scarce - what 400 or 300 ss will you switch to and why?

BossDog

KnifeDogs.com & USAknifemaker.com Owner
Staff member
416 stainless bar stock is getting harder to find. 416 round and hex stock is still being made but the bar stock is not -- or at least I have heard but can't verify it. I do know I can't find any 1/8" thick 416 ss from a bulk supplier. ( I know there is some residual stock at some of the other knife supply places. I am looking for a bulk supplier.)

When/if 416ss isn't to be found in bar stock any longer...what will you switch to? 410 or 304 or one of the others?
 
I checked Fry twice.. they aren't getting it back in again -- ever.
 
Try 410. It's close enough to 416. 304 is okay for making fittings, but if you want your knife engraved most engravers hate it. It tends to work harden and leave a somewhat ragged cut. 410 works like 416.

David
 
I have a pretty endless supply of 416 round bar from a local gun barrel maker. Now lets see I just need a forge and a Blanchard grinder... yep got those too.. Who needs flat bar??????:) :) :)
 
I am to assume the custom knifemakers must be one of the few applications that use 416 bar stock regularly or why would they quit making it.
 
416ss isn't going away completely. Flat bar 416ss is what is not getting rolled. There is plenty of round 416ss. It is commonly used in gun barrels and in the medical industry. Square bar and hex rod also is still around and probably will be for some time. Flat bar 416ss is what is disappearing. Hopefully, some mill or steel company will decide to roll us knife makers flat bar 416ss and keep us happy..
 
I have a pretty endless supply of 416 round bar from a local gun barrel maker. Now lets see I just need a forge and a Blanchard grinder... yep got those too.. Who needs flat bar??????:) :) :)

Using 410,416,420 on a blanchard can be a disaster, one of the guys I use for grinding stock had a machine down for 4 months, over ten thousand in damage, a piece of 420 got sucked up into the grinder head. Those 3 stainless steels are only mildly magnetic.
 
What I was referring to is there must not be much demand for 416 flat bar since they aren't rolling it even though it is used a lot in custom knives.

I will probably just continue to use 304 and 416 as long as I can get square or rectangle stock. I cut flat bars out of large 304 stock all the time since I can find it at a local salvage yard in 1 inch by 1 1/2 to 3 inch bars. It is more work though having to slice pieces off in a band saw and true them up in a mill.
 
Forgive my ignorance, but what are the differences between commonly-available SS barstock used for guards and such, regarding grindability and polishability? (if those are actually words... you guys know what I mean) I' not set up to get big pieces and work them down to the sizes I want.
 
If 416 is not available, i will probably be on the look out for 410. Sttill stainless properties but is magnetic so can easily surface grind.
 
Forgive my ignorance, but what are the differences between commonly-available SS barstock used for guards and such, regarding grindability and polishability? (if those are actually words... you guys know what I mean) I' not set up to get big pieces and work them down to the sizes I want.

400 series (like 410 and 416) stainless is (slightly) magnetic so it can be held in a surface grinder. It can also be hardened. 300 series can not be. 300 series tends to fussier to drill and engravers really don't like it as compared to 416ss. Cosmetically, I'm not sure you can tell them apart by looking but then I've never compared them side by side. Hand finishing them is identical in effort and results.
 
NOt to hijack the thread, but I have a large supply of 'scrap' stainless that I can buy at scrap prices. Only problem is that it is not marked. It is 303 or 304. Any way to test them short of sending in for analysis? Maybe the more pertinent question, is there any need to test it, i.e., know if it is 303 or 304?

Dan
 
I've used 303 for guards and bolsters for years. Easy to solder (if you like soldering stainless) It is not magnetic seems to be the down side.
 
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