steel from hardware store

[Grizzly Bear]

Hey Knife Dogs,

I know that the steel from the hardware store is not useful for knife making, it is used for welding (mild steel?) I want to use some for practice. I was wondering if this steel has been hardened or is it very soft and easy to work with? How does it compare to unhardened 440C, the steel I am working with?


Thanks a lot for your input,

Grizzly Bear

 

[Frank Niro]

Well, in fact I think it's a great steel to practice on. It is much softer than annealed 440-C
You might want to take a small piece , shape a convex curve, finish it down to a polish, and then gently put some heat on it. You will see some lovely colors with blue being the last before it goes back to a silver. I have seen some lovely guards made from this material. Impurities in the steel, however, will at times show up.
Frank