Farrier Hoof Knives.

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oatey_hokcing

Guest
Hey All!

New here! I have been reading the forum for a few weeks now trying to find the answers to my questions to some success, however I wanted to pick you brains some more.


I am a farrier form NE OH, I am looking to make a few hoof knives. I am not sure what the best steal to use is? When I make forging tools like hammers and such I use S7 or 4140.

What is the best steal for everyday use, something hard but not so hard it can't be easily sharpened?

Also I'm like anyone else staring I want to keep my cost down, Can I use just some copper nails and rivet handles on or just sections of copper? And some glue?

Thanks Jarred
 
I Also wanted to add that I'm looking for info on working with hoof rasps. I have read on here and other sites that you really don't know the content of them no matter what.

What is the best way to treat it?



Thanks,
Jarred
 
For a farrier that knows his way around a forge, I would think 5160 or 1084 would be good for you. It's not crazy expensive and tolerant on heat treating.

A lot of those big horse rasp files are case hardened lower grade steel so when you forge them, you end up with high carbon mild steel that just gets kinda hard. They will get hard in a water or brine quench but don't hold an edge that well.
 
Thanks for the quick reply!

5160 or 1084

Can you tell me a little more about both steels or a place to find the info?


Thanks,
Jarred
 
A quick way to check your rasps are suitable for knifemaking is to heat the tang to critical (non-magnet plus a little), quench, then see if the tang will snap off. If it bends, your file is likely case-hardened, if it breaks almost like glass, it can be made into a good knife.

1084 is an excellent, simple steel, very easy to forge and heat-treat. The .8% carbon gives it good edge-holding, without being too brittle. If you've never made a knife, this is the steel you want.

5160 is a fatigue resistant spring steel, often (but not always) used for automotive springs. As you may have guessed, it is extremely tough. The .6% carbon gives it fair edge-holding, and the bit of chromium helps in this regard. The chromium is not your friend when it comes to forging and heat-treating, though. It moves sluggishly under the hammer, and does not like being worked below critical. For hardening, it really needs to soak at austinizing temps for a few minutes in order to reach its full potential (not the easiest thing to do in a forge without over-heating), and its austenizing temp is considerably higher than non-magnetic, so the magnet trick doesn't really work too well with this (and most) steels. The good thing is, it will fully harden when quenched into almost anything, so good old veggie oil makes a great quenchant for it (heat oil to 120 degrees for best results).

Welcome to KnifeDogs...
 
Hey Jarred, welcome.

Having done a little...as little as I could get by with on my own plugs....shoeing in the old days, I'm gonna disagree with the recommendations a little.

They are great steels and the guys are giving you great information. All very true. All would work, but if you are already comfortable with forging I'd order some W1 or W2 round bar (drill rod) and use it. It's the simplest steel on the planet to work. Makes a great blade and takes to forging like a duck to water. Plus it quenches in plain water with no problem.

I don't know if you use a hooked or straight blade, but the round bar should be pretty familiar to shape for a farrier. Stuff sharpens easily, holds an edge, easy to find and is pretty inexpensive.

All you have to do is forge it, heat it to critical (non magnetic), slam it in a bucket of water, run it through a couple temper cycles at 375-400 degrees and it's ready to use. Really simple!

Oh and if you like a flexible blade you can soften the spine with a propane torch by carefully chasing the color out from the tang and re quenching it before color gets to the edge. This way it leaves the edge hard and toughens the spine. Also simple.

It's been the old tried and true steel for tradesman's knives for about as long as it's been around. I'm not one to buck trends and if it ain't broke I'm in no hurry to fix it. LOL
 
I've made tons of picks from a half of a horse shoe. It looks cool and anyone who rides can always carry a hoof pick.
 
check this out
HPIM2820.jpg

HPIM2822.jpg

HPIM2826.jpg
 
Thanks all.

W2 or 1084? Hmmm... I really like how the W2 sounds. I sharpen my hoof knives daily on a buffer so dunking it in water if it got hot wouldn't hurt it. I have been doing a little searching but can't find any for sale?



Iron nice hoof knife what did you make your blade from?



Thanks,
Jarred
 
GHEzell

On the rasp, When I quench it do it in water? And if the rasp does pass the test what is the best way to forge and treat it?


Also I use s7 for making punches and such would it be suitable for blades?


Thanks
Jarred
 
This Is one I started yesterday when making other tools, My first attempt on something that looks like a blade. Steel is s7 which is one of my tool steels of choice not sure its great for a knife but shall see. Forged down from 3/8ish round stock. I will work on the knife some more in the next week as time allows and see what comes out. The photo is it forged down and the blade edge ran on the belt sander, not even close to what I want the blade to look like yet.
 

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Steel
for farrier knives

I have made several for myself over the years I have a large section of sawmill Band-saw blade I call it L6 , but who knows and saying that can start a discussion or two.

IT holds an edge ( farrier knives have to be flexible , are subject to being used in dirt mud ( wet dirt -:) ) and be run into rocks and bits of remaining nails.

You can buy A2 in the width and thickness you need it's fairly easy to use.

No mater what steel you use you will have to sharpen several times a day.

It's a tool -sharp knives make your life easer provide less wear and tear on your wrists . Kind of like a breaker bar- in reverse The sole is the force your wrist is the nut.

The bit about A2 is because I held a clinic for a world Champ Farrier and he had the attendees making knives out of it - He also makes/made knives
for sale to farrier suppliers.

The thing about being flexible is very important the last thing You want is for a knife to fail while you are pulling on it.

Farriers Have to ignore Moms warning about never cutting towards our selves. Thats the thing that causes stitches in us or the horse - we can recover from a slash. Horse owners will never let you recover from slashing a horses tendon.

In my opinion keep the blade as short as possible and the handle as close to the blade as you can. all the force required to make the knife work is provided by your wrist The longer the blade is from that pivot point the more work it takes - and the job is hard enough as it is.

I have been teaching Farriers for almost 20 years and I see all kinds of knives used by the now almost 2000 that I have taught.

I believe that the foot is like really hard Ice Cream no point having a big spoon since you can only get a small bit loose at a time. ( at least here in CA in the summer when the sole is as hard as glass.)

The L6 (?) I have I harden in oil.

Jarred IF you contact me I will plasma out a piece for you to try.

Email me OR PM ( I dont always check here for PM's )

Chuck nails@unlimited.net

Rasps; Good ones all but Buffalo ( Bad bad ) are I believe 1095 they are hard and sharp will snap at the least provocation and NEVER bend .

No knife is abused like the little edges of a hoof rasp . The points are very small if they could not hold an edge we would be in real trouble. These rasps have several lives : first as a "Floor" Rasp - used only to trim hoof ;
as a "finnish" rasp to clean up the foot and nail clinches After the shoe is on; and a a "hot " rasp to clean up shoes, Removing Frog eyes, safeing and boxing the edges.

Knives made from them will hold an edge if hardened like the rasp they are made from - BUT that knife is as brittle as the original rasp . To make a using knife you have to soften the temper .

Hardening in oil will help

Everything is a compromise once softened it wont hold an edge as long

But hey You already Paid $20 for the steel might as well use it.

Chuck
http://www.farrierschool.com/
 
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